Have you been looking for a good basic granola recipe? One that you can tweak or jazz up to your heart’s content? Look no further! This recipe has become my go-to and I think it will be yours too. How long it takes: 10 minutes to prep, 35 minutes in the oven Equipment you’ll need: mixing bowl, sheet pan, oven Servings: makes 5 cups (10 servings) Lightly sweetened with brown sugar and honey, rolled oats are joined by nuts, coconut, and other goodies. With nutritious add-ins like ground flaxseed and wheat germ, this healthy granola will get your day started on the right foot. Add granola to unsweetened Greek yogurt with fresh fruit and you have a powerful breakfast that will stick with you for hours. For a quickie breakfast, instead of eating over-priced and over-processed breakfast cereal, simply splash a little milk over granola in a bowl. Rice Krispies or Cheerios can’t hold a candle to your homemade “cereal”!
About This Homemade Granola
You really won’t believe how easy it is to make homemade granola. You just need a few minutes of prep, and then it’s mostly hands-off time in the oven. The granola is crunchy yet a little chewy, flavorful and full of warm cinnamon, just the way it should be. Granola is so easy to customize, too. Since making this granola, I’ve created other versions including almond vanilla bean granola, cinnamon flax granola, and Biscoff granola. And of course, this easy granola recipe with pecans and cranberries! The best thing though? You really don’t need another recipe to make your own special granola. Keep reading for lots of ideas for how you can tweak this classic granola. Throw in the stuff you like. Leave out the stuff you don’t. Rolled oats are essential but the rest is pretty much up to you! Although I say you can tweak this recipe as much as you want, there is one caveat. Try to keep the same ratio of wet vs. dry ingredients for the best results.
What You’ll need
Rolled Oats: The foundation of granola, rolled oats are a must. They are sometimes called “old-fashioned” oats. Please don’t substitute other types of oats, such as steel-cut, quick oats, or instant oats. They just don’t work for granola. Rolled oats are pretty much the only ingredient you can’t change in this recipe. Almonds and Pecans: A half cup of each gives plenty of toasted nut flavor. However, if you’re like my family which is now nut-free due to severe allergies, there are lots of things you can substitute for nuts. Coconut: The recipe calls for shredded unsweetened coconut. Coconut flakes are great, too. Can’t find unsweetened? Sweetened coconut will work but it adds a bit more sugar. Wheat Germ and Ground Flaxseed: So much added nutrition in these two ingredients! Go ahead and add a bit more if you like (or leave it out if you prefer). Dark Brown Sugar and Honey: The goal is to add just a bit of flavor but not a lot of sugar. Most store-bought granolas are loaded with sugar! That’s another advantage of making your own. If you want, use even less than the recipe calls for. Canola Oil: Because canola oil is a mild tasting and widely available oil, it’s perfect for granola. Not a fan of canola? Use any mild flavored oil, such as coconut, mild olive oil, grape seed, or vegetable oil. Cinnamon, Pure Vanilla Extract, and a Pinch of Salt: More flavor for the granola.
How To Make It
It’s so easy, I promise! Here are the basic steps: Combine oats, nuts, coconut, wheat germ, flaxseed, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Warm up oil, honey, cinnamon, and vanilla in the microwave and stir to combine. Add the oil mixture to the dry ingredients in the bowl and stir well to coat. Spread the granola in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet (don’t crowd the pan!). Bake until golden brown. Stir it a couple of times while it’s baking so that it browns evenly. Cool and store. That’s about all there is to it!
Make It Your Own
Here are some fun variations to try! Please don’t be limited by this list – I’m sure you have lots of ideas of your own.
Try walnuts instead of almonds and pecans. Sliced or slivered almonds are great, too. Looking for a granola with no nuts? Swap in sunflower seeds for the nuts. Sunnies are so good in granola and make this recipe nut-free. Chia seeds, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), or sesame seeds are good choices. Double the coconut. Coconut flakes are a good alternative to shredded coconut. If you don’t have wheat germ, use more ground flax. Omitting the wheat germ makes this recipe gluten-free. If you don’t have ground flax, use more wheat germ…. Looking for more fiber? Substitute oat or wheat bran. If you don’t have honey or want to make this vegan, try using maple syrup! Or simply increase the brown sugar. Don’t have canola oil? Use a different type of oil such as coconut oil (melted), light olive oil, or vegetable oil. Add some fun spices! I love nutmeg, cloves, cardamom. Pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice is great, too. Or don’t add any spices at all. Add dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, dried cherries, apricots, etc.) after the granola cools for a great chewy texture addition. Chocolate chips are always a good idea. Add them after baking and cooling the granola or they’ll melt! Looking for a savory granola? (It’s nut-free!) Add it to salads or soups instead of croutons.
If you prefer to eat oats in another form, try: Instant Pot steel cut oats, baked oatmeal, slow cooker steel cut oats, or pan-seared oatmeal.And of course, there’s always oatmeal cookies: iced oatmeal cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, or coconut oatmeal cookies.
Storage Tips/Make-Ahead
Granola is a perfect make-ahead breakfast. It keeps well in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to a month. You can freeze it for up to six months! Make a big batch of granola, maybe even a double batch, and you’ll have breakfast for a week or more. Or lots of good snacking…
Leftover Love
While not technically a leftover, I just wanted to say that granola is perfect in a yogurt parfait. I bet it’s even great on ice cream. Not that I know. Okay, I do know. (P.S. With chocolate chips. Just sayin’!)
