This Healthy Homemade Granola is the best and so easy to make with no refined sugars – mix it all together then pop it in the oven!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Rolled oats – bran cereal is a great choice if you don’t want to use oats.
- Coconut chips – coconut flakes would also work but make sure to add them halfway through baking time.
- Maple syrup – honey or agave would both be good and give your granola a touch of sweetness.
- Coconut oil – use olive oil or another neutral oil for a more savoury flavour.
- Chopped walnuts – you can also swap out pistachios, macadamia nuts or another ingredient of your choice.
- Sliced almonds – try using peanuts, pecans or another nut of your choice.
- Pumpkin seeds – chia seeds or sunflower seeds would both be good here.
- Vanilla extract – leave this out altogether or try using almond extract instead.
- Orange zest – cinnamon will also provide a great spice to your granola or you can leave it out altogether.
- Dried berries – cranberries, raisins and any other kinds of dried fruits can be used in this granola.
How to make homemade granola
- Assemble your ingredients.
- Mix together everything but the dried berries.
- Add to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 50 minutes.
- Stir in the dried berries.
- Serve and enjoy!
Reducing the calorie count
Some granola is very high in sugar, calories and other unnecessary ingredients and store-bought granola often tends to contain ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, cane juice and other refined sugars.
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This homemade granola recipe uses natural ingredients like maple syrup to sweeten the oats. Honey is another great natural sweetener option. The nuts provide unsaturated fats and important omega-3 fatty acids. However, they also have quite a few calories. Replacing all or some of the nuts with seeds or oats will reduce the calories.
Also, be sure to use coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil instead of high-calorie oils. Olive oil is lower in saturated fats if you prefer that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Granola has lots of fibre and iron and the nuts in this recipe provide filling protein. This recipe uses all-natural ingredients so it’s a super healthy (and filling) snack.
If your granola is crunchy, it may not have baked for long enough. Make sure you bake it for 50 minutes and stir the mixture 2-3 times throughout so everything is baking evenly.
This recipe has about 264 calories per serving.
Even if you have a nut allergy, you can still enjoy this homemade granola. An easy work-around for this is to replace the nuts in this recipe with seeds. Pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax and hemp seeds all work great in granola.
Storing homemade granola
Granola can be stored in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 2 months.
Having a batch of granola on hand at all times makes it easy to choose a healthy breakfast or snack. Plus, you can make this in large batches, doubling or even tripling the recipe. There will be plenty to share. Since it lasts for so long, these large batches will have plenty of time to be enjoyed.
This also makes a great gift. Put it in a pretty glass jar and tie it with a festive ribbon, and you have a thoughtful homemade gift.
Can you freeze granola?
You actually can freeze this granola recipe just the way you would freeze cookies or other treats. It is fine to freeze the finished product with the dried fruit included. Try to push the granola together the best you can to eliminate any large pockets of air.
It will last for about 8 months in the freezer. When you’re ready to enjoy, just set it on the counter at room temperature for a few hours to thaw.
More make ahead breakfast recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Use these Ziploc bag holders if you're storing the granola in a large freezer bag (will be easier to pour into the bag).
The Best Healthy Homemade Granola
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup coconut chips
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup ground flax
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract (optional)
- 1 tbsp orange zest (optional)
- 1 pinch sea salt (optional)
- 1 cup dried berries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 F.
- Mix all ingredients (except for dried berries) together in a large bowl. Toss to combine well, then add to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 50 minutes, stirring granola 2-3 times during cooking to ensure even toasting.
- Remove from the oven and stir in dried berries. Let cool for 10 minutes or so, then store in an airtight container or large freezer bag in the pantry for up to 2 months. Enjoy!
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