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’ve made this recipe regularly for years now, and it is our favorite. I do sub out half the oats for thin-sliced almonds, just to boost the protein content.
Love this! Made this with a quarter cup of the maple syrup for a slightly less sweet option, and it worked perfectly. We are enjoying it in yogurt parfaits every day this week. Delicious, nutritious and much cheaper than store bought options that are often way too sweet. Thank you, Kate!
Loving the recipe although I didn’t include fruit. If J add everything up this only made 5 1/2 cups, so is the recommended serving in your opinion a 1/3 cup or 1/2 cup?
Absolutely delicious and so quick to make. I used agave nectar in place of honey or maple syrup. Olive oil for the fat. Skipped the dried fruit. Used a mix of chopped walnuts and black sesame seeds. Added zest of an orange. Also a small amount of almond extract in addition to the vanilla. I squashed at the midpoint of baking. The chunks are gigantic with a deep rich flavor and very crunchy. Thanks for the easy recipe.
Per Healthline, “Agave nectar may be the least healthy sweetener in the world, making regular sugar look healthy in comparison.”
This is 100% true – agave nectar/syrup is very unhealthy! I use maple syrup and it’s delicious!
I really liked this recipe. My only complaint was I didn’t clump up very well. It’s a small compliant considering the fact that I will be making this again next week
One person said they squashed it down half way through baking maybe with a spatula.
Looking forward to making this
Mmmmmmm…..Perfect!! We really love this granola. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Jennifer!
Make this once a week! Shared recipe with friends. – They make it once a week too! I use honey and it hasn’t burned – I stir it at half way (12 min.) Stir in fruit when complete and still warm, pressing it down in pan to cool. Once cooled, I break it into pieces.
Great recipe. Thank you!
First timer here, this stuff is so incredibly delicious!! I used maple syrup, and added 1/2 cup of rice crispies instead of the half cup of nuts. I used pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon. YUM. Thank you!
THIS GRANOLA IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DELICIOUS!!! Just discovered your website recently. I have to limit myself because I want to eat the entire batch. Seriously!!!!! I will probably make this hundreds of times in the future. Thanks!!!
You’re welcome, Tori! I appreciate your review.
I intend on making granola for the first time about 4 months ago, bought all of the ingredients that were listed on a different recipe….well I never made it! So this morning I said I was going to finally going to make that granola, but couldn’t find the original recipe so I did my googles and found this one!!! So glad I did, it is super easy to make and delicious ❤️
I’m excited you enjoyed it, Melissa! Thank you for sharing.
Best granola ever! So delicious and so easy to make!!
Hi Cookie and Kate,
Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
The first time I made it I didn’t have enough maple syrup so I used half maple and half molasses. I made it again today and used all maple syrup. For me, I liked the flavor the molasses added. I had also added some nutmeg along with the cinnamon the first time, too. I like the addition of nutmeg.
I will be making this often!
Thank you,
Effie
I love this recipe! It’s easy to make and so delicious. I’ve experimented with many different nuts, seeds, etc. and it’s always turned out very nicely. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Lynn! I appreciate your review.
hi , can i swap the rolled oats to steel cut oats.
Hi Dave, I recommend this best as written.
This is BY FAR the best granola recipe ever! This is the third time I’ve made it. I tried it with honey this time and it’s even better than with maple syrup!
Thank you for sharing, Nita!
Fabulous, easy recipe. Not disgustingly sweet like another one I used. Love your website! It’s my go-to because I know I’ll find something good.
This is the best granola recipe! It makes a ton of granola and is so easy to customize. I usually use olive oil, honey, and sliced almonds, but made the gingerbread variation around the holidays too. Yum!
This turned out awesome! My husband does not like almonds so I used sunflower seeds. With the coconut oil, I still added almond extract with the vanilla! Perfect for yougart and blue erries!!
Great to hear you were able to make it work, Cindy! Thank you for sharing.
Yum !
Today was the first time for me to make this!
I will definitely make it again!
Delicious! Yum
So much better than store bought!
I thought it was easy to make too ! Turned out perfect!
Thank you very much Cookie and Kate !
You’re welcome, Pat! Thank you for sharing.
I’ve made this twice now using a mix of pecan and walnut. It’s just perfect on top of plain yogurt. This one’s a keeper.
I’m excited you think so, Elaine!
You did an awesome job ruining any kind of store bought granola for those who come to our house! People have even brought me large batches of Food Co-Operative bulk granolas that I’ve doctored and rebaked after they had tasted the ones I’d made from your guidelines. Great job as always.
Hi Kate
This is my goto granola recipe. I use one more cup of oats to lessen the sweetness and vary additions but always this great recipe. Kathleen
Great to hear, Kathleen! I appreciate your review.
I make this a lot. Use a heavy sheet pan
I use half honey an half maple syrup. Love it!!
Great recipe! I used date syrup, cashews, and dates. It worked perfectly.
loved this, thank you! healthy and tasty and not overly complicated! i just saw it a couple months ago, and i think i am making my 10th batch now! thank you for helping me to bless my family with it!
I’ve been making this granola for months now and I’ll never buy it from a store again. I generally leave out the fruit, double the cinnamon, and just use almonds to keep the calories and sugars down, but would love with all the mix-ins too!
I use a deeper pan so I can mix and bake in one dish. I’m all about cutting down on the dirty dishes!
I am so thrilled to have tried this Healthy Granola recipe. It is fabulous!
I’m glad you loved it, Debra!
I love this recipe for granola it is delicious. I have been making it weekly as my husband devours it. I have tried many other granola recipes and never really liked them. I do have a question, I bake it at 350 for 24 minutes. I use 1/2 cup each of honey and coconut oil I don’t get a lot of clumping it falls apart, maybe a little too moist. It is still delicious. Do yo have any suggestions to me to avoid it being too moist. Thank you
I’m wondering if you tried olive oil it would clump better for you. I use olive oil and honey and it clumps great. I press it down with a spatula at the 12-minute mark and then return it to the oven to finish baking. I press down again when I first pull it out of the oven and then let it rest for a good bit. It clumps great!
I have used this recipe to make granola many times. I usually use olive oil and maple syrup and walnuts. I love the taste of it and wouldn’t consider eating store bought granola versus this recipe. I have shared the recipe with my daughter who also loves it.
I’m glad she loves this granola too, Mark!
Love this recipe! I’ve tried making granola a few times in the past but it never came out quite right. This was excellent! I made the mistake of adding salted pepitas without reducing the amount of salt in the recipe, but still tastes so good, yum!
So good!! First batch I used honey. Second, pure maple syrup. I prefer the syrup shared with my friends! Thank you!!
You’re welcome, Becky!
I have been making granola like this for years, I love it!
But GI doctor recently told me I should not eat nuts or seeds!
Can I grind up this granola in a blender to get “granola powder”?
Not as good as the real thing, but…
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. Sorry!
I used coconut oil and maple syrup. It didn’t clump at all! Tastes great but I like the clumps. PS. I’m one of your biggest fans!
I’m glad you love it, Patricia! I appreciate your review.
Thank you for this lovely Granola recipe. So simple to make, yet so tasty. Bye bye (expensive) supermarket Granola.
My family love this recipe but substitute hazelnuts along with chopped brazil nuts and a few walnuts. The trouble is it goes so fast!
I’m glad it’s a hit! Thank you for sharing, Malcolm.
Just made this and it’s amazing! So flavorful, crunchy and yummy.
Thank you so much for posting this recipe, it was my 1st attempt at making homemade granola. I did augment this recipe a bit, used 2 cups of chopped pecans, not 1.5 cups. I doubled the vanilla and I used 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted with 1/4 cup coconut oil, combined these in a saucepan, poured in the vanilla and maple syrup and blended well before tossing. I can not eat nuts so, my husband got to be my taster- he loved it!!!
I’m glad you both loved it! I appreciate your review, Rochelle.
I haven’t tried your recipe yet, but there is one thing I wanted to mention. I appreciate you including the lack of vitamins in the nutrition facts. After all, vitamins lose their health properties when exposed to high temperatures. Some people on the internet tend to forget this and don’t include this information, which can be misleading for some.
Hi Ola, I recommend reading my Nutrition Disclaimer
I love this recipe! It’s my go-to for home made granola. Super easy and always turns out delicious. I find that I can add an extra half cup to one cup of oats and still easily have all the oats coated with oil/syrup.
I really liked this! It was the first time I made Granola and it turned out so much better than the purchased stuff!. Thanks for a great recipe.
It’s a simple but great recipe. Thanks for posting. We all enjoy
Great to hear, Larry! I appreciate your review.
Oh my word you hit it out of the park with this one. So delicious. Made a “tropical” version with dried pineapple, apricots and coconut. So perfect for a summer breakfast:)
Great to hear, Lindsay! I appreciate your review.
This is my “go to” recipe for an easy granola that I love. I do add coconut and a very small amount of water to make it a bit more clumpy which means I need to bake it alittle longer. But it’s so good!
Thank you.
Great to hear, Joyce!
Hi Kate, I’ve been eating granola for years,since the ’70’s and yours is by far the absolute best!!! I’ll not buy granola ever again. Thank you so much!
You’re welcome, Catherine!
Do you recommend using convection or regular bake?
Hi! This is designed for conventional oven, so regular you are referencing.
This is the best granola. It’s delicious, healthy and I feel good being able to serve it to my kiddos. Thanks for the great recipe!
You’re welcome, Kelsee! Thank you for your review.
My family LOVES this recipe. It is our first and FAVORITE granola ever.
I love to hear that, LaTisha! Thank you for your review.
Like so many others I’m sold on this recipe! I use grape seed oil when out of coconut oil. Sometimes this is my late snack or dinner with yogurt if I’m not too hungry. It’s perfect for my mom who’s 92 and I’ve taught my BFF who doesn’t cook to make it!! Thanks for the recipe and the variations too!!
You’re welcome, Susan! I appreciate your review.
hi! just wondering, you think I can use butter instead? I have easy access to very good grass fed butter and would save me from buying coconut oil and olive oil is not my granola flavor :l. thank you!
Hi Diana! I recommend this best as written. I hope you try it.
Thank you for this easy & tasty recipe,I made for my hubby & he loves it that’s all I could want! Love the options, & nutritional information.♀️KC from CA
Hi, can I use this recipe if I want granola bars?
Hi! I suggest Easy No-Bake Granola Bars