Homemade Granola

Sweet, crunchy and packed with fiber-rich ingredients, my homemade granola is a delicious pick for a quick breakfast or protein packed snack when sprinkled over yogurt. Prepared with oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, spices, dried cranberries and shredded coconut, and sweetened with honey and maple sugar, my homemade granola recipe is super nutritious and so easy to make!

Healthy Granola That's Easy To Make At Home

If there's one thing that I love to munch on, it's a lightly sweetened, crunchy, nutty treat.

What better than granola to satisfy that craving, a super nutritious and versatile goody that I can eat by the bowlful, the handful, or sprinkle over top of thick, creamy Greek yogurt to create a fiber and protein-rich afternoon snack—I just love it!

I don't know about you, but I feel like granola is super expensive in the markets these days, and it seems like we barely get any in those tiny cello bags that are mostly air, with a little granola settled on the bottom!

And seeing as granola is super easy to make at home, with my favorite healthy ingredients, and with no refined sweeteners and lots of crunch and spice, I've stopped buying granola from the market and started preparing it at home, in my own cozy kitchen.

My homemade granola recipe is brimming with organic rolled oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, omega-rich flax seeds, dried cranberries, shredded coconut, spices and vanilla.

And to give it touch of sweetness, I'm opting for pure honey, with a small sprinkle of maple sugar over top after toasting to create a crispy texture.

So very easy and fun to make, not to mention delicious and nutritious. Plus, it's a lot less expensive to enjoy when you make a bigger batch, from scratch!

My Recipe for Homemade Granola

With homemade granola, the sky's the limit when it comes to flavor and delicious little add-ins—you can get as creative as you'd like!

For my recipe here, I'm using organic, rolled old fashioned oats as the base.

And because I love nuts of all varieties, I'm opting for sliced raw almonds here, though one can use pecans, walnuts, pistachios or cashews in place of the almonds, or as a substitution for a portion of them.

I'm also adding in pumpkin seeds for more crunch, which are rich in magnesium and zinc, and have antioxidant properties. In go some flax seeds as well, which are brimming with heart-healthy omega fatty acids.

For more texture and flavor, I love dried cranberries in my homemade granola, and use the unsweetened variety, though you can use sweetened if you prefer.

I also add in shredded, unsweetened coconut, some pumpkin spice, vanilla, with honey and a touch of maple sugar as my sweeteners.

This combination of ingredients makes for an ultra healthy, protein and fiber-rich granola, which is lightly sweetened to make each bite irresistibly nutty, crunchy and deliciously spicy!

Here's a sneak peek at my homemade granola recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I add my oats, nuts, seeds and flax to a large bowl, then add in honey and coconut oil, plus vanilla and salt, and combine.
2. Next, I bake the mixture until lightly golden-brown, and allow it to sit for a few more minutes in the oven after having turned it off.
3. Then, I finish the warm homemade granola with a sprinkle of the maple sugar for a bit of added crispy texture, add in the dried cranberries and shredded coconut, and then combine everything together.
4. I allow the granola to cool for a while, then break it up and store in ziplock bags, mason jars with lids, or in an airtight glass container.

Recipe

Homemade Granola

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This protein-rich homemade granola is packed with almonds, pumpkin and flax seeds, cranberries and coconut, with no refined sweeteners!

Category: Breakfast
Cuisine: American

Yield: 5 ½ cups granola

Nutrition Info: 271 calories (per ½ cup of granola)

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup sliced, raw almonds
• ¼ cup shelled, roasted pumpkin seeds
• ¼ cup whole flax seeds (not ground)
• ½ cup honey
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ tablespoons maple sugar
• 1 teaspoon (slightly heaping) pumpkin pie spice
• ¼ cup (heaping) unsweetened cranberries (or sweetened)
• ½ cup unsweetened, shredded coconut

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Preheat the oven to 325°, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven.
3. To a large bowl, add the oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds and flax seeds, and toss to combine.
4. Next, warm the honey very gently for 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave, and set aside for a moment. Then, warm the coconut oil just until melted, about 20 to 30 seconds, and combine the honey and coconut oil, whisking to blend well.
5. Pour the honey/coconut oil mixture over the oat/nut/seed mixture, and add in the vanilla extract and the salt. Using a spoon or spatula, mix together until everything is well coated.
6. Pour the mixture out onto the prepared baking sheet, and bake for 25 minutes, or until a light golden-brown, stirring the granola carefully about half-way through the baking. Turn the oven off after 25 minutes, and allow the granola to sit for 4 to 5 minutes more in the oven.
7. Finish the granola by sprinkling over top half of the maple sugar and half of the pumpkin pie spice, and mixing everything together to incorporate. Then, sprinkle over the remainder of the maple sugar and pumpkin pie spice, as well as the cranberries and the coconut, and mix together once more to combine.
8. Gently press the homemade granola with a spatula and allow it to cool completely on the baking sheet (about 30 minutes) before breaking it up and storing it in an air-tight container.

Tips & Tidbits for my Homemade Granola recipe:

• Low oven temp when making homemade granola: I find that a 325° oven temperature (and using a lower oven rack) works best for toasting/baking homemade granola. In my opinion, anything higher and the granola burns too quickly.
• Stir the granola half-way through baking: Give your granola a gentle stir about halfway through the baking process, and even turn the baking sheet for even toasting.
• Adding spices after baking: I found that adding spices prior to baking caused them to burn, so adding the spices after the granola is out of the oven and still warm allows the spices to add great flavor without getting burned and bitter.
• Using raw nuts in granola: Using roasted and shelled pumpkin seeds here is fine, but adding raw almonds (or other nuts) works best so that they can have time to toast in the oven without burning.
• Substitute other dried fruit: I love the tart-sweetness that cranberries offer this spiced granola, but dried tart cherries would be great as well, or even golden raisins.
• How to store homemade granola: I love to use a large, glass container with an airtight lid, or a couple of large mason-style jars with screw on lids. Using an airtight container is best to keep the granola fresh for longer.

Craving more delicious and cozy breakfast recipes? Check out my recipe for Oatmeal Bake with Mixed Berries, Baked Egg Cups, Pumpkin French Toast Muffins, Cranberry Banana Bread, Pumpkin Pie Smoothie, or my recipe for Cranberry Orange Muffins!

Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2017, and has been updated with even more love!