The Best Granola Recipe
Only 8 simple ingredients make this granola recipe – more so a template than a recipe – a straightforward, easy-to-master basic granola! It has the clusters of oats, it’s sweet but not overly sweet, with hints of vanilla (and sometimes almond!) The best part is once you’ve memorized this recipe for granola, you can customize it with your favorite nuts, spices, or mix-ins! Once you try this easy granola, you might never buy store-bought granola again, but we’ll let you be the judge!
Is Homemade Granola a Healthy Snack?
While many granolas and granola bars at the grocery store are chock full of sugar, extra fat, and a long list of ingredients that are hard to pronounce, this homemade granola is only made from the good stuff! If you’re looking to make granola gluten free, make sure you check the label on your oats. Here’s why we love this healthy granola:
Old Fashioned Oats are incredibly nutritious with a balance of healthy carbs, fiber, and protein as well as manganese and B vitamins…ideal for this homemade granola recipe.
Almonds are rich in vitamin E, healthy fats (think brain health!), and protein.
Salt! Believe it or not, we need it to live, and in small amounts is actually good for us!
Brown Sugar – looked for unrefined brown sugar for a less processed option!
Maple Syrup is nature’s sweetener!
Canola or Coconut Oil, both work well! If you’re going to use coconut oil, look for refined so it doesn’t impart too much coconut taste (unless that’s what you’re looking for!)
Olive Oil is filled with healthy fats that can protect your heart! Look for extra virgin olive oil when you can!
Pure Vanilla or Almond Extracts don’t do much nutrition wise but they do add a great flavor
Mix-ins: chocolate chips, diced dried fruit, or coconut flakes! When choosing mix-ins such as dried fruit and nuts, look for ones with no added sugar and/or salt as we’ll be adding some in the recipe already! For chocolate, we like to use dark chocolate (70% or above!) as it’s packed with minerals and antioxidants.
How to Eat Granola
There are sooo many ways to eat this crunchy granola, the list goes on and on. It’s simple to make and just as easy to devour! Besides popping a handful right into our mouth, our favorite ways to enjoy it include a yummy granola cereal, which is basically just adding it to a bowl with a splash of your favorite milk, such as Almond Milk. We also live for Smoothie Bowl mornings, so adding a little granola atop only makes it even better. For an afternoon pick-me-up, a yogurt parfait does the trick - simply alternate dollops of yogurt, fruit, and granola for a healthy snack! With big clusters, you can cut up an apple (or your favorite fruit!), add a dollop of nut butter and then sprinkle with granola! For a twist you could try our other granola recipes, Homemade Granola with Figs, Almonds and Coconut or Nuts and Seeds Granola!
How to Make Granola
Mix the dry ingredients! To make the perfect granola base – optimal nutrition and crunch – we combine almonds and oats! If you’re using coconut flakes, now is the time to add them!
Combine the wet ingredients! A 1:1 ratio of sweetener to oil helps completely coat the granola base!
Bake! Love clusters and the crunch? SAME! There are a few secrets to keeping your granola crispy and we are here to share them. The first is to slightly press the granola into the pan to create one large block of granola on the rimmed sheet pan (almost like granola bars!). We know it’s difficult, but try not to disturb the granola in the baking process. The second is to wait the FULL 15 minutes after it comes out of the oven before touching it. While it cools, it’ll clump together and when it’s finally time to mix, the results will be clusters of oat and almond goodness!
Add Mix-ins! If you’re using dried fruit or chocolate chips, once the granola is completely cooled, stir them in! For a tropical mix, use dried mango and pineapple. For an autumn mix, we like to use dried cranberries and dark chocolate! Make it your own!
Tools You’ll Need for Homemade Granola
Rimmed Baking Sheet
Parchment Paper
Large Bowl
Small Saucepan
Rubber Spatula
Our Favorite Breakfast Ideas
This easy granola recipe can be enjoyed any time of day, but for those of you who love to start your day off with eggs and toast, we’ll one up you with 50 simple breakfast ideas or
For our savory friends, try:
And for our sweet ones:
Rise and Shine!
Make mornings better with a scoop of Easy Homemade Granola! How did you eat it? Snap a photo and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you feed it to. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!
