Healthy Granola Recipe

A close up of an open jar of homemade granola with a silver scoop.

5 from 2 votes

Homemade granola is the best! Crunchy, golden, and fresh. For gluten-free purchase gluten-free oats. For dried fruit options see notes below. Skip all fruit if reducing sugar. Yield 2 quarts of granola, or 1 1/34 pounds.

Prep Time10

Cook Time2

Cooling time20

Total Time2 30

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: ½ cup servings (yield 1 ¾ pounds)

Calories: 252kcal

Author: Sally Cameron

Equipment

1-2 Rimmed baking sheets half sheet size
digital kitchen scale optional but really helpful

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

3 cups traditional rolled oats (gluten-free or not) 12 ounces
¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut 2 ounces
½ cup chopped walnuts 2 ounces
½ cup blanched slivered almonds 2 ¾ ounces
¼ cup raw sunflower seeds 1 ½ ounces
3 tablespoons ground flax seed
3 tablespoons hemp seed

Wet Ingredients

½ cup real maple syrup 5.3 ounces
½ cup melted extra virgin coconut oil 4 ounces, or MCT oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or Chinese Five Spice
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt

Dried Fruit Options (omit to lower sugar)

¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup golden berries

Instructions

Mix Granola

Pre-heat the oven to 250°F. In a large bowl mix rolled oats, nuts and seeds. In a large measuring cup whisk maple syrup, oil, vanilla and cinnamon until smooth. Pour the maple mixture into the oats mixture and stir until well combined. The oats should feel uniformly heavy and well coated with no dry areas.

Bake Granola

Pour granola between two half sheet sized rimmed baking sheets and bake for 2 hours, until dry and crunchy. It will get crunchier as it cools.
Note below if you only have one baking sheet.

Cool and Add Fruit

Remove from the oven and cool, then stir in coconut shreds or chips and dried fruit if using. Store in a tightly covered container in the pantry.

Notes

If you only have 1 half rimmed baking sheet, it may take up to 3 hours to bake as the granola is not as spread out. Two works better.

Larger sheet pan. I have a 30" wide sheet pan and a large oven, so I can get a whole batch on this single pan. If you have a large oven, look for a larger sheet pan that fits vs the standard half-sheet size. I make granola frequently so this works for me, and maybe it will for you too.

Dried fruit options: besides dried cranberries, try dried cherries, blueberries, golden berries (lower sugar), apricots, goji berries, currants, pitted chopped dates, or raisins.

Nutritional note: Made without dried fruit, this granola has 7 grams of sugar per ½ cup serving. With the cranberries and golden berries added, it has 9 grams of sugar per ½ cup serving.

Nutrition