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 is my favorite granola rece. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Lisa!
I’ve been using your recipe for a while now, it’s my favorite! I was so anxious to make another batch that I added my fruit before baking. It’s still delicious, thanks for sharing!
I love this granola recipe. Have now made it three times so far and we have enjoyed every bite. By far the best recipe for granola. It’s simple quick and taste great.
Thank you for a granola recipe that actually tastes good. I substituted date syrup (from Jamie in Israel) instead of honey or syrup. Amazing combo with your recipe. It doesn’t cause sugar spikes for me.
The granola crisps up nicely and holds its chunks! Great recipe.
Thank you, Yvonne!
Sounds great, going to try. Any idea of nutriental values, calories and fats mostly. Thanks!
So so yummy thank you for sharing! I’ve made this multiple times and each time it comes out a little different, and always better than the last batch! So forgiving to try different combinations.
I adore this granola. I’ve been eating it almost daily for months now and have also gifted it to family and friends.
I use mixed nuts, half coconut oil/half olive oil, ground cinnamon in the bake then toss raisins in ground ginger. Just delicious!
Thank you for the recipe – I’d never eaten granola before, let alone made it, and now can’t see a time where I won’t be whipping up a batch every fortnight.
That’s great to hear, Kelly!
My wife has commented 4 times to me and several times to others how much she loved this granola. Next time I will add coconut flakes and raisins more than half way through.
Hooray! That’s great, Duane. Thank you for your review.
Thank you. I love this recipe. I bought walnut oil back from a holiday and I’m using that along with some fynbos honey. It’s absolutely delicious. I use cranberry’s and I added some crystallised ginger, chopped really small to my last batch. On my third batch now. Fortunately I bought lots of nuts in the sales after Christmas so it’s also not too expensive at the moment.
You’re welcome, Marnie!
I’ve been making this great granola for a while. I use coconut oil and pancake
Syrup as well as the other ingredients. For some reason the granola isn’t crunchy but a little punk. I let it sis as long as overnight but the granola is stuck together and tough to break up. Ant ideas what I can do to-get the old time crunchy granola I uses to have. Thanks in advance for ant ideas to fix my issue.
Don’t use pancake syrup. You need to use pure maple syrup or honey.
Use honey or pure maple syrup. Never pancake syrup. On anything, IMHO.
The best granola recipe ever! Only a few ingredients – you can choose whatever you have. I just skipped the cinnamon though because I’m not a huge fan. But it still turns out perfect everytime. This is now my go-to granola recipe. I made it i think 5x already its so good with yogurt and bananas and leaves me full in the morning. ❤️
Turned out great! I used rolled millet flakes instead of oats, and coconut nectar instead of maple syrup or honey. Otherwise i stuck to the recipe – and I added dried dates and figs and oh my gosh it is delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
Hands down, the best granola recipe ever!! Have made several times, exactly as written.I’m looking forward to trying some of your other recipes. ❤️
Thank you, Linda!
Hello,
This granola was the best! I added almonds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, pecans, cranberries raisins & used coconut oil & honey! I pretty much ate it all within the week each morning.
Thank you I will make this again!
Loved this recipe! This will now be our “go to” granola recipe from now on. Thank you for sharing it!
That’s great to hear, Maria! I appreciate your review.
We make this a lot! Sometimes with maple syrup, Sometimes with honey. Great as a snack or on chobani yogurt. Thanks for this recipe!
You’re welcome, Gregz!
I make this recipe regularly – 1/2 for me and 1/2 to go to my grandkids’ house. I cut the oil and syrup in half and it’s still delicious for everyone’s taste. At least I think so since it gets devoured.
Great to hear, Kathy! Thank you for your review.
can I use sunflower oil instead
I prefer it best as written. You can try it.
This is the best granola. I didn’t think I even liked granola until I used this recipe to make some. Thank you
You’re welcome, Katherine!
This has become my go to granola!! I love it!! I usually leave out the dried fruit, (for me it sticks in my teeth), and I up the pecans and pepita’s a bit. It comes out perfect every time! I will never buy store bought again! My daughter loves it in her “parfait” yogurt, frozen fruit and granola on top
Sounds delicious!
Family absolutely love it. Gluten free, fruit free with orange zest. So versatile can leave compact to make into granola bars or cereals❤️
Thank you for sharing, Julia!
Since finding this recipe I’ve made it numerous times and ditched any shop bought versions and so glad I did.
So delicious and easy to make. Thank you
You’re welcome, Wendy!
I’ve never really made anything in my life but I tried this and it worked out great! I used cashews, almonds and dried cranberries. SO nice to have a sugar-free granola and to have made it myself – I was almost emotional!
I’m excited it was a hit, Gary!
I bought quick oats by mistake. Can i use those with some baking time/temperature adjustment?
TIA
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. Sorry!
Could you add peanut butter to this?
I recommend this best as written. You can add some when you serve it!
Soooo good! I have Made this 3 times now! This is definitely a keeper! I used half coconut oil and half olive oil this time as I didn’t have enough coconut oil. I will do this every time now as this is my favorite batch. Used almonds walnuts pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds…with cranberries snd coconut as a dried fruit. I used maple syrup and a bit of honey mixed, will do this again. I Will freeze most of it(freezes very well) and take out as needed
Hi there!
Can I use quick oats for this recipe?
This is best as written.
I always use this recipe and love it, but your pretty smile is cheery to see as well
Love this recipe, makes the best Granola. I have been making it for a couple of years now. All the Family loved it and so now make them all regular batches of it. Would agree that works just as well with a little less maple/honey.
All of the nuts I have are already roasted. Do I suggest I add them in at the end or is it ok to throw them in the oven with the rest of the granola? Thanks! Can’t wait to try it :)
You could try adding them halfway. Let me know how it turns out for you.
This is my go to recipe for granola after trying MANY! I get rave reviews every time I make it, which is frequently. I love adding pecans and dried cherries, and as a cinnamon fanatic, more of that. I’ve tried so many combos, and it just always turns out! Love the combo of the coconut oil and maple syrup, and the directions and tips were really helpful. So, so good!!
Great to hear, Tammy!
All of the nuts I have are already roasted. Do you suggest I add them in at the end, or is it ok to throw them in the oven with the rest of the granola? Thanks! Can’t wait to try it :)
You could try to add them in halfway when you stir or add in after. They may not be quite as clumpy.
Will be making this often. I like it as a breakfast parfait with plain non-fat greek yogurt and fresh pears. And it’s pretty darn good just as a little snack!
I just made this for the first time and it was delicious. It will be my new favorite gift for friends and family. I low heat broiled the granola during the last few minutes to bring out the nutty, browned flavor and it was awesome!
Who knew it was so easy to make delicious granola? I’ve taken to making acai bowls at home too, and I look forward to topping them with this homemade granola. My variation has a half cup each of pepitas, pecans, and cashews. I use a fourth cup each of both maple syrup and honey, and finish with raisins and dried cherries. So good!
That’s great to hear, Jae! I appreciate your review.
I have been wanting to make my own granola for years but didn’t even know where to start….. I am hosting a Mother’s Day breakfast for my family. I saw this recipe and all the amazing reviews and made this last night (I used almonds, cashews and craisins and both white and milk chocolate chips). I am so excited it is delicious and I can’t wait for everyone to try it.
I made this as you’ve posted because I wanted it in its original form for my first try. Normally I would be very conscious of eating a bit healthier. Next time I will omit the chocolate and try olive oil (as a healthier option) I was wondering about the maple syrup, can I use the Queens sugar free maple syrup?
Thank you for your lovely recipe, I will be looking at your others in your book
Thank you for sharing, Simone!
Check after 15 minutes if u don’t want yours to burn to a crisp by 20 mins like mine :,)
Oh No! What type of oven did you use? This is meant for a conventional oven.
I love this recipe! It was a big hit with my children and although I don’t eat grains, the aroma from the pan was such a blend of sweetness and savory. Thank you for the simple yet Devine granola recipe!
Make this all the time. Breakfast staple and easy way to be nutritious and economical when breakfast cereals are skyrocketing in price. Also make as a gift for others by placing in a cute snap lid jar and fun label, and include a 1/4 cup serving scoop.
That’s great to hear, Christi!
IT BROWNED too much…should’ve been lower temp, for less time…or you should say watch, watch watch constantly! What a shame with so much good ingredients, I’ll eat it but my daughter coming on a camping trip with me probably won’t! So disappointed!!
I’m sorry to hear that, Karen! What type of oven do you have? This is meant for a conventional oven.
This was my first time making granola, it was so easy to follow your recipe and it is super delicious! No more store bought granola for us! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Claire! Thank you for your review.
My go to recipe! Always comes out perfectly and can customize in so many ways!! No more store bought for this gal!
I love to hear that, Michelle! Thank you for your review.
I love this granola recipe. It has become a staple in our cupboard. Please advise the calories per cup. Thank you!
Hi Lynn! You should be able to click on “nutrition information” at the bottom of the recipe for a full nutrition overview.
The recipe was delicious with big chunks! Thanks!
This granola is such a hit !
My husband wants me to make it every week for the rest of his life
I’ve added some peanut butter to the oil/maple syrup mix and that’s delicious too.
I usually do half maple half honey.
Thanks for the recipe !
I’ve never made granola before, yet I prepped this in 7 minutes!! And it turned out perfect! I am really enjoying it. Thanks!
I have made this granola twice, and I did have to back off on the time as the first time I cooked it too long — for me, ten minutes before you stir, and then another ten minutes is perfect. This is really good. I used the honey because that is what I have. Thank you for sharing this!
Absolutely love it! Easy make. My husband is borderline diabetic and I used sugar-free maple syrup. He eats it plain and mixed with his sugar-free yogurt.
I have shared this recipe with my neighbors and they now make their own versions.
Great to hear, Debbie!
AMAZING! you are so right: never buying store bought again. I loved the orange zest addition. Unexpected and delicious.
Hooray! That’s great to hear, Sara.
I’ve made this granola 3 times. It’s so good! It has become a staple in my home. Thank you!