The Very Best Granola
This delicious healthy granola recipe is the best! It's naturally sweetened with maple syrup (or honey). Just add oats, coconut oil, nuts and dried fruit.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
Do you love granola? Me, too! Today, I’m sharing my “basic” granola recipe, which is also the best granola recipe. Granted, I’m partial, but it really is the best and I use that term sparingly. Over two hundred five-star reviews agree!
In fact, I love this recipe so much that I shared it in my cookbook, Love Real Food. This granola makes a wonderful snack or breakfast (add your milk of choice and maybe some fresh fruit). It also stores beautifully, so it makes a great homemade gift.
Once you try homemade granola, you won’t go back to store-bought granola. It’s so much better!
This granola recipe is also a far more healthy granola option, since it’s made with whole grains, unrefined oil and naturally sweetened. You just can’t beat freshly baked granola packed with delicious and good-for-you ingredients.
Plus, homemade granola is super easy to make. You’ll only need one bowl and some basic pantry ingredients. Ready to make some?
Watch How to Make Healthy Granola
Now that you have my base recipe, you can play around with the mix-ins and spices to make it your favorite granola.
By the way, you can preserve that freshly baked flavor by storing this granola in the freezer. Just let it warm to room temperature for a few minutes, and enjoy.
Healthy Granola Ingredients
Oats
Heart-healthy, hearty, whole-grain old-fashioned oats keep their shape during baking. Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats if you need gluten-free granola.
Nuts and/or Seeds
I used pecans and pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) to make this batch. Other options include walnuts, which are rich in Omega-3s, whole or slivered almonds, cashews, peanuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts and sunflower seeds.
Unrefined Oil
Oil helps make this granola crisp and irresistible. I prefer unrefined coconut oil, which is delicious (you can barely taste the coconut, if at all) and produces the perfect texture.
You can use extra-virgin olive oil instead, if you’d like your granola to be a little more on the savory side. If you’re watching your saturated fat intake, olive oil is a better choice!
Natural Sweetener
I love using real maple syrup in my granola. Honey works great, too. As a bonus, these natural sweeteners infuse your granola extra-delicious flavor that sugar would not.
Salt and Spice
For flavorful granola, don’t skip the salt! Too little and your flavors won’t sing. I prefer using fine-grain sea salt in this one (I always cook with fine-grain sea salt), but regular salt will do, too (just use a little less).
I added cinnamon to this batch for some subtle warming spice. Ground ginger (use half as much) and pumpkin spice blends are other options.
Dried Fruit
Dried fruit lends some extra sweetness, chewy texture and irresistible fruity flavor. I used dried cranberries for this batch. I also love tart dried cherries, raisins and chopped dried apricots.
Optional Mix-Ins
For fresh citrus flavor, stir fresh citrus zest (up to 2 teaspoons) into the mixture before baking. I love adding orange zest, in particular.
You can add chocolate chips after the granola has completely cooled (otherwise, they’ll melt).
If you’d like to add unsweetened coconut flakes, you can add it halfway through baking for perfectly toasted results (see recipe note).
Chunky Granola Tips
Some of you, like me, love big clumps in your granola. Here are my tips to achieving the best clumps:
- Your oats need to be a little crowded in the pan so they can stick together, but not so crowded that they don’t toast evenly. I recommend using a basic half sheet pan (affiliate link) for this granola recipe. It’s the perfect size and the rimmed edges make sure no granola falls overboard.
- Be sure to line the pan with parchment paper so the sweetener sticks to your oats rather than the pan.
- For maximum clumps, gently press down on the granola with the back of a spatula after stirring the mixture at the half-way baking point. Then put the pan back into the oven to finish baking.
- Don’t bake the granola too long—just until it’s lightly golden on top, as described. It might not seem like it’s done yet, but it will continue to crisp up as it cools. Over-baking the granola seems to break the sugar bonds.
- Lastly, let the granola cool completely before breaking it up. I’ve even left it on the pan overnight, covered.
Even with all those techniques in place, I occasionally end up with a batch of granola that isn’t as clumpy as my others, for reasons that I can’t explain. It’s always delicious, though!
Granola Variations
This recipe is my favorite, go-to granola recipe. Over the years, I’ve played around with it to create a bunch of fun variations. Here they are for inspiration:
- Orange and Almond Granola: This recipe includes orange zest (2 teaspoons), whole almonds and golden raisins.
- Triple Coconut Granola: This recipe calls for coconut oil, large coconut flakes and shredded coconut.
- Cranberry Orange Granola: This recipe is quite similar to this one, but a little sweeter and full of vibrant orange flavor.
- Honey Almond Granola: Just what it sounds like, plus chopped dried apricots! Delightful.
- Gingerbread Granola: This granola includes molasses and extra warming spices, plus coconut flakes, dried cranberries and chopped candied ginger.
Please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments! I love hearing from you and hope this granola recipe becomes your new favorite.
Healthy Granola
This delicious healthy granola recipe is naturally sweetened with maple syrup (or honey). It’s made with oats, coconut oil and your favorite nuts and fruit. Make it your own! Recipe yields about 8 cups granola, enough for about 16 half-cup servings.
Ingredients
- 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (use certified gluten-free oats for gluten-free granola)
- 1 ½ cup raw nuts and/or seeds (I used 1 cup pecans and ½ cup pepitas)
- 1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt (if you’re using standard table salt, scale back to ¾ teaspoon)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup melted coconut oil or olive oil
- ½ cup maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup dried fruit, chopped if large (I used dried cranberries)
- Totally optional additional mix-ins: ½ cup chocolate chips or coconut flakes*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, nuts and/or seeds, salt and cinnamon. Stir to blend.
- Pour in the oil, maple syrup and/or honey and vanilla. Mix well, until every oat and nut is lightly coated. Pour the granola onto your prepared pan and use a large spoon to spread it in an even layer.
- Bake until lightly golden, about 21 to 24 minutes, stirring halfway (for extra-clumpy granola, press the stirred granola down with your spatula to create a more even layer). The granola will further crisp up as it cools.
- Let the granola cool completely, undisturbed (at least 45 minutes). Top with the dried fruit (and optional chocolate chips, if using). Break the granola into pieces with your hands if you want to retain big chunks, or stir it around with a spoon if you don’t want extra-clumpy granola.
- Store the granola in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks, or in a sealed freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. The dried fruit can freeze solid, so let it warm to room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Recipe adapted Meg Gordan’s granola, which I’ve tweaked over the years.
Make it gluten free: Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats.
Make it nut free: Use seeds, like pepitas or sunflower seeds, instead of nuts.
*If you want toasted coconut in your granola: Stir the coconut flakes into the granola halfway through baking. They’ll get nice and toasty that way.
Serving suggestions: This granola is awesome on its own, with milk or yogurt and fresh fruit, and you can even throw a couple handfuls into a salad for granola “croutons.”
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
this recipe is EVERYTHING!!
i live alone so i just 1/2 everything and makes enough for the week. Cookie and kate is quickly becoming my favourite thing ever … saving for the cookbook
thanks kate u life saver XXX
Thank you for your review, Jess! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
This smelled and tasted amazing when I prepped it, but I put it in the oven for 20 mins at 350 and it got burnt- made me so sad.
Just made this, first time making granola. It turned out PERFECT! I used the honey and coconut oil, added walnuts, sunflowers seeds and cranberries. It’s SO GOOD! Will for sure be making another batch soon to share with friends!
I love it! Thank you for sharing, Jessica.
Excellent!
Thank you, Natasha!
I have made this granola a number of times and always turns out amazing! I’ve made it with almonds and will have try pecans next and maybe some pumpkin pie spice ☺️
I made this granola with coconut oil and plant butter, extra cinnamon and nutmeg, subbed almond extract, then added roasted mixed nuts, coconut in the last 5 min of baking and added cranberries at cooling….SO GREAT!
Best recipe ever!
Love it!
Made this a few times now! I find maple syrup has a bit more flavour but its the honey that makes it chunky.
I’ve made this granola about five times now. The first four times I used maple syrup and the last I used honey. Although I traditionally make granola with honey, I found that it wasn’t as sweet and it sunk to the bottom of the granola but that could be because I forgot to cover it when I let it sit overnight. I also used shredded coconut and raisins the last time instead of dried cranberries. Finally I also used an extra cup of nuts, so all those factors may have contributed to it being a bit more plain Jane. But ultimately, I love this recipe and will keep making it with maple syrup. I’ve already forwarded it to two people who wanted a new recipe.
My granola was amazing when it came out of the oven, like a huge flapjack and as promised; crunchy and clumpy! However the following morning it had lost all crunch and clumps and had turned into greasy muesli. I had kept it in a jar… anyone else had this…?
Hi! I’m sorry to hear that. How did you store it? Was their moisture in your jar or in the space it was stored?
So yummy and not too sweet!
Great recipe! Tried it and it turned out perfect…. thank you!
You’re welcome, Gayatri! I appreciate your review.
My go-to granola recipe. It’s a good one to have one. Add in your favorite ingredients. You can’t go wrong. I love it over vanilla yogurt for a snack or breakfast.
Hi, just wondering do you know the calories for the above granola recipe please?
Hi! The nutrition information is below the note section of each recipe.
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! I eat it as cereal for breakfast and also put it in baggies to snack on in the evenings. For a variation I add 1tsp of molasses. I also lowered the cooking temp to 300, comes out perfect in my little countertop oven.
Can honey be somehow replaced in this recipe with some granular sweetener?
Hi, unfortunately you won’t get the same results.
First time making granola and it’s amazing!! I absolutely love it and am pretty sure I’ll be making this once a month :) Thank you so much.
Wonderful, Chantal! Thank you for your review.
Thanks very much. I’ve made this twice now and they were great
This granola is amazing. Not full of sugar like the store-bought stuff. I love the taste.
I made this once and loved it. Passed recipe to sister and she loved it.. She gave to her daughter who loved it.. Recipe is a keeper.. Have every morning with low fat yogurt.. Yum.
This is a simple and delicious granola. I cut the sweetener in half for my taste and have in most mornings with Greek yogurt and berries.
So good. Your granola is my new go to. Thanks
You’re welcome, Brenda! Thank you for your review.
I’m blown away by how easy and tasty this granola recipe is. I added flax seeds, cashews, white chocolate, and dark brown sugar – it turned out perfectly. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Made this today for the first time. Absolutely delicious and so simple! Will never buy ready granola again!
That’s great! Thank you for your review, Sanya.
This really is the best granola ever! I’m baking my third batch now, simply Maple.
A go to!
This is a great recipe. Next time I may sprinkle the cranberries on top of the granola when it comes out of the oven. I used the coconut oil and honey. Five Stars!
Toasted oats, not granola
I followed this recipe and although it has a really good flavor it’s all loose oats and nuts. I did not solidify into granola-like chunks. What did I do wrong? I went back and re-read the recipe several times and I can’t figure it out.
Hi Julie, did you let it cook completely?
Even with fine grained sea salt, this is really too salty. I would recommend cutting the salt by half.
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy it. You can decrease the salt if you like.
I rarely leave ratings/comments on recipes, but this is seriously THE BEST GRANOLA on the planet. I make a half-batch literally almost every week, and I still haven’t grown tired of it!
I double the amount of vanilla extract and cinnamon, and I use pure maple syrup. I use all kinds of nuts, sometimes dried cranberries, sometimes dark chocolate. OMG, I just cannot get enough.
I top mine with yogurt, berries, and chia seeds. YUM!! Thank you so much!!!
I’m glad you loved it! Thank you for your review, Katherine.
Absolutely delicious, whole family love it. I use crushed walnuts and coconut flakes. Thank you for this beautiful recipe xx
Incredibly easy to make and delicious!
An added plus is that my grandsons love it too!
Holy granoly this is good! I literally almost cried when I realized the sheer amount of money I could have saved myself all these years if I’d made my own granola. This is amazing. 10/10
Love this recipe! It is my go to. Easy to make a batch any time and goes with so many different nuts/seeds on hand. I’m always being asked for the recipe when friends and family try it. Thank you!!
You’re welcome, Olivia! I’m delighted this is a go-to for you.
Yes. It was a light toasty brown. Then I let it cool for over an hour.
I have made the recipe several times using pecans and maple syrup. I add dried cranberries as I’m breaking it up. I mix it with vanilla Greek yogurt, blueberries and strawberries. Great breakfast.
Just made this recipe and it’s a keeper. I used my favorite combo of nuts and fruits. I love that it is so adaptable.
Love this recipe. Can’t eat my yogurt anymore without it!
About a year ago went online for a granola recipe. Came across one by Alton Brown, who is always solid on his TV show. Figured that would be the one to try. Was good not great. Found your recipe and loved it from the start. Everyone should know to trust the bake time and don’t worry, granola will get crisper as it cools. Learned the hard way with an overdone batch as I wrongly assumed it should be baked until crisp. Have added variety of dried fruits & nuts and extra cinnamon to tweak to personal taste. If you are looking for a fantastic granola recipe, look no further! Sorry Alton!
We make a new batch of this as soon as we finish the last. I can honestly say this is the best granola of all time – We Australians LOVE your recipes!
I’m happy you love them, Lisa! Thank you for your review.
Ugh-mazing! Turned out SO good…perfect! Thanks for the details on handling it!
Uhh-mazing! Turned out SO good…perfect! Thanks for the details on handling it!
I usually have the quick oats on hand more than the old fashioned ones. I assume bake time will differ and the over all texture of the finished product. Will this make a huge difference?
Hi, you can use quick oats but you may need to adjust your time and they won’t clump together the same like the old fashioned.
I also have been using this recipe for awhile. I find it clumps better with honey than with maple syrup though I like the flavors with either. I’m going to experiment with less sweetener. I know it won’t clump as well but need to reduce calories. Has anyone tried that? Also wondering about using molasses? I see you have a variant that uses molasses. Anyway, so love it and love that I can use whatever seeds, nuts, and dried fruit I have on hand.
Hi, Just want to say that I made the granola once. Well a couple of weeks passed after making That first Batch of granola I said to myself Hmmm i’m going to make some more of that granola from Cookie and Kate recipe because I like it! I also have made some of your other vegan recipes and was pleasantly pleased. Thank You Cookie and Kate.
You’re welcome, Ria! I’m glad you enjoyed it and made it again.
I love this recipe! Very nutritious! I will try this one!
I hope you love it, Zola!
Made this several times. Love it. My husband also loves it. Joanne
Tried this last night (was craving granola yesterday and didnt have any on hand so I figured “how hard could it be?” turns out, with this recipe: Not very hard at all!!!!). I made a half batch just to test run it. I used old fashioned oats + almond slivers + chia seeds + dried cranberries + lime flavored honey + coconut oil….. Yuuuum!!!!! Even chef hubby approved! So easy. Stored and smooshed clumps half way as suggested. Mostly smaller bits after cooled with a few larger clusters but that’s ok, I use it on yogurt anyway so its perfect!!!!! Saving. Can see his this is a VERY flexible recipe!
Great to hear! I’m glad you liked the recipe, Sara.
Made this recipe yesterday morning and love it! It was better than expected based on the granolas I’ve tried. Followed the recipe using nuts on hand – sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, raw cashews. Bumped up the quantity of maple syrup a bit because I added more nuts than the recipe suggests. Have some flax seeds hanging around and next time will add them as well.
The best granola ive had omg So good even in a bowl to snack on lol I wont get store bought again. Thanks for recipe