Easy and Healthy Homemade Granola Recipe

“There is nothing better than a proper breakfast.” And it “is best when made at home.” But what if we don’t have the extra time or energy to make a proper breakfast. Then it is time to try out this granola recipe. This homemade granola recipe is healthy, easy to make, and is so much better than any store-bought granola.

The recipe I am sharing here is the basic granola recipe. The beauty of this recipe is that you can customize it a hundred different ways. 

This granola tastes amazing on its own, or you can have it with your choice of milk/yogurt, and with some fresh fruits or berries. It can serve as a breakfast or as a snack.

The basic granola recipe is simply a combination of rolled oats, nuts and dried fruits, mixed with oil and sugar, then baked until it’s lightly brown. This recipe is far more healthier and you can play around by substituting with different nuts, seeds, fruits, spices, oils and sugars.

Ingredients for Healthy Granola

Oats:

Rolled oats/ whole grain old fashioned oats are best for granola. Why? Because, it holds their shape well during cooking. Gluten-free rolled oats are also available if you are looking for a gluten-free granola version.

Is it okay to use Instant/quick oats?

Compared to rolled oats, instant/quick oats are thin and delicate, which makes it hard to hold the shape and texture. Only rolled oats provide the perfect texture for granola.

Nuts and/or Seeds:

You can add any of your favorite nuts and/or seeds. In this recipe, I used a mix of pecans, cashews and almonds and chopped them roughly before combining with oats. But it is not a necessary step.

Other options include walnuts, peanuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds and sesame seeds.

Oil:

Any unrefined oils are good to use. I used unrefined coconut oil in this recipe. We barely taste the coconut and gives a nice texture to the granola.

Other oil options are clarified butter/ ghee and extra virgin olive oil, which gives the granola a savory touch.

Sugar/ Sweetener:

If you are looking for natural sweeteners, honey and real maple syrup are the best choices. These can infuse extra flavor to the granola.

Brown sugar, Palm sugar, Jaggery, molasses ,etc. are other sugar options that you can try with.

Salt, Spices and Flavors:

Remember to add the salt. It plays a vital role in enhancing the flavors. I used fine-grain sea salt in this recipe. If you are using regular/pink/rock salt, add a little less (maybe like 1/2 – 3/4 tsp).

I have added grounded Cinnamon and vanilla essence to this batch of granola. Other spice and flavor options are dried ginger powder, powdered nutmeg/clove, pumpkin spice, almond extract, etc.

Dried Fruits:

Dried fruits can give an extra tangy, sweet, fruity, flavor with a chewy texture to the granola. I have used raisins and chopped dates for this recipe. 

Cranberries, chopped dried apricots, dried mangoes and dried cherries are also perfect add-ins.

Add the dried fruits to the granola while it is still warm.

Additional Mix-Ins:

As an additional mix-in, I have added white chocolate chips in this batch. I have mixed it while the granola is warm, so that it will melt and make a chocolatey coat over the granola. 

If you look for fresh citrus flavor, stir orange/lemon zest in to the mixture before baking.

Another optional mix-in are unsweetened coconut flakes. Add it halfway through baking for the perfect toasted flakes.

How to Make Crunchy Granola?

  • The combination of sugar and oil gives granola its amazing texture. The oil helps the mix-ins to toast perfectly and the sugar once melted binds with the ingredients to make it clumpy and crunchy. Always keep in mind that the measurements of oil and sugar can change the texture of the final product.
  • Always remember to line the pan with parchment paper, so that the sweetener won’t stick to the pan.
  • Make sure the pan is not overly crowded, that they don’t toast evenly.
  • Don’t bake the granola too long even if it seems like it’s not done yet. Bake only until the top turns lightly golden in color. It will crisp up once it is cool. 
  • Allow the granola to cool completely before breaking it up.

How to Store Granola?

This freshly baked healthy granola will stay good in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Moisture will make granola to stale easily. Always use a clean dry spoon to ensure longer shelf life.

We can also freeze the granola in a freezer bag for up to a month or more. Allow it to come to room temperature, and enjoy with yogurt and fresh fruits.


Please give this recipe a try and let me know how it turns out for you in the comments…

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Easy and Healthy Homemade Granola Recipe

Basic granola recipe loaded with deliciousness and a perfect start to the day.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Cooling Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 35 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: basic granola recipe, breakfash dish, easy recipes, granola, healthy snacks
Servings: 8 cups
Author: Winnie Ann Koshy

Equipment

  • 1 Large mixing bowl
  • 1 Large rimmed baking sheet
  • 1 large spoon/ spatula

Ingredients

  • 4 cups Rolled Oats
  • 1 cup Raw nuts/ Seeds (cashews, pecans, walnuts, almonds, pumpkin/sunflower seeds, etc..)
  • 1 tsp Salt (if using pink or rock salt add 3/4 tsp)
  • ¾ tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • ½ cup Coconut oil melted
  • ½ cup Honey
  • 1 tsp Vanilla essence/extract
  • ½ cup Dried fruits (chopped if large; raisins, dates, cranberries, etc.)
  • ½ cup Chocolate chips/ coconut flakes (optional, this is an additional mix-in)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350º Fahrenheit. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Roughly chop the raw nuts and keep aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add the oats, nuts and/ or seeds, salt, ground cinnamon, coconut oil, honey and vanilla essence/ extract. Mix everything until well combined. ( Refer Notes 1& 2 )
  • Spread the granola mix onto the prepared pan with a large spoon and layer it evenly.
  • Place the pan into the preheated oven and bake until it is lightly golden brown in color, about 20 – 25 minutes, stirring it halfway through (gently press down the stirred granola mix with the back of a spatula before putting it back to the oven to finish baking.). ( Refer Notes 3 & 4 )
  • Once the granola is done, remove it from the oven. Mix-in the dried fruits (I used 1/4 cups each of raisins and chopped dates), and chocolate chips (optional), while it’s still warm. Spread the mix evenly and allow it to cool completely (at least an hour). ( Refer Note 3 )
  • Once the granola is cool, break it into small pieces with your hand.
  • Store the granola in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Or freeze it in a sealed freezer bag for a month or 2. Thaw the frozen granola for 5 – 10 minutes before using.
  • It tastes delicious on its own or you can pair it with curd/yogurt and fresh fruits or berries.

Video

Notes

  1. You can add a mix of nuts – like almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews – and seeds, or just can go with one variety.
  2. To make the granola nut free, add seeds like pumpkin or sunflower instead of nuts.
  3. The granola will harden and gets crunchy when it cools down to room temperature.
  4. You can also use coconut flakes as an additional mix-in. To get nicely toasted coconut flakes, stir it in to the granola while halfway through baking.

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