Healthy Homemade Granola
on May 03, 2013, Updated Aug 22, 2024
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The best things in life are often the most simple. Illamae’s Granola is incredibly easy and only requires a few ingredients to make. Simple, delicious, and versatile- a triple threat!
Once you try homemade granola, you will never buy it from the store again. It is so good, you can control what you are putting into the granola, and it is so easy. Just four ingredients — oil, honey, oats, and nuts– and you are in business. This granola is basic but it creates an awesome base so if you want to add chocolate chips, coconut, raisins etc. it is really simple to do.
Granola is a snack that everyone loves. It is delicious on top of yogurt or you can eat it like cereal with milk. I’m also known to just snack on it by the handful.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make: Granola is one of those things that is so simple to make. Once you’ve tried making it on your own, you might never buy it again.
- Economical: You can’t beat the price of homemade granola vs store-bought, especially if you buy your ingredients in bulk.
- Customizable: You can add or subtract anything you want to this basic granola recipe and make it exactly the flavors and textures you love.
Ingredients
For the basic recipe
- Uncooked Oats: you can use old fashioned or quick oats or a mix of the two
- Whole Wheat Flour or Oat Flour
- Salt
- Coconut Oil: any kind you like or have on hand is fine
- Honey: if you don’t like honey or have little ones who can’t eat it, maple syrup (the real stuff from the tree) or brown sugar are good substitutes
- Vanilla Extract
Add 3 cups of any of these ingredients (or a combination of them to equal 3 cups)
- Chopped Nuts or Seeds
- Dried Fruit
- Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
- Chocolate Chips: add after it bakes and cools, and probably not more than a cup of them total so they don’t overpower the rest of the ingredients
- *I also like to add 1-2 tablespoon of cinnamon or other similar spices. This is optional but adds a lot of flavor
How to Make Healthy Homemade Granola
Step #1. Preheat the oven and line a large baking sheet with parchment. Grease lightly.
Step #3. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and bake. It should be golden. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Step #2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, salt, and any nuts/seeds and spices. In a small bowl, stir together the coconut oil, honey, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir together until there are no dry spots.
Step #4. Once the granola has cooled, stir in the other mix-ins like dried fruit and chocolate chips. Break it up as desired and store in an air-tight container.
Recipe FAQs
Honey burns pretty easily. If your granola is looking dark or smelling like it’s burning, turn the oven down 25 degrees and take it out the pan while the oven cools. Burnt honey granola isn’t the best. However, honey has a great flavor and is more natural!
This granola tastes great as is or you can add a variety of mix-ins. If you are in the mood to add something consider, craisins, dried fruit or chocolate chips. You really can’t go wrong here.
Homemade granola lasts 3-4 weeks when stored in an airtight container. You can also freeze granola for up to 6 months.
Yes! I love making granola because it is not only healthier but it is cheaper than buying it from the store. I like to buy the ingredients for granola in bulk to make it even more cost effective.
Granola contains healthy fats, iron, protein, and is a great source of fiber. If you eat granola in moderation, it is a great addition to a healthy diet.
Expert Tips
- Make sure the granola mixture is in an even layer on the baking sheet so that it can cook evenly.
- A full baking sheet will be just fine for this recipe but if you increase the amount be sure to use two.
- Keep a close eye on your granola towards the end of the baking time to make sure it doesn’t burn. It can get too dark quickly.
- If you like big clusters of granola, push it together somewhat before baking so that it sticks together. When it comes out of the oven and is cooled, you can break it up as much or as little as you’d like.
What to Serve with Granola
- Crock Pot or Slow Cooker Yogurt
- Homemade Fruit on the Bottom Yogurt Cups
- 5 Easy Healthy Yogurt Bowl Ideas
- 4 Ingredient Healthy Strawberry Frozen Yogurt (5 minute recipe!)
More Granola Recipes to Consider
Granola Recipes
Homemade Granola Bars
Snacks for Kids
Crunchy Oat and Honey Granola Bars
Granola Recipes
No Bake Peanut Butter Honey Granola Bars
Healthy Snacks
8 Easy Homemade Granola Bar Recipes
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Healthy Homemade Granola
Ingredients
Basic Recipe:
- 6 cups uncooked oats, (old fashioned or quick oats or a mix of the two)
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour or oat flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Add 3 more cups of any combination of these (if using none, add an additional cup of oats):
- chopped nuts or seed
- dried fruit
- unsweetened coconut flakes
- chocolate chips, (add after it bakes and cools, and probably not more than a cup of them total)
- I also like to add 1-2 tablespoon of cinnamon or other similar spices
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 225 degrees F. Line a big cookie sheet with parchment and grease lightly.
- In a large bowl combine the oats, flour, salt, and cinnamon if using, stir to combine.
- In a small bowl whisk together the coconut oil, honey, and vanilla.
- Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Mix everything together making sure there are no dry spots.
- Add any additions you would like and stir to combine.
- Spread granola onto the prepared cookie sheet in an even layer. The pan will be nice and full. Bake for 1 hour.
- Remove from the oven and let the granola cool, it will be a deep golden color.
- Once the granola has cooled break it into smaller pieces as you see fit (we like some chunky and eat it like a cookie and some we break up small in our bowls for cold cereal).
- Store in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge if you aren’t going through it very quickly.
Notes
- This recipe is very forgiving. If I am feeling cheap or plain I don’t add any nuts or dried fruit. The plain-jane granola is excellent with yogurt and berries. Do add an additional cup of oats if you aren’t adding any other extras.
- I like to make this recipe on a silicone baking mat. It helps keep the mess at a minimum. Do you have one yet?
- We loved a cup each of unsweetened coconut flakes, salted sunflower seeds, and chopped pecans in this recipe, they’re a really good combination and the one I make the most often.
- To make oat flour just add some oats to a blender or food processor and blend until it creates a nice flour, measure after blending.
Can I substitute the whole wheat flour for coconut flour or almond flour, would it still work?
I’ve never used those flours before but it’s a very forgiving recipes. I think you’d be pretty safe to give it a try! Let me know how it turns out if you do 🙂
I’m allergic to coconut…is there another type of oil that I can use?
Yep, just about any oil you want! I’ve used olive oil and normal oil vegetable oil in a pinch.
If I want to add a gluten free flour instead of wheat what could I add
I bet you could swap out the whole wheat flour for gluten free, equal ratio (1 to 1) and I’d love to know how it works!
First of all, my kids and I love your recipe! It’s especially delicious with vanilla you hurt. But, I was wondering what the serving size is and how many calories per serving? I log everything on the MyFitnessPal app and I don’t know what to put.
*yogurt lol
That’s a hard one… I have no idea! I need to find some kind of software that will calculate stuff like that for me. Will the internet tell you? Good luck lady 🙂
I believe there’s a website called recipe calculator that you can get the calculations.
What are the calories per servin on this? Thanks
I live in PA and found that if I spread the granola over two cookie sheets and rotate them after the 20 minute stir, it is a bit crunchier and clumps better.
I love this recipe and have made it three time now! Thanks for sharing it!
I am sitting here eating this right now…and it is absolutely delicious!!! Thank you for the wonderful recipe 🙂
Yay! I’m making a batch today! Thanks for the feedback friend.
I have made this a couple times. I love the flavor! I can get it to clump just the way I like it. My only problem is I can’t get it to dry and be crunchy like granola is supposed to be.
Hhhmm. I live in Utah so my air is very very dry. If I were you I’d cut the water down to 1/4 or 1/3 of a cup and see if that helps it to get it crunchy. The crunch is the best part! I hope that helps 🙂
I absolutely LOVE your granola! I’ve made it 3 times now and have gotten rave reviews from everyone who’s tried it! It’s delicious in yogurt and as cereal! Do you have the nutritional info for it?
Nope but I’m sure somewhere online could generate that for you! I’m always a little hesitant to put nutritional info up when I don’t have a great source for the info. Good luck though! You’ll love the recipes, it’s one of my very favorites.
What type of honey do you use?
Honey is easy for me to buy local and that’s what I like to do… a friend here in town raises bees and I buy her honey! It’s sooo much better than that cheap stuff from the store. I think that stuff is bitter (or it was the last time I had some) Good luck in finding a local source. I recommend checking out the farmer’s market and asking about buying bulk options!