The Only Homemade Granola Recipe You’ll Ever Need

An easy recipe for homemade granola that is simple to customize and results in magical crunchy large granola clusters every time! Mix it up with your favorite nuts, dried fruit, and flavors for your personal taste.

For me, having homemade granola on hand at all times is an unbeatable life hack. It’s available for breakfast, snacking, and even your dessert needs, promising the ultimate crunch, fresh flavors, and quality ingredients with no funny business.

I like making mine with a variety of nuts and seeds, less sugar than store-bought granola, and quality oil. This way, we end up with a healthier granola that I feel confident enjoying daily.

What is my secret to creating large granola clusters, you ask? One single egg white (or a flax egg)! This easy trick results in crunchy granola clusters that are large and in charge.

And what makes this recipe different from store-bought granola? It emphasizes healthy fats, lower sugar, and natural sweetener for a wholesome approach.

If you follow a grain-free diet and are looking for a granola recipe without oats, make my Paleo Granola recipe.

Let’s discuss the basic ingredients for homemade granola! The great news is you can find them at any grocery store, and this base recipe is easily customizable.

Ingredients for Homemade Granola:

Rolled Oats: Most granola recipes start with whole grain old fashioned oats or rolled oats for that classic oat flavor. Quick oats work too, although they produce a less hearty texture. 

Nuts and Seeds: Pick 1.5 cups of your favorite nuts and seeds! I use walnuts, almonds, and pumpkin seeds, but pecans, cashews, and sunflower seeds work great too. They add healthy fats and nutty flavor.

Dried Fruit: I like using dried cranberries or dried cherries, but raisins, dried blueberries, dried apricots, and freeze-dried strawberries work amazing too.

Shredded Coconut: I like adding shredded coconut for added natural sweetness and creamy flavor. You can replace it with more oats if you aren’t into coconut.

Egg White (or Flax Egg): One egg white or one flax egg helps bind all of the ingredients together so that we end up with large granola clusters. While you can skip this step altogether, I recommend it if you’re into extra large and crunchy big bluster granola.

Avocado Oil: We need some form of oil to add rich flavor to the granola and to protect the ingredients from burning throughout the baking process. Oil also helps produce the crispy texture that we all love so dearly in granola.

Pure Maple Syrup: My preferred natural sweetener over refined sugars, pure maple syrup

Ground Cinnamon: This warm spice adds 

Pure Vanilla Extract and Almond Extract: Brings warm flavor to the granola mixture 

Ways to Customize

• Pumpkin Spice Granola: Substitute ¼ cup of canned pumpkin for the egg white, and use 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice instead of ground cinnamon.
• Chocolate Lover’s: Mix in 2 tablespoons of raw cacao powder, an extra tablespoon of avocado oil and an extra two tablespoons of pure maple syrup. Mix ½ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips in with the granola after it has cooled as well.
• Blueberry Vanilla Almond: Use 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and 1 cup of sliced almonds for the nut portion of the recipe. Use dried blueberries for the dried fruit portion.
• Brown Sugar Raisin Granola: Add 3 tablespoons of brown sugar (in addition to the pure maple syrup) and use raisins (golden raisins are fun here!) for the dried fruit.

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s make some homemade granola!

How to Make Homemade Granola:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk one egg white in a bowl very well until it looks frothy. Or, for an egg-free vegan version, prepare a flax “egg” (i.e. egg replacer) by combining 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed and 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl.

Place the almonds and walnuts in a food processor or blender and pulse a few times, just until the nuts are coarsely chopped. As an alternative, you can carefully chop the nuts using a sharp knife.

Add the chopped nuts, oats, pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, ground cinnamon, sea salt, and pumpkin seeds (all the dry ingredients except for the dried cranberries) to a large bowl and stir well.

Whisk together the oil, pure maple syrup, vanilla, and almond extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the oats and nuts, along with the whisked egg white or flax seed “egg.” Stir well until the oat mixture is well coated.

Pour the granola mixture onto the lined sheet pan and arrange it into an even layer.

Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Remove the granola from the oven and allow it to sit for one hour – this allows the granola to set up and makes for large granola clusters.

Once cooked and cooled, mix in the dried cherries.

Transfer the cooled granola to a large zip lock bag or jar for storing. Store granola for up to 10 days. Enjoy with fruit, Greek yogurt, and/or choice of milk. I love a yogurt parfait with fresh fruit for a healthier dessert!

Storage Tips:

1. Room Temperature: Store granola in a large sealable jar or airtight container on the counter for up to 10 days. I store mine in a large glass jar.
2. Refrigerator: Refrigerate granola in a large zip lock bag for up to 2 weeks.

And that’s it! An easy granola recipe for all your own granola adventures. 

If you’re looking for more sweet healthy snacks, also try these gems!

More Snack Recipes:

• 5-Ingredient Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies  
• Almond Flour Cranberry Orange Scones  
• 5-Ingredient Healthy Granola Bars  
• Banana Peanut Butter Oat Bars  
• Almond Flour Oatmeal Cookies  
• 4-Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Bars  

Drop a comment below letting me know your favorite mix-ins!