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.
I made granola for the first time . I can’t believe how good it turned out’ really happy with it! Yummy. Thank you so much for the recipe. I used sultanas in mine and coconut flakes in mine, it’s super delicious !!!
Really good, but it doesn’t clump. Still liked it. Might try the egg white suggestion next time I make it.
I added a bit of raw honey and I feel it helped with clumping on mine. Just adjust the maple syrup because it makes it a little sweeter.
I made the granola exactly as your recipe and it was amazing. Just making it again this time using raisins as l have some to use up. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe.
Couldn’t get the granola to stick into clumps. Yes, I followed the recipe. I used maple syrup and coconut oil. Big disappointment.
Hi LG, did you see the section with tips on how to get it to clump? They make a big difference.
I had the same issue. I followed the recipe exactly and the tips for clumping. It did not stick together and tasted dry. I used Bobs Red Mill oats. It seemed like it could use more coconut oil and maple syrup.
I couldn’t find my original post to update, so I’m going to try to post again. At first this was not sticking together at all when I used Vermont honey and olive oil. I also added a little more cinnamon. Then I added some honey, spread it back out into the pan and rebaked a couple mins, let cool and then put into the fridge still on the pan. Hardened up nice. Make sure to add the salt, game changer. Great recipe. Thanks!
Hi Kate! Love the granola! Would it work without any kind of sweetener?
Heather
Hi Heather, the honey or maple syrup is key to both flavor and the clumping of the granola, so I don’t recommend leaving them out. Many commenters have shared how they have modified the recipe to their taste, though.
I’m so happy I came across this recipe. This granola has now become a staple in my household. I make a batch every week. We have it with either mango, cherries or strawberries blended with Greek yoghurt. Simply delicious
Make this recipe all the time for breakfast. I shy away from coconut oil, extremely high in saturated fats. Your option for olive oil is perfect. I do use a little sweetened coconut and half the oil and syrup. Still Sweet and crispy. Thank you!
I’ve made this recipe several times and shared it several times. It’s one of my all-time favorites!
Love this recipe! Worked perfectly. Key thing-don’t skimp on stirring and coating everything well. Perfect!
Kate, this the very best granola I have ever made! Everyone that tries it LOVES it! My variation is adding all the different nuts and seeds in my pantry at 1/4 cup each. Adding 1 tablespoon hemp seed, chia seeds and flax seeds. I definitely prefer the coconut oil and I put 1/4 cup each maple syrup and honey. I add 1 cup dried cranberries at the end
Thank you
Thank you for this recipe. It is very hard to find a store bought granola that is made without seed oils. I made this recipe yesterday with pecans and slivered almonds (because that was what I had on hand). I added 1/2 cup each of coconut and raisins. This is the most delicious granola!!! I’m hooked for life!!!
I absolutely love this recipe, so easy to make.
I wondered if you have any idea on how many calories it contains.
Thank you
Hi Valerie, calories for this recipe vary depending on the ingredients since there are several variations, but you can find the details for the listed ingredients by clicking the “show nutrition” button.
The Very Best Granola recipe ! Excellent with the best organic ingredients:
sprouted oatmeal, almonds and walnuts, plus fresh honey from our farmer’s market.
Thank you for getting the measurements perfect, it’s delicious !!!
Such a great basic recipe which allows for so many variations. I use coconut oil and prefer a kosher coarse salt. This gives it a sweet and salty flavor. If I prefer fruit as well I add freeze dried apples or bananas to the finished product. Thank you so much for this great recipe. I’ve shared it a lot.
So good! Followed recipe as is but I’m already thinking about trying it with another oil. So good!
I absolutely love this recipe. I use just under 1/2 cup if oil & make up to a full cup with honey. For the fruit I use 1/2 dried bananas and 1/2 sultanas. Absolutely delicious
Wow, this granola is amazing. Thank you Kate for sharing your recipe.
Way too much sweetener for four cups of oats. I usually use half that amt. You do not say what calories per serving , (1/2 C ?)
I am not sure why I always thought that making granola sounded too complicated. Finally made this and it was easy and oh so delicious! Crispy crunchy in a way that store bought granola never is; each oat had a delicate crunch. none of those hard granola rocks. Didn’t put in dried fruit and it was great just with nuts and some coconut flakes. If you are considering making this… just do it! Totally worth it. Going to make some more.
thank you!
I’ve been making this granola for about 5 years. It’s the only granola recipe I use. I use avocado oil instead of the coconut oil since I’m not a fan of coconut flavored products. Sometimes it clumps but it doesn’t bother me if it doesn’t. I love it on top of yogurt with blueberries and I also eat it by itself. Since it makes so much I gift half of the batch to friends.
This turned out amazing!!!! The first time I made granola it was more like toasted oatmeal. Meaning it tasted great but didn’t clump AT ALL. I used this recipe, added a smidge more coconut oil and honey(did half maple syrup, half honey), and made sure to press down the granola halfway through. It clumped PERFECTLY and tasted so good! I’m so happy with it! I’ll never buy store bought granola again!
I really wanna make my own granola but I don’t have an oven or an air fryer at home. Can I get the same results on stovetop?
Hi Vero, no, I don’t think you can achieve the same consistency on a stovetop, but you could make a toasted nut topping with similar ingredients.
If I don’t want clusters but prefer a loose granola, should I use less syrup and/oil? If so, about how much should I use?
Thank you!
Hi Jasmyne, I wouldn’t change the ingredient amounts, I would just not be as intentional about the steps to get it to clump or would break up the clumps when storing the granola.
The very best and easiest granola ever!
Husband eats it daily and I have to hide some for me lest he eats it all!
Thank you so much!!
This turned out really well! I make it pretty much as it stated – perhaps went a little heavy on nuts (mix of pecans, cashews, and pepitas), added coconut halfway through, and it clumped nicely and tasted great. Would highly recommend this!
This is an easy and delicious granola recipe. I used red palm oil. Worked well. Raisins and cranberries are good add ons.
Fantastic recipe, thank you so much! My man has been buying the supermarket rubbish granola which is full of sugar. Because i always use your recipes i thought i would give it a go, i followed exactly your instructions, and the results exceeded my expectations! Granola is so flavored, so crunchy, and i can cut it in any size pieces i want, we can just cut a piece and snack on it. So easy to make! Thank you for your amazing recipes, and Cookie is lovely btw.
Go make this granola right now!! It takes longer for your oven to heat up and to toss it all together!! I’m trying it today with avocado oil because it’s lower in saturated fats than coconut oil. I have tried 1/2 Coconut oil & 1/2 EVOO and that’s good too. But we’re trying a new method today! I’m never buying granola again, this is just delicious and a family favorite!! Our grown kids love it so much it goes into care packages alongside homemade sourdough. Thanks for a great, easy & versatile recipe!!
Kate, thank you so much! This granola is outrageous! I’ve made the full batch three times this past week and will consider some added ingredients in the future. My guy now loves this granola on ice cream for dessert, can’t seem to get enough of it! Two batches are going out as gifts and that will mean that two more families will start following your wonderful blogs. Good job!
BTW, one batch was made with butter because I ran out of coconut oil! I believe that the coconut oil recipe if far superior in taste.
This is delicious. Followed the recipe exactly (added dried cranberries, coconut flakes and mini chocolate chips after cooling) and I had no problems with clumping. Will never buy prepared granola again.
Thank you!!
This granola is so good and a weekly staple in our house. Love it as is and especially in a yogurt parfait!