Homemade Granola Recipe
Homemade granola is so easy to make (seriously, it takes all of five minutes from pantry to oven), and it's so, so, so much cheaper to make it at home than buy it in the store. Plus, you can customize it to your heart's content. Recipe updated 11/10/2026 - see recipe notes for details.
Ingredients
Wet ingredients:
- 1/2 cup sweetener honey, pure maple syrup, or agave nectar*
- 1/4 cup oil melted coconut oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or substitute more oil for a vegan version
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or other ground spices like cardamom, ginger, or nutmeg; optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
Dry ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups rolled oats not steel cut or instant - use thick rolled oats
- 2 cups nuts and seeds any combination of sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, sliced almonds, chopped almonds, chopped pecans, chopped walnuts, pepitas, cashews, etc.
- 1/2-1 cups dried fruit added AFTER it's baked; any combination of dried blueberries, chopped dried apricots, chopped dried mango, raisins, currants, dried cranberries, chopped dried cherries, etc.
Instructions
Make the granola
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. For easier clean-up, line a large rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat - but if you don't have either liner, that's okay too.
- In a large bowl, toss together the oats, nuts, and seeds. Don't add the fruit yet! You'll add that after you've baked the granola.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the sweetener, butter, oil, and salt, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted and ingredients are fairly well combined. If you're adding vanilla or spices, add those now. You can also melt these ingredients together in a microwave-safe bowl or container on low heat in 30-second increments, stirring in between heating.
- Pour the honey/butter/oil mixture over the grain/nut/seed mixture, and toss until evenly coated.
For granola clusters
- Spread granola on cookie sheet. Press down firmly on the granola with your clean hands or a spatula. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the edges of the granola have turned golden brown and the granola is fragrant. Remove the granola from the oven and top with dried fruit. Let it cool for at least an hour on the baking sheet before touching it. This will help the granola to stick together in clusters. After an hour, break it apart into pieces.
For a looser granola
- Spread granola on cookie sheet. Bake for 25-35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the granola turns golden brown and is fragrant. Remove from oven, add the fruit, and let cool.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container (it should keep for up to a month at room temperature).
Notes
* can substitute uo to half of the liquid sweetener with brown sugar
Nutrition info assumes honey, coconut oil, butter, oats, almonds, and raisins
11/10/2026 recipe updates: Decreased quantities by half to make an overall smaller recipe that uses only one sheet pan. Recipe can easily be doubled if you want to make more. Added instructions about how to make granola clusters vs. a looser granola depending on preference.
Adapted from The Grand Central Baking Book
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 0.5cup, Calories: 377kcal, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Sodium: 34mg, Potassium: 353mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 15g, Vitamin A: 53IU, Vitamin C: 0.5mg, Calcium: 92mg, Iron: 2mg