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 granola recipe is literally the best. There’s not too much fat and sugar that have fascinated me, because almost all granola recipe have HUGE amount of sugar and fat. Thank you very much!
I’m glad you agree! Thanks so much for the review.
I followed this recipe exactly, even baked it for 23 minutes. After cooling, granola is oily and sticky.
I’m sorry to hear that! What oil and sweetener did you use?
I made granola using this recipe and it turned out to be just awesome. Thanks a bunch!!
This is my absolute favorite and I make it often! <3
Great! Thank you, Gianna for your star review.
A friend gave me a jar of homemade granola over the holidays last year and I loved the fresh taste- so I searched to make my own and came on this healthy granola recipe- I have been making this recipe every week and when my sister visited she had some and now she is making it too! It is delicious. I use pecans in my recipe-and leave them whole for that “extra treat” bite! Thank you Kate for this wonderful granola!
What a fun gift! I’m glad you found this one to make too. Pecans whole would add a nice extra crunch. Thanks for the review, Judy!
This is the best granola I’ve ever had! So easy to make too. Even my hubby loved it, which says a lot!
Will be making this on a regular basis. Thanks for such a tasty AND healthy recipe.
Fantastic! Thank you, Lisa. I really appreciate your review.
This IS the best! I’ve been making it almost every week for the past six months and we still can’t get enough of it. My husband thanks me every time I make it! We can no longer eat store-bought cereal. Ten stars! Thank you!
That’s awesome! Thanks for your star review.
Amazing!! I added more nuts and it came out amazing. If you have a sweet tooth, the amount of honey is perfect. If you like things less sweet, I would suggest lowering the amount of honey as it was slightly too sweet for me.
Thanks, Sofia! I appreciate your review.
Third time making this excellent granola. So good. I wonder if you could let me know whether the oven temperature are for fan forced ovens or just conventional ovens (without the fan)? Thanks for creating this wonderful recipe.
Sorry star rating didn’t come out properly on my last comment. Hope it works this time!
Thank you!
Followed the recipe but it came out all burnt :(
Oh no! How long did you leave it in the oven for? Some ovens can vary.
Mine burnt completely too. It was in for 10 minutes.
Is there a way to reduce the amount of honey? For example using swerve along with less honey.
Sure! You can reduce it to the amount of sweetness you like. It make not clump together quite as well, but will still be delicious.
So easy! And, very delicious! I added chopped walnuts, dried dates, dried apricots, and a little shredded coconut. But there are so many options for variety! Love it over Plain Greek yogurt.
Wonderful! Thank you, Vicki.
This is my go to recipe for granola! The store bought kind just has a dusty, cardboard type taste/texture to me. I’ll never buy it again. Thank you for such a great recipe and excellent tips, too. I like it best with Greek yogurt, frozen blueberries, strawberries, a few slivered almonds, spoonful of chocolate chips and drizzle it all with a tsp of honey. I just eat a 1/4 cup at a time so I will put half in the freezer when I make a batch. This recipe is super easy and fast!
Hooray! I’m really glad you like it so much. Thanks for your review, Suzanne.
Second time using your site. Equally pleased this time. I never made granola before and with this recipe I hope to have it as a staple in our kitchen. Just the right proportions. Thank you!
Great to hear, Lisa! Thank you for your review.
Just enjoyed some from my first batch (made with pecans, almonds, and coconut flakes) over Greek yogurt. Yum! Looking forward to trying it with different nuts, seeds, and dried fruit options. Thanks for a great recipe!
You’re welcome!
I made this recipe and it turned out delicious! It is so simple to make and so much tastier than store bought granola. I added coconut flakes and sesame seeds too, which turned out great.
Thanks for sharing, Sharon! I appreciate your review.
The granola was burnt and overcooked.
The best ever. I have tried many recipes. Love this one. Have you ever tried to figure the calorie count for a 1/2 cup serving.
Thanks
This is the first time i try make my own granola and i like it better than the store bought one. I add fresh banana slices in it, it turn out great. Now I’m going to try all the granola recipe you gave! Thank you Kate…
I’m so happy to hear that! Homemade is so much better. Thanks so much for your review, Yoshy!
When I click on Nutrition there is no nutrition information provided.
Jerry
I’m sorry! Make sure you have cookies enabled so the plug-in works.
I made it with honey, margarine, toasted pecans, coconut, nutmeg, died raisins and butterscotch essence. Divine! Only that it didn’t stick together. But my children love it as a snack and I love it as a cereal also
It might have been the choice for oil. But I’m glad you liked it!
I hate giving this 3 stars as when the recipe has correct instructions it really is a great granola recipe. There are two major flaws with the recipe: 1) the cook length is far too long and 2) it calls for more salt than is needed. On my first attempt at this recipe I cooked it for the lower cook length and it was burnt to a crisp. I was not happy to throw away expensive ingredients. This is not an issue with my oven as I have baked many different recipes from many different sources at the lower cook length recommended without issue. When I baked the granola to the proper level, it took half the amount of time to bake as is recommended by the recipe. When I made the recipe with the recommended salt amount it came out way too salty – almost inedible. About a quarter of the salt amount is needed. After correcting for those two flaws in the recipe the granola came out beautifully. It is very good over vanilla yogurt. One small tip to make coating the granola easier – microwave the honey or syrup for 10 seconds before adding to the dry ingredients.
I’m sorry you felt that way! Ovens can vary. Did you start on the low end of the time? Feel free to adjust salt by taste!
Life changing! Thank you!
Ha, you’re welcome Nikol!
Hi Kate
I adore this recipe and make it frequently but I think I maybe getting the measurements wrong. What is a “cup” in UK measurements? Here in the UK, a cup is a mug which holds a lot so I am wondering if I am doing this wrong. Can you provide a rough guide on what a cup is in ounces or another measurement?
Thanks
Hi Lucy! Maybe this conversion chart will help you: https://www.myrecipes.com/how-to/metric-conversion-charts
The best granola recipe I ever made.Used walnuts, real maple syrup, olive oil,raisins, and chopped dates.
I will be checking out your other recipes also!
Gail
Love the combination, Gail!
Oh myyyyyyyyy, this is amazing! Just made my 4th batch of it, a real winner with the whole family. Thank you for sharing!
Love it! Thank you, Lindsay for commenting and reviewing the recipe.
I just found this and made it today! All I can say is this is absolutely DELICIOUS!!! Thank you!!
I’m glad you found it! Thanks for your review, M.
This is the first time I have ever attempted making granola. For the nuts, I used 1/2 cup pecans, 1/2 cup walnuts, and 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds. I also opted for the dried cherries and the coconut. I couldn’t wait for breakfast to try it so I sprinkled it on some frozen chocolate yogurt. So darned tasty! I can’t wait to have it in the morning! Thanks for sharing the easy and delicious recipe!!
David (Atlanta)
It’s so nice to look forward to something delicious in the morning! You’re welcome, David. Thanks for sharing!
We are avoiding all processed sugars, so I tried a date syrup with 1/4c dates blended with water to make the 1/2 of sweetener. It turned out great, doesn’t clump the same, but we are ok with that in exchange for the no processed sugar…
Thanks for sharing, Brenda! Happy that worked for you.
Awesome granola. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome, Sheri!
My absolute favourite granola recipe!
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing!
I love this recipe, although I have to admit that I have tweaked it slightly. I have tried it both with honey and with maple syrup, I MUCH prefer the maple syrup. I used 1/3 Cup coconut oil, my 1st batch was a little oily (to me) 1/3 Cup maple syrup, 1 cup mixed nuts (whatever I have in the frid., usually pecans, almonds and sunflower seeds. I haven’t added the dried fruit, but don’t think it needs it. It is delicious without!
That’s great, Arlene! Thanks so much!
Oh my, I should not have made this granola—I cannot stop eating it! 5*****. Thank you for such great recipes.
I know what you mean! It’s so hard to stop. Thanks for sharing, Robin.
Hi Kate, I love this recipe, i use it all the time and play around with it using whatever is to hand. Thank you!
I love that you adapt this to what you have on hand, Alexa!
Hi Kate,
Thanks again made the granola with my granddaughters on Saturday
a great hit had to send half home with them which means I will be making it again very soon.
Sue
Thank you, Sue! Thanks so much for your comment and review.
Looks like an easy super yummy recipe. Going to make it today! Thanks so much.
You’re welcome, Anita!
My first time making my own granola and it is delicious! And so easy! I used olive oil because it’s what I had on hand and it came out with a nice savory-sweet taste. Pecans, almonds, and sunflower seeds for my nut component. So yummy!
I’m glad you like this one, Susan! Thanks so much for commenting.
Love this recipe. So easy, so flexible and it is the perfect balance of salt and sweet. Love making this and knowing exactly what is in it, it’s also so much cheaper than store bought.
Now I know how to make my own, I will feel foolish if I buy my own.
I’m glad you love it! I agree, knowing what is in it makes it that much better.
This granola is delicious!! Love it! The vanilla and maple make the flavour so nice. Keep an eye on it though – I nearly over cooked it! Also I put my fruit (dried cranberries and currents) in with the granola in the oven for the last few minutes because I love the drier, chewy fruit.
I’m excited you love it, Kathy! Yes, it can vary depending on your oven. I always start on the lower end and adjust as needed. Thanks for your review!
I LOVE this granola recipe. My only question is what is the nutritional information. The nutrition header is there, but it is not listed.
Thanks!
Hi Victoria! So glad you like it. You need to click on the header to expand it! Also, make sure you allow pop-ups as it is a plug-in. I hope this helps!
Truly delicious, and so easy. So much so that i’m giving it for christmas gifts this year. Thank you!
That is a fun Christmas gift idea! Thanks for sharing, Amy. I appreciate your review!
This is truly the best granola recipe I have found. My family loves it, I give it as gifts in decorated jars, its just foolproof. I do prefer the maple syrup to the honey for the clumpier version.
I’m so glad you all love it, Cindy! I love that you find it so easy too. Thanks for your review!
this is my favorite recipe . thank you. I already made it thousands of time. but guys don’t bake it 20 min. bake it max 15min. 20 minutes baking make it dark brown burned granola
I’m glad you love it! Each oven does vary so I’m happy to hear you found your sweet spot for cooking time!
This is the best recipe. My husband lives it. It’s so easy to switch up the flavors. I recently did a batch with pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin oil, maple syrup, and pecans. Love I!
I love the pumpkin batch! Sounds delicious.
My secret for clumpy granola is to add an egg white. I do it at the end, after I’ve stirred in the other items. I reserve a bit of liquid, mix it up with the egg white (one or two), and then stir it in.
The other key is, as you mentioned, don’t mess with it – pack it in, let it bake,and let it cool!
Thanks for sharing!
I tried this recipe when I switched to gluten free and moved away from boxed cereal. I’ve since made it a handful of times and absolutely love it. It’s the perfect level of sweet, without added sugar. It’s crunchy (assuming you let it cool completely), and the nuts and spices round out the flavor. Highly recommend it.
I’m happy to hear that, Martha! Thanks so much for sharing!
Absolutely fabulous – easy to make and delicious!
Love to hear that, Adrienne!
Kate, this is the BEST recipe and so easy to make! I omit the fruit as usually eat it with fresh berries and some Greek yogurt! I a batch every 2 weeks and it is devoured. The options on nuts is endless but my favorite is 1/2 cup each of pepitas, sunflower seeds and slivered almonds! Cooking and ingredient amounts are perfect! Thanks!
I’m glad you agree, Karen! Thanks so much for sharing.
I love, love, love this recipe. I don’t even use the full recommended amount of maple syrup and oil, and it comes out so tasty. I bought Love Real Food and have been pleased with every recipe I have made to date!
Thanks, Kathryn!
Last week I made your gingerbread granola and sent it off to my sisters along with some gifts! As you mentioned, the salt is key and having it rest after it’s out of the oven. It was sooooo delicious and I had to prevent myself from eating it all :)
Right! It’s so good. Thanks for sharing, Hannah.