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 this with maple syrup and good, will try with maple syrup and vanilla, next time. Yummy
I got this shared by a colleague at work, 5+ years ago. I have made it many times since, shared the recipe, modified it sometimes and it is my go to granola recipe. Finally leaving a review
+10000
So delicious! I made it with pecans and pepitas and raisins and maple syrup!!
I always have this on hand – running out is not acceptable! I know it by heart, and love trying different mix-ins. It always comes out great.
This turned out amazing! I never knew granola could taste this good
Love this recipe. I am diabetic so I half the hones and oil and double the cinnamon and vanilla to add sweetness. The high fiber content off sets the the final carb count for me any way. Only eat a little at a time and walk after no big spikes.
Thanks
I’ve used this recipe many times and every time it comes out amazing. Thank you!!!
Made granola last winter and it smells funny coming out of the oven.
I put it on foil and add the seeds and fruit at the end. Does the foil cause the “off”
smell or is it just the oats?
Hi Mary Lee, I don’t think it would be the foil. Make sure your ingredients aren’t spoiled, but otherwise it should be fine.
I love your cookies and everything about your is fantastic
Can I use avocado oil?
Hi Kayci, I recommend the recipe as written, but you can substitute as needed.
That’s what I use and it tastes great.
I’ve been making this recipe for many years with avocado oil and its so delicious!
This was such an easy recipe I made it twice for homemade gifts. I will make this again for sure. I liked it best with the syrup cause it gave a little sweetness, and I added pecans in one batch and raw almonds in the other loved them both.
Made this for family during Christmas…it was a hit!
I’ve made this granola dozens of times ~ exactly as the recipe instructs ~ and it always tastes delicious. But it never sticks together or comes out as clumpy as shown. Any tricks or suggestions as to ways to make it more chunky?
Hi Terri, did you use the tips in the section on “Chunky granola tips”? Those are the secret to clumpy granola.
I have tried them all, but sadly I always get the same result. Essentially a tray of sweetened oatmeal and nuts. I won’t give up though. I love this granola. We add it to loads of things. I’ll keep trying.
I had the same problem! The first time I made the granola, it was delicious but did not stick together at all. The second time I made it, I added a foaming egg white to the mix. It helps bind it all together. I baked it for longer at a lower temperature (around 35 min at 275°F) without stirring halfway. Became a beautiful big slab of granola. Didn’t change anything else, the recipe in itself is delicious!
Thanks so much. I’ll give that a try on my next batch.
Did you find anything to make it come together in clumps? I am going to try one beaten egg white into the wet ingredients and see if that helps make clusters…
Hi Sarah, yes, Cathy (above) suggested a foamy egg white added at the end. Skip the mix-in-the-middle step and bake it low and slow. I haven’t tried it yet but it seems to make sense. I’m going to give it a go next batch.
Hi!
I’m trying to find a granola recipe that doesn’t use any sugar. If I omit both the honey/maple syrup, will the granola still clump? I once made granola with just coconut oil, but I think maybe I added too much oil (to account for the absence of honey), but it makes me sick each time I eat it. Any ideas? Thanks!
Hi Natalie, I’m not sure how to achieve the results without any sugar. Many commenters have reported success with reducing the amount of honey or maple syrup, but I wouldn’t eliminate it completely.
I used date paste just throw half cup of dates in food processor with a splash of water.
How the heck do you print it?
No combination of including/excluding , print size matters. Just AD after AD after AD.
had to SCREEN SHOT the ingredients, print a SCREEN SHOT then write baking instructions on it. Annoying. Just Annoying.
Recipe is good but DAMN.
Hi Ginger, there is a “print” button that converts the webpage to an easily printable format. I hope this helps.
I made it for the first time exactly how it was (with extra virgin olive oil) and it was so good I dont think I ever want to go back to store bought granola again! It was super easy and beginner friendly- thank you!
This recipe is wonderful, and it’s a great core foundation for making fun granola flavors with different add ins. I come back to it every week! Thank you for sharing :)
Yes, this healthy granola recipe is very good! Ive been making this recipe now for over two years and make a patch every week. I love it with fresh or frozen fruit and yogurt. I add 4 kinds of nuts and a mix of dried berries and golden raisins to your recipe. Thank you!
Been using it for four years now! Perfect recipe I use maple syrup in the same qty and dried grapes instead of dried cranberries- used cranberries as well and both batches turn out perfectly
Plus I use olive oil for the savory note …it’s amusingly nice
I make this weekly for breakfast prep and to give to friends in mason jars. People LOVE it and always ask for more. Thank you for this recipe!
Thank you for the recipe. I and my hubby couldn’t stop munching
Made this for the 1st time.
I have made this so many times. An absolute favourite with my kids. Thanks
Made it loved it making my third batch as the first two were Xmas for friends.
Can you add peanut butter?
Hi Kris, I prefer to mix in peanut butter after it is cooked, for instance adding a spoonful of peanut butter to yogurt and fruit then topping with granola.
You could add PB2 powder. Hypothetically.
This is the second time I am commenting on this best granola ever. I first raved about it here a few years ago. Since then I have made it numerous times (always a double batch). I share it with friends and family. I flew with it in my suitcases from AZ to WA to share with the relatives we stayed with. They all loved it and wanted the recipe. They didn’t want to share it for breakfast with us so they could have more to themselves. Now thats a compliment :) My cousin eats it every morning now. I mail it to my brother in law because he likes it so much. So yeah
Hi Sheri, It’s wonderful to hear that this has become a hit with your friends and family.
Hi,
How did you pack the granola? Thanks.
Packed it in ziplock 1gallon freezer bags. Laid it on top of my clothes in our suitcases. Worked great!
I made this and absolutely loved it. Added pumpkin seeds chocolate chips and raisins. ❤️❤️❤️
Love this recipe, suggestions for your own modifications, everything! Always turns out great. I always make a whole in the middle of my pan of granola to toast it more consistently throughout :). Todays version made with walnuts, sliced almonds, raw pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and dried orange peel – smells and tastes amazing :)
What can I substitute for the oil.
Hi Carol, I recommend the recipe as written, but many commenters have reduced or eliminated oil and have shared their experience.
Hi Kathryne, thanks very much for your wonderful granola recipe, I made it with olive oil, mixed fruit, cinnamon, and maple syrup. I’m sitting indoors waiting for all the snow to go, and this seemed to be a good way to use up the time. I forgot to put the paper on the baking sheet, so I know I will have a little fight to get it off the glass baking sheet. Hope you have a nice day.
Brenda from Telford, Shropshire.
Excellent recipe! I love the silky smooth combination the coconut oil, honey and cinnamon! I used dried nuts, raisins pepitas , and dried cranberries! Best granola ever and then after baking I used a little pure maple syrup! We just moved so I am going to make some gift bags for my neighbors- some sweet ribbon and cellophane bags of yum!
The flavors were good but it didn’t stick together at all… Checked all the ingredients and measurements and they were correct but just all loose like toasted oatmeal.
Hi Jennifer, did you follow the tips chunky granola? These are the secret to clumpy granola.
How long will this store in a tight sealed container on the counter?
Hi Julie, 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.
I’m converted to home made granola. Flavour and texture is 100% better with the options of different flavours. I made the basic one with honey and olive oil, looking forward to trying out new flavours!
I made two different flavors with this recipe and wow are they amazing! I did modify it a tad for personal preference and added dark brown sugar infused with almond extract and vanilla extract. It coated everything perfect and gave just a hint of sweetness! Thanks for the recipe!
Delicious!
I added another 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 ginger because I like warm spices in my granola.
Hi CK, you may also like my gingerbread granola recipe if you enjoy bold spices!
Fantastic recipe. I made it with coconut oil and local honey. I added coconut flakes half way through and added dried cherries once out of the oven. I pressed the granola down on the second half baking and let it rest for 45 minutes. It came out perfect with large clumps that stayed together. I will definitely keep this recipe.
My 2nd batch is in the oven. Put some honey in also for it to clump together. Thanks for this easy and delicious recipe!
I love this recipe, especially the helpful tips!
Like many folks, I have adjusted the recipe to suit my preferences.
I’d like to offer a few tips / things I have tried:
— I add 1/2 c of unsweetened shredded coconut at the half way stir. This allows the coconut to toast without burning.
— Sometimes I soak the dried fruit (raisins and craisins) in home made maple syrup. Home made syrup has a lot of water, so it “plumps up” the dried fruit and adds a bit of stickiness. This helps it adhere to the mixture when pressed on top of the (still hot) granola when it is removed from the oven.
This is actually delicious. I have made this consistently for past few months and each batch is as good as the last. Enjoyed by the whole family, it’s brilliant. I add raisins and walnuts once cooled.
Wow! Made this today, so yummy! I used honey and have perfectly chunked granola. However, I misread the directions about stirring half way, so maybe that helped too? Regardless, it is lovely golden crunchy addictive goodness! We have a B&B so I love giving my guests something fresh and healthy! They are going to come back just for the granola! lol
Thank you for sharing the recipe. It’ll be a constant here
I make this all the time and my kids can’t have enough! I was wondering if this recipe can be made into granola bars?
Thanks for sharing this great recipe by the way!
Hi Bee, I have several granola bar recipes on my site. Enjoy!
This is my favorite granola and everyone I’ve given it to, always want or more accurately, need more! I can’t tell you how many batches I’ve made and will continue to make it! I do tweak the nuts and dried fruits and love every version! Thank you so much for creating the perfect recipe
This is DELICIOUS! Soo good. I did use chat GPT to reduce the batch in half but I loved the end result. A mistake I made was that I threw in the dried fruit before baking. I thought the whole thing would taste burnt but thankfully that wasn’t the case. Great receipt
I made this today, and its the winning granola recipe so far!
This was a bit too sweet, too salty and probably used too much oil in my opinion, and I’ve made a lot of granola. Tastes ok but could probably use some more cinnamon.
Hi! If I’m doubling the recipe do I double everything exactly and does the cooking time stay the same?!
Thanks
Hi Del, yes double the ingredients, but pay attention to the size of your pan and how it is spread out to get the best outcome.
I love this granola recipe. I make it every week and give half to my son. I reduce the honey to 1/3 cup and use 1/4 cup coconut oil and 1/4 cup olive oil. Delicious!!
Oh my goodness! I have made several granola recipes over the years, but this is the best one ever. The directions are really clear, and so many options for the add-ins.
The granola turned out crisp and not too sweet. Thanks for the recommendation to let it sit undisturbed after removing from the oven.
Hi Charlene, I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe!
I made this last Saturday and my husband absolutely loved it. My daughter just called and said I had to give her the recipe because it was the best she had ever had. I just followed the instructions using olive oil, maple syrup and pecans. . I did watch the baking closely and it took slightly longer but it could not have turned out better. Thank you so much!
Finally! A granola that’s delicious but not too sweet and clumps up and makes both me AND my husband happy. Thank you! I used raisins, olive oil, maple syrup, and added an extra 1/2 cup of nuts (combining almond slices, walnuts, pecan pieces, and pepitas). It was perfect.
Delicious recipe, especially with the coconut mixed in 1/2 way through baking time. Great with yogurt & blueberries, or just a quick snack. Yum!!
Absolutely LOVE this recipe – and everyone we make it for loves it too!! Recently for our morning porridge we have been soaking our oats over night to neutralize the phytic acid. Is there a variation of this recipe that could use soaked oats? (I assume longer cooking at lower temps?)
thanks!
I don’t ever leave reviews, but I made this this morning, and I’m not sure my husband will ever eat store bought granola again. I used vanilla bean paste instead of extract and added some chia seeds. Super Tasty!
JUST made it, it is now cooled down and i’m enjoying it with some milk. AMAZING recipe!!!
I had some oats about to expire and added whatever nuts and dried fruit I had leftover from a christmas cake recipe (including dates and black raisins) and it turned out awesome! the ratio oats/honey+oil is the perfect one for crunchiness without being overly crumbly!
Will definitely save the recipe and make it again and again!