This homemade granola recipe is delicious, and simple to make. Easy to throw together, and packed with quality ingredients, this is the BEST homemade granola!
Granola is one of my favorite snacks, and my family loves it too. So much so, that we can go through a bag of granola in a few days (hungry boys over here!). Store bought granola, although delicious, is too expensive for how fast we can go through it. Thus started my quest for the best homemade granola recipe!
I like granola for several reasons: it can easily be used for breakfast or a snack on the go, it is a unique snack to share with friends, and it is filling. It’s such a great snack to have on hand, and it gives my cereal-loving kids a healthier option for breakfast.
My Requirements for Great Granola:
There were a few things I was looking for when it came to the best homemade granola recipe. I wanted:
- Flavor – seems obvious, but there are some pretty bland granolas out there.
- Quality ingredients – I wanted that yummy flavor without tons of sugar
- Cheaper – if it wasn’t going to cost me less than what I could buy at the store, then it didn’t seem worth it!
- Common ingredients – I wanted ingredients that I keep around the house, so I would whip up a batch without going to the store!
I experimented with a variety of recipes and finally honed in exactly what we were looking for. This recipe is now written in permanent ink on a recipe card, so you know I mean business. And now I get to share it with you!
Tools you need to make this recipe:
- Large bowl
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Whisk
- Large spatula
- Air tight container
Ingredients:
- Extra virgin olive oil (or coconut oil)
- Honey or maple syrup
- Ground cinnamon
- Salt
- Old fashioned oats
- Pecans, walnuts, or other nut variety
- Dried cranberries
- Chocolate chips (optional)
How to make Homemade Granola:
Heat oven to 325 F. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add oil, honey, cinnamon, and salt to a large bowl, and use a whisk to stir.
Add oats and nuts. Switch to a large spatula, and mix well.
Spread evenly onto your baking sheet, pressing flat into the pan.*
Bake for 20 minutes, stirring the oats halfway through.
Remove from oven, add cranberries (and other toppings), and cool.
Let the oats cool completely before packing into containers (or eating!)
*For granola clusters, use your hands to make small clumps just before baking, and DON’T mix at the halfway mark! This is my preferred method, as we often eat homemade granola as a snack, and the clusters are easier snacks.
A Few Notes
Although this recipe calls for specific types of nuts, and dried fruit, it is very flexible. I usually use whatever nuts I have on hand, so you can use whatever you prefer. I also switch up the dried fruit, and add chocolate chips for certain occasions!
Other Ideas for Homemade Granola:
Homemade granola is one of my favorite snacks to give to friends, neighbors, or family members at Christmas time. I like to add dried cranberries and white chocolate chips to give it a festive feel. Simply place granola in a jar with a pretty ribbon. You can find links for how I spruce up and reuse our jars as well as a variety of ways we reuse jars during all seasons at the end of this post.
The BEST Homemade Granola
This tasty homemade granola recipe is simple and versatile! Add some dried cranberries for color and it's the perfect treat.
Ingredients
- 1/2 c extra virgin oil
- 1/2 c honey or maple syrup
- 1/2 t ground cinnamon
- 1/2 t salt
- 3 c old fashioned oats
- 1/2 c pecans, chopped
- 1/2 walnuts, chopped
- 1 c dried cranberries
- 1/2c chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 325 F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add oil, honey, cinnamon, and salt to a bowl, then whisk.
- Add oats and nuts and stir well.
- Spread evenly onto baking sheet, pressing flat into pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes, stirring oats at 10 minutes.*
- Remove from oven, add cranberries, let cool. (For snack-size, press into clusters).**
- Cool before packing into containers.
Notes
You can use a variety of nuts for this recipe.
*If you want chunkier granola, do not mix at the halfway point.
**You can make chunkier granola by using your hands to make small clumps just before baking.
If you tried this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! Comment, rate it, or tag me on instagram @homesweetharps
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