This homemade granola recipe is easy! Combine rolled oats, a sweetener, oil, and your favorite mix-ins for a healthy whole-grain breakfast or snack. Then bake until crispy clusters form. That’s it!
Recipe Science
- The sugar in the maple syrup caramelizes with deep candied flavors, creating that sought-out crunch as the granola cools.
- Press the oat mixture firmly together on the pan for larger clusters. Avoid stirring the granola to maintain clusters.
- Let the granola cool completely for crispness. The residual heat drives off moisture while the concentrated sugar solids harden.
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Featured Comment 28
“Yummy and so easy to throw together. I’ve been wasting money on bad tasting store-bought granola. Not anymore!”—Sandy
Why It Works
I love having a stash of granola to grab as a snack. Store-bought versions may be convenient but often pricey for the amount in the bag. The ingredients you need are all shelf-stable, so loading up on oats, sweetener, and oil in bulk allows you to make large batches of granola at home anytime. You’ll get way more yield for your hard-earned dollar.
This baked method does not involve stirring. Combine the ingredients, press them into a sheet pan, and let the oven do its magic. I use whole almonds, sweet cranberries, and salty roasted pepitas for various textures and tastes. Once you learn the base ratio of essential ingredients, you can customize the recipe any way you like.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Sweetener: Coating the oats with maple syrup makes for a naturally sweetened granola and adds crispness. I like maple for its deep molasses notes. The sugar solids remain as the water in the sweetener gets driven off in the hot oven.
- Flavoring: Warm spices like ground cinnamon and nutmeg boost the aroma, while salt enhances the oats’ neutral taste.
- Oil: Fat is needed to ensure the granola becomes crispy but not dry, brittle, or burnt. My top pick is avocado oil, which has a high smoke point and neutral flavor.
- Oats: Rolled oats are ideal for granola because their flat, uniform shape ensures even toasting, creating a consistent texture. Rolled oats don’t get immediately soggy when added to milk or yogurt.
- Mix-ins: To add interesting flavor and texture, add whole almonds, pumpkin seeds (pepitas), or dried cranberries.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
This homemade granola recipe is easy to customize! Try these tasty options:
- Nuts: Almonds (raw, roasted, sliced, slivered), pecans, walnuts, cashews, peanuts, pistachios, unsweetened coconut flakes (toasted is delicious!). Use 1 to 1 ½ cups total of any combination. You can even add peanut butter or almond butter.
- Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, curry powder, turmeric, black pepper, or chili powder. Use ½ to 1 teaspoon of the spice mix.
- Seeds: Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds. Use ½ cup of the bulkier seeds and 1 to 4 tablespoons of flax or chia.
- Dried fruit: Dried cherries, raisins, apricot, pineapple, papaya, banana chips. Use ½ to 1 cup of dried fruit.
- Chocolate: Chocolate chips (Dark, bittersweet, semi-sweet, white, mini chips), cocoa nibs, or cocoa powder. Use about ¼ to ½ cup chips and nibs and ¼ to ⅓ cup powder.
- Sweetener Swaps: The type you choose is based on your flavor preference. Try honey, brown sugar, granulated sugar, or coconut sugar.
- Flavoring: Try ginger, cardamom, allspice, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, or apple pie spice. Add vanilla extract, bourbon, or other liqueurs to flavor the granola.
- Fat: Any type of cooking oil that’s neutral-tasting can be selected with a moderate smoke point above 325ºF. Try melted coconut oil, light olive oil, and vegetable oil. If you enjoy the taste of butter, use clarified butter or ghee. The milk solids in the butter will potentially burn when making granola.
- Oats: Use gluten-free roll oats for dietary restrictions.
How to Make Homemade Granola
Step 1: Preheat the Oven
Position the oven rack in the upper-middle slot to promote even heat distribution. Preheat to 325ºF (163ºC) for slow caramelization and crisping without burning. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure easy cleanup.
Step 2: Whisk the Sweetener and Spices
Mix maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to distribute the spices evenly. Gradually add the oil and whisk until emulsified, creating a slightly thickened mixture that will coat the oats.
Experimentation Encouraged: To increase the base sweetness level, add 1 to 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, granulated sugar, or coconut sugar to the mix.
Step 3: Add the Oats and Nuts
Add the rolled oats, almonds, and pepitas to the bowl, stirring thoroughly to ensure the dry ingredients are evenly coated with the wet ingredients. This step is crucial for achieving uniform flavor distribution and promoting even toasting during baking.
Step 4: Spread onto Baking Sheet
Making homemade granola allows you to control the size and shape of the oat clusters. Compressing the oats on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, similar to making granola bars, makes the grains pack closer and stick together with the sugar in the maple syrup.
Step 5: Bake the Granola
Bake the granola until golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes, rotating the sheet pan halfway through to ensure even toasting. When finished, it should feel dry to the touch but will not be fully crisp until it cools. As the granola rests, residual heat from the pan evaporates moisture, enhancing its crunch and final texture.
Expert Tip: Do not stir during baking unless you want the mixture to be more separate and pourable.
Step 6: Let it Cool
Place the tray on a wire rack to help circulate air under and around so the oats can gradually cool completely at room temperature. After about an hour, they’ll become super crunchy. Patience is important!
Step 7: Finish and Store
Wait until the granola cools before breaking it apart so the sugars can bind, harden, and hold the oats together. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. It’s perfect for sprinkling on yogurt and served with fresh fruit.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend that the only type of oats that should be used for granola is old-fashioned rolled oats. There are instant and quick-cooking options, but when mixed with liquid, they hydrate too much and can become mushy if not baked immediately.
Sweeteners like maple syrup or honey make granola stick together. For tackiness, you can also use egg whites or nut butter.
Granola may not turn out crunchy if there’s too much moisture or the oven temperature is too high. Excess moisture from ingredients like honey or maple syrup creates steam, softening the oats instead of crisping them. Baking at a high temperature can cause the granola to brown quickly on the outside while remaining soft in the center. To fix this, bake at a lower temperature, 325°F, for a longer time. Cool completely before storing—the sugar hardens and crisps up.
The only ingredients to make granola are old-fashioned rolled oats, a sweetener, and some oil or fat. I like to follow a ratio of 5 cups oats, ½ cup sweetener, and ½ cup oil for the base. Keeping the balance of 1 part sweetener to 1 part oil allows you to scale the recipe up or down. Make sure there’s enough to coat the oats and add-ins.
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If you tried this Homemade Granola, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Homemade Granola
Ingredients
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup avocado oil
- 5 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 ½ cups almonds, raw or roasted
- ½ cup roasted pepitas, (roasted pumpkin seeds)
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven – Set the oven rack to the upper-middle position. Preheat to 325ºF (163ºC). Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Whisk the Sweetener and Spices – In a large bowl, whisk together maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the oil and whisk together until combined and slightly thickened.
- Add the Oats and Nuts – Add the rolled oats, almonds, and pepitas, and stir to thoroughly coat the dried ingredients with the maple syrup mixture.
- Spread onto Baking Sheet – Evenly spread the granola mixture onto the sheet pan. Use the bottom of a spatula to firmly press down on the mixture until the layer is about ½-inch thick. This will create granola clusters after baking and cooling.
- Bake the Granola – Bake until golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes, rotating the sheet pan halfway through. The granola should feel dry but won't be completely crunchy when removed from the oven.
- Let it Cool – Place the sheet pan on a wire cooling rack. Allow it to cool completely, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. The granola will dry and harden during this time.
- Finish and Store – Break the granola into clusters, then add in dried cranberries, and stir to combine. Transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Recipe Yield: 9 cups
- Serving Size: ½ cup
- Storing: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 1 month.
- Oil Substitute: Coconut oil, light olive oil, or vegetable oil can be substituted for avocado oil.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
c says
good
Sarah says
Should have checked, 40 minutes was too long and my almonds burnt. Otherwise tastes great. Will only do 30 mins next time
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks for your feedback, Sarah! Feel free to adjust the baking time as needed for your oven.
Suzanne B. says
This is a great recipe. I discovered it quite recently and have already made it five times! The basic recipe is perfect. I use avocado oil (healthier than coconut) and add dried cherries, pecans (as well as almonds, walnuts, or cashews), and pumpkin seeds. So much better than store-bought granola!
P.S. 35 minutes is enough time in my oven.
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks for your feedback! I love the mix ins you add to the granola.
Mar Paski says
I used butter and brown sugar/ honey mix. I didn’t have oil on hand, but it came out great. I did add an extra tablespoon of butter. Pecans, sliced almonds and some dried blueberry and cranberry at the end. Thank you for the detailed instructions! Big hit, it was gone within 2 days.
Jessica Gavin says
I’ll have to try butter for the granola next time!
Angela Gambaccini says
I read through your recipe and it sounds delicious! I want to try it but I have one question. Can I use Sunflower Oil? I don’t want to ruin recipe.
Thank you!
Jessica Gavin says
Sunflower oil has a neutral taste and high smoke point. I think it will work well in the granola recipe.
Sandy says
Yummy and so easy to throw together. I’ve been wasting money on crappy tasting store bought granola. Not anymore! Thank you!
Jessica Gavin says
Great job, Sandy!
Christine says
I forgot to give your recipe a rating … sorry! Is is a winner. 🙂
Christine Potthast says
Dear Jessica, I love your granola recipe. It worked perfectly as described using the regular bake setting for my oven and I am so happy. I will never buy granola again.
My question: Could I use the convection setting as well? How would that change temperature and/or time? Kind regards. Christine
Jessica Gavin says
Great question! The fan used on the convection setting will cook the granola faster. I would lower to oven temperature to 300ºF and check for doneness around 25 to 30 minutes, adding more time as needed. Let me know if you use that setting!
Christine says
Thank you so much, Jessica. I will try that next time I do the granola. 🙂
Theresa Poirier says
You are correct Jessica … I tried the Convection..and after 1/2 hour it was already too long..was getting pretty dark ..so took them out..but is a delicious.. the best I’ve ever had..
Jessica Gavin says
Glad that you enjoyed the granola recipe!
Felecia B says
This really IS the best granola ever! My family loves it, too.
Question – I’d like to try making a different version with peanut butter and peanuts instead of almonds for my family members who have an allergy to tree nuts.
Could you recommend the amounts to use for each for the substitution?
Thank you, Jessica!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you, Felicia! I would recommend 1/3 to 1/2 cup of peanut butter, depending on how strong you like the flavor. Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of peanuts.
Carol Costabile says
I would like the receipe for the cinnamon granola… neither of my grands eat nuts or seeds and they cant tell if there are almonds In it… thank you they love this granola in a blueberry smoothie bowl!!!!!
Jessica Gavin says
You’re welcome Carol! you could increase the cinnamon level to 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoon for a stronger spice flavor.
Christine says
This looks great..gotta try it! I was wondering why use avocado oil instead of olive oil? Thanks!
Jessica Gavin says
Avocado oil is really neutral and has a high smoke point. However, you can use light or regular olive oil (not extra-virgin) for the recipe and have tasty results.
Tina says
Can I use flahavans progress oatlets and what would you put into it to make it as a healthy bar
Jessica Gavin says
I would use old fashioned rolled oats for the best texture. You can add more sugar to make the granola stick together more, and then just break into bigger clusters.
James says
Jessica said, “only old fashioned rolled oats should be used.” I’d take her word for it. She is the culinary graduate – not you, not me. Whenever I follow her recipes to the letter, they always turn out perfectly. Those are my thoughts on your question. Enjoy your day. God bless.
Jim says
What if you have only quick oats, can you still use them?
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Jim- I think it’s best to use rolled oats. The instant oats are much more dusty and small, so you may not get the nice crunchy flake texture.