Home > Breakfast > Granola Granola March 11, 2018 | 15 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. After making this homemade granola recipe, you’ll never want to go back to store bought! It’s packed with flavor, made with good-for-you ingredients, and SO easy to make. If you’re looking to make bars, this granola bar recipe is my favorite. For homemade granola, this very recipe is my go-to and another favorite is this healthy granola recipe. Add a few handfuls to an acai bowl, on top of your oatmeal, or in a bowl with some milk or yogurt! One of the best traits my dad has passed down to me is a SERIOUS love for granola. It’s pretty amazing how much he consumes, and I’m not too far behind. He buys bags and bags and bags of it and transfers them to plastic cereal containers that fill up my parent’s pantry. When he came and visited us in last year in Ohio, I made sure to stock the pantry with plenty. I made several different varieties and was certain I had made too much. Turns out I didn’t make enough as it was gone by day 3! I’ve even given him batches of this recipe for birthday or Father’s Day gifts and he’s always requesting more. Since he loves it so much, I have worked and experimented to come up with the best possible version. How do you make your own granola? Start by tossing together the oats and almonds. In another bowl, you’ll mix the brown sugar, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla until all ingredients are well incorporated. Combine the wet and dry and then spread the mixture over 1 or 2 large baking sheets. Bake for 20-30 minutes making sure to flip and stir it everything around every 6-8 minutes. Let the mixture cool, harden, and fully set up at room temperature and then stir in your desired mix-ins! We like mixing in currants, dried cranberries or raisins and flaked coconut. Miniature chocolate chips, yogurt-covered raisins, dried chopped mango, and chocolate-covered cranberries are also frequent additions to this recipe! Granola FAQS How bad is granola for you? This is a question I get a lot! Most store-bought granola is pretty high in sugar and often has unhealthy additions. Homemade granola, on the other hand can be easily customized to be a healthy and delicious treat. Granola is great in a balanced diet and in moderation. Even the healthiest recipe is still going to have higher calorie amounts — oats and nuts have a lot of calories! (Just because something has a lot of calories does not make it bad for you. The oats and nuts in granola offer amazing benefits such as fiber, iron, heart-healthy unsaturated fats, and protein.) So, what is better museli or granola? Museli and granola are both made up of grains, nuts, and dried fruits. Museli is unbaked (and generally soaked in liquid to soften it) and granola is generally tossed with oil and sweetener and then baked. Because granola is tossed with oil and sweetener, museli is typically considered to be healthier. Can you eat granola by itself? YES! In fact by the handful is one of my favorite ways to eat it! A close second is in a yogurt bowl — yogurt for the base, tons of granola on top, fresh berries, and a few chia seeds. It’s also great on an acai bowl or smoothie bowl. How long does granola last for? It depends on your recipe. This particular recipe lasts 1 month when stored in an airtight container in a cool and dark area. If you want to freeze it, place equal amounts in sealed small freezer bags and make sure to remove any air. Freeze for up to 3 months. More Breakfast Recipes: Healthy Banana Bread Healthy Blueberry Muffins Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Granola No ratings yet - Review this recipe After making this homemade granola recipe, you'll never want to go back to store bought! It's packed with flavor, made with good-for-you ingredients, and SO easy to make. SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Granola No ratings yet - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe After making this homemade granola recipe, you'll never want to go back to store bought! It's packed with flavor, made with good-for-you ingredients, and SO easy to make. Course Breakfast Cuisine American Keyword granola, granola recipe Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 22 minutes Total Time 37 minutes Servings 4 cups Calories 346kcal Author Chelsea Ingredients3 cups old fashioned oats (not quick or steel cut)1 cup slivered almonds1/3 cup light or dark brown sugar, lightly packed1/3 cup maple syrup1/4 cup melted coconut oil3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 cup dried cranberries, dried raisins, currants, miniature chocolate chips OR whatever similar add in you'd like!1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut* InstructionsPreheat the oven to 325 degrees F.In a large bowl, toss together the oats and almonds.In another bowl, stir together the brown sugar, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla until all ingredients are well incorporated and smooth.Pour the wet into the dry and mix until all ingredients are well combined. Spread the mixture evenly over a large baking sheet (or 2 if needed; ingredients shouldn't be overlapping)Bake for 20-30 minutes (depending on the heat of your oven) making sure to flip and stir the mixture around every 6-8 minutes.Remove and allow the mixture to harden and set up. (It may be soft and not very "granola-like", but it hardens as it dries out so be careful to not over-cook it). Mine generally takes about 22 minutes and the coconut and slivered almonds are a light brown color.Once the granola is hardened, stir in the dried fruit or chocolate chips and flaked coconut. Recipe Notes*Â To get toasted coconut:Â Stir the coconut flakes into the mixture halfway through baking. Nutrition FactsCalories: 346kcal We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
I’m a granola freak. I eat it by the handfuls and then realize I need to slow down. This looks amazing. I love the hint of chocolate sprinkled throughout the granola. 😀 Reply
I heart granola and love the large clusters. This looks delicious and perfect! Love that you make it for your dad too! Sweet!! 😉 Reply
Mmmm…those chocolate-covered cranberries make the granola look SO irresistible!! I love the giant clusters too–they’re the best part! 🙂 Can’t wait to try! Pinned! Reply
Yum! I go on kicks where all I want is granola for breakfast! This flavor sounds wonderful! Love those clusters! Reply
That is so cute about your dad 🙂 I am obsessed with granola too and the big clusters are always my favorite! This looks perfect! I love the chocolate covered cranberries in here! Reply
Your dad sounds like a smart man! Granola is the best! Chocolate covered cranberries sound like an awesome addition 🙂 Reply
This granola is amazing, Chelsea! The clusters are my favorite, I always pick out the chunks first! And I love that you used the Dove Fruits cranberries, so delicious! Reply
I am a freak for granola and don’t even need yogurt to eat it. I love having some in milk like I’m eating cereal! Can’t wait to try this recipe and get some clusters up in here! Reply
You and your dad sound just like me! I had to stop baking granola because it was ALL I would eat for breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dessert. Just like him, it’d disappear in a few days — tops! Pinned! Reply
For me, granola is ALL about the big clusters 😉 I would always be picking them out and eating them first as a kid! Love the looks of this granola, and you can’t go wrong with a little chocolate in there either! Reply
