Big, crunchy clusters of lightly sweetened oats and almonds, along with a touch of cinnamon, brown sugar, vanilla, and honey, make this the best Easy Homemade Granola Recipe!
Table of Contents
- What you’ll need for this Homemade Granola Recipe
- Easy Granola Recipe Variations
- How to make Granola
- Granola Recipe Tips for Success
- How to Make Granola FAQs
- Best Granola Recipe Serving Suggestions
- How long does Homemade Granola last?
- More Breakfast Recipes You'll Love
- Granola Recipe Recipe
Store-bought granola doesn't hold a candle to the homemade stuff. You can make superior granola in your own kitchen and not only is it delicious and far less expensive, it’s also better for you. Homemade granola doesn't have the excess sugar, unhealthy fats, and preservatives used in the kind of granola you get at the store.
And did I mention it takes about 5 minutes to put it all together to make the best granola? Talk about a win!
Plus, you can take this simple granola recipe and make it your own by adding any mix-ins you like. Use dried fruit, seeds, coconut, nut butters, or even chocolate to create your own gourmet granola flavors. Don’t worry, if you need some inspo, I’ve got lots of ideas below!
(If you love oats, be sure to check out our post onHow to Make OatmealorBest Homemade Granola Bars!)
What you’ll need for this Homemade Granola Recipe
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Old-fashioned rolled oats – Chewy, hearty old-fashioned oats are the base of any granola recipe.
- Sliced almonds
- Light brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Kosher salt – A pinch of salt brings out all the other flavors in this easy granola recipe.
- Butter– Granola needs a little bit of fat to help it crisp and assist with flavor and binding. Butter is my go-to because, well, butter, but vegetable oil or melted coconut oil work, too.
- Honey
- Vanilla extract
- Egg white – The secret to getting big clusters in your granola is to use an egg white to help bind the oats together.
Easy Granola Recipe Variations
Want to mix things up? Keep the base recipe the same, then swap in any of these:
- Nuts and Seeds – I keep it super simple and straightforward with sliced almonds in this recipe, but you can switch them out for whole almonds, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cashews, peanuts, pistachios, coconut, flax seed, or whatever else you like.
- Sweetener – I prefer a sweeter granola, which is why I have both brown sugar and honey in this basic granola recipe. If you prefer a less sweet granola you could decrease or even eliminate the brown sugar and just use the honey to sweeten the oats. Real maple syrup or agave are good alternatives as a natural sweeteners.
- Spices –A little cinnamon gives warmth and depth of flavor to this granola. You could double or even triple the amount of cinnamon in here with good results if that's a flavor you want more of, or use cardamom or gingerbread, apple pie, or pumpkin spice blends if you have them in your cupboard.
- Other flavors and mix-ins – The sky is really the limit here, but some of my favorites are peanut butter, cocoa powder, dried fruit (cherries, cranberries, raisins, apricots, apples), and chocolate chips. If you want to add chocolate chips, they will need to be added after the granola is completely cooled.
How to make Granola
As I mentioned above, making granola at home is incredibly easy. Here’s what you need to do:
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 300ºF and position the center rack up a level so it's on the second row from the top.Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, almonds, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a small bowl, stir the melted butter, honey, vanilla, and egg white.
- Toss to coat. Drizzle the egg mixture over the oat mixture, stirring together until well-combined.
- Bake. Pour the granola out onto the baking sheet and spread it into a thin, even layer. Bake for 30-35 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway through the cooking time, until the granola is golden and crispy, and the almonds are lightly toasted.
- Cool. Remove the pan from the oven and let the granola cool completely before storing.
How to make Granola Clusters
To make granola clusters, press the granola into a compact layer before baking so that it clumps together in big pieces. Don't stir the granola during baking or after until it has cooled completely. You could also drop small clusters of granola onto your baking sheet and bake that way for clusters that are separated from the start, but you might need more than one baking sheet for this approach.
Granola Recipe Tips for Success
There’s not much to making homemade granola, but here are a few additional tips and pointers.
- Getting granola clusters. If you want large chunks of clumpy granola, flatten it into an even layer with a spatula, adding pressure so the granola is nice and compact.
- Use old-fashioned oats. Also known as rolled oats! Don’t use steel-cut oats (they’ll be way too hard) or quick oats (the texture won’t be as chewy).
- Keeping it crispy. It’s important to let the granola cool completely before storing it. If you rush it, it will get a soft, stale texture instead of being delightfully crisp.
How to Make Granola FAQs
Is granola as healthy as oats?
We think of granola as a wholesome food with a lot of great nutritional benefits like added nuts and seeds. But granola does have added sweeteners or sugar to consider that help both with the flavor and binding the granola together.
Is granola cheaper to make or buy?
This really depends on the kind of granola you are buying and you get what you pay for, right? It's no contest that homemade granola tastes far superior since most store bought granola just tastes like sugar to me.
A batch of homemade granola might cost more to make than a box of granola from the store, but there is a tradeoff in being able to customize how you like your granola and knowing what goes into it. You get more toasty nut and oat flavor from the homemade stuff.
Comparing this granola recipe to the really amazing granola I like to buy from our local farmer's market, homemade granola is actually quite a bit cheaper and I can make an entire batch for the cost of one small bag from the farmer's market.
Why is my homemade granola not crunchy?
If your homemade granola isn't crunchy then it's most likely because it needed to bake longer. Also, be sure to store the granola in an airtight container. Leaving it out, particularly if the climate is humid, can cause granola to lose some of it's wonderfully crunchy texture.
What is the healthiest way to eat granola?
The best way to eat granola is to portion it out into individual servings. It's easy to start snacking on this and not want to stop because it's so good! I also like to pair it with some fresh fruit and Greek yogurt which is high in protein leaves me feeling satisfied and full longer than if I just snacked on handfuls of as much granola as I wanted.
Best Granola Recipe Serving Suggestions
Homemade granola is perfect for just eating out of hand. It's great for taking on hikes or to the park and my kids love snacking on it that way. I especially love to layer this granola with flavored or Greek yogurt and fresh fruit or berries to make fruit and yogurt parfaits for breakfast or even as a healthier dessert.
It's also excellent with milk poured over it and some strawberries sliced in. You can even add a handful of granola to a salad, especially one with fruit like berries or apples, to add crunch!
How long does Homemade Granola last?
Homemade granola lasts for about 2 weeks in an airtight container. But if your family is anything like mine, it probably won't last that long. You could even freeze the granola to keep it fresh longer.
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Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
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Granola Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings
With only a few minutes of hands-on time, you can have the best crispy, healthy homemade granola!
Ingredients
- 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 ½ cups sliced almonds
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup salted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 egg white
Instructions
Heat oven to 300 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment paper. Move the center rack up a level so it's on the second level from the top.
Mix the oats, almonds, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a large mixing bowl until combined. In a small, separate bowl, stir the melted butter, honey, vanilla and egg white together, then drizzle over the oat mixture, stirring together until well-combined.
Transfer the granola mixture to the prepared baking sheet and spread it out in an even layer. If you want large chunks of granola, flatten into an even layer with a spatula, adding pressure so the granola is nice and compact. Bake for 30-35 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway through for even toasting, until golden and crispy and the almonds look lightly toasted.
Remove from oven and let the granola cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. Keeps for 2 weeks at room temperature.
Notes
You could easily substitute coconut oil or even just vegetable oil for the butter, if you prefer.
Homemade granola lasts for about 2 weeks in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 188mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 17g
Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @HouseOfNashEats or tag #houseofnasheats!
This post was originally published in January, 2018. The photos and content were updated in July, 2022.
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About the author
Hi, I'm Amy
I enjoy exploring the world through food, culture, and travel and sharing the adventure with mostly from-scratch, family friendly recipes that I think of as modern comfort cooking.
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