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.
Even healthier with half coconut oil/half avocado oil and half the sugar content without compromising flavor.
I have been making the original and newer version of this granola for 5-plus years. I took it on a trip with six women friends years ago and all agreed it was the best granola they’d ever tasted. My hubby and I always have a supply on hand. Fresh fruit is a great addition. THANK YOU!
Love this granola! I put half in the freezer and it was great right out of the freezer. The only thing I do that isn’t in the recipe is mix the oil, honey, cinnamon and vanilla in a separate bowl before mixing it into the oats for a more even coating. The coconut oil adds such a great flavor boost. Thanks for the recipe
I made this tonight & it is great! I used 1/2 maple syrup and 1/2 honey. I’ll definitely make it again and switch up the nuts & fruit. Thanks for a great recipe!
This is bar none the best granola recipe I’ve ever tasted!! Once you make this, you will never go back to store bought granola again. Everyone asks me for the recipe ❤️
I am making this tonight and it smells so good! Have you ever made a version with natural peanut butter? Please share if so. ;)
Thanks!
I haven’t, sorry!
This granola is delicious! I have made it four times in the last two months alone, and my family loves it. I love making it as originally written, and recently I’ve been making apple granola by adding one chopped apple. I highly recommend this recipe.
Thank you, Amber!
I’m just about to make this granola after tasting a friend’s and being simply blown away by the flavour.
I just have one question, and that is, at which point do you add the dried fruit? Before baking or after baking?
Hi Sheldon! You will want to add once out of the oven and cooled.
Something to try. I switch up the spices and added a 1tsp ground turmeric and ground the seeds from 4 cardamom pods and added these along with the cinnamon. It adds a hint of warmth.
I eat this with my granola every day – it’s that good! Thank for you a terrific recipe that’s a mainstay at our house!
That’s great to hear, Colleen!
I make this all the time. I don’t use raw nuts I use roasted nut and lower the temperature to 260 for an hour. I also sprinkle 1/4 c of water because of the long cook time. Great recipe and very versatile if you want to vary the nuts and dried fruit.
Absolutely delicious granola, the one thing I would do differently next time is less salt, I just didn’t think that it was so necessary (I did the 3/4 of a teaspoon of table salt…) I put in raisins and craisins in the end, and the nuts and seeds which I used were a combo of almonds, cashews and pumpkin seeds. I also did half maple syrup and half “silan,” which is date syrup (the original “honey” from the Bible,) and very popular here in Israel. Thank you for this yummy recipe, I plan to make it regularly from now on!
Literally just made this! Super easy. Found several other recipes that seemed too fussy. Glad I made this one! 5 stars!
Great to hear, Nyla!
I have bought your cookbook and love this recipe (have made it for years now) and also the green smoothie recipes. Just a suggestion for those of us who cook with metric measurements – could you include a metric option so it’s straightforward for us to use the conversion?
Hi Anne, Unfortunately, I don’t provide conversions at this time. I do know others use online calculators, or if they cook from my blog a lot, they have purchased US measuring cups. Maybe sometime in the future, but not sure. I hope you still enjoy my recipes!
Best granola ever! Thank you!
You’re welcome, KM!
So far so good. I just pulled the Granola out the oven and it smells Amazing! Will post again after the first tasting but I am expecting awesome results from this recipe.
Great to hear, Desi!
I’ve made this twice & it is amazing.
I cut back on oats some & added more nuts & seeds.
Really delicious.
Easy and delicious!
Great to hear, Sharon!
Good recipe. I used 1/2 a cup of date syrup instead of honey or maple syrup. I used 1 cup of lightly salted almonds and 1/2 cup of walnuts and added about a tablespoon of chia seeds. I used the partially empty bags of dried fruits I had in the pantry— blueberries and cranberries. It turned out delicious!
Great to hear, Sarah!
Love this granola! It’s a staple in our home and quick and easy to make!
Great to hear, Brigitte! I appreciate your review.
all I have is refined coconut oil or olive oil can I use one of those oils?
Yes, olive oil works great.
Wow! This recipe is the bomb diggity! Lightly sweet. Perfect saltines to compliment the sweet. Toasted nutty goodness. It’s a keeper!
Love the taste but my granola is not really sticking together much. I followed directions but maybe I should a little more maple syrup and oil or something? What do you think?
I’ve tried alot of different granola recipes but this is absolutely the best one ever. tips: I packed it down with my spatula and broke it apart with my hands after it cooled and it made really it chunkier
Absolutely love this. I add hazelnuts, coco nibs and double the cinnamon powder and semi sweet chocolate chips.
Eat this everyday with Greek yogurt and fresh berries. Thanks for sharing
You’re welcome, Stephanie!
Kate your granola recipe is delicious. It tasted good before going into the oven! My family love it so no more store bought for us. So easy and adaptable. I added slivered almonds and dried cherries and so tasty. It is so great to try a new recipe that is so successful.thank you so much!
Gail
Best I have ever made! Eat it with yogurt almost every morning. Have given away tons. Making it for Christmas gifts this year.
It truly is the best granola! I make it twice a month.
Thank you!
I love that! Thank you for your review, Roberta.
Truly the best granola recipe! I usually do honey, almonds, and olive oil and it turns out so good!
How long should we bake it in an airfryer?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. Sorry!
Do you use raw pepitas or toasted & salted? Thanks!
I use raw. Let me know what you think!
Like I wrote before, I am leaving this followup review for taste. Best Granola I ever made! Will be using it for my go-to Granola recipe! Thanks Kid!
At the request of my dietitian daughter I’m trying to eat healthy. I made this granola for the third time with no alterations to the recipe. A handful of granola with an apple/banana for breakfast/lunch serves the purpose. I absolutely love this granola…thank you.
You’re welcome, Joseph!
This is amazing, I just made this and it’s the best granola I’ve ever tasted before. It was so easy too, I’m inlove
This granola is addictive. It is delicious. It is the best that I have never tasted. I am having a hard time resisting it. Thanks so much for your recipe.
You’re welcome, Evelyn!
I kind of forgot about this recipe! Used to make it all the time and then got out of the habit. I was craving some extra yummy granola for breakfast and remembered this recipe – yay!
Years ago I made big batches and put in pretty jars with ribbons and gave them to friends and coworkers for the holidays. Might do that again this year!
I’m going to try it for the first time! :) Is the vanilla extract important for the recipe? Thank you.
Hi Sara, I recommend it for best results.
Hello, I’m so excited to try this. But will quick one minute oatmeal work? I have everything else but don’t want to waste the other ingredients if one minute oatmeal is not recommended. Thank you!
I recommend this best as is, sorry!
I’ve used this recipe for probably at least 6 years and I LOVE it. I eat this granola with strawberries and yogurt every day and refuse to have any other granola.
I use coconut oil and honey and mix them up together with the vanilla extract at the beginning so that it’s easier to coat the oats. I make sure all the nuts are in smaller pieces so that they can be spread evenly (and I use a little more than what’s called for in the recipe). I add the coconut flakes halfway through and mix them in. Sometimes I add dried cranberries, but I’ve started leaving them out so that if I want to re-roast the granola when it’s gotten a little stale, I can.
Two things that I’m interested to try this time— 1) freezing the granola and 2) add a frothed egg white to make it even crunchier.
All in all, an amazing recipe.
Fantastic recipe! I used maple syrup and coconut flakes and coconut oil. Perfect. This is my 3rd batch and needless to say, WE LOVE IT!
Great to hear, James!
I made it today and it is delicious. However it did not get clumpy. Can I add more maple syrup or coconut oil to clump it together? I am taking it to an event as a snack, not as cereal.
Hi! I’m sorry to hear that. How long did you bake it for each time? Sometimes adjusting the bake time will do the trick.
Mine burned around the perimeter. Very frustrating!!
Oh no! what type of oven do you have and how long did you bake it for?
So glad I found this recipe; this granola is delicious. Wondering if you can substitute the oats for steel cut oats? If so, do the ingredients have to be adjusted at all?
Hi Sarah! This is best as written. Let me know if you try it!