Healthy Granola recipe is a naturally sweetened easy homemade breakfast treat! It’s loaded with crunchy clusters of oats, dried fruit, nuts and seeds plus warm cinnamon. It is perfect for pairing with yogurt, a bowl of milk or eat it plain as a snack.
We also enjoy making quinoa granola and healthy homemade cereal, so much healthier and better than store bought!
Table of contents
Healthy homemade granola is a great make ahead healthy breakfast idea that takes no more than an hour. Make it the night before and it’s ready to add to your morning yogurt or pour in a bowl with a bit of almond milk.
Crunchy granola is perfect for topping your bowl of Instant Pot yogurt or strawberry yogurt.
Make this homemade granola recipe for a snack. It’s packed with nutrients and utterly delicious. We absolutely love granola recipes!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Crunchy: With nuts, seeds and oats this baked granola is slowly cooked at a low temp to ensure it gets crispy.
- Less sugar, fat: Making homemade granola recipe allows you to control the amount of sugar and fat that goes into it!
- Preservative free: No added preservatives or ingredients you can’t pronounce make this a healthy choice.
- Hearty: High fiber and filling ingredients such as oats, nuts and seeds keep you full longer.
- Customizable: Use what you have on hand for nuts, seeds and fruit, you can even use quick oats!
Ingredients Needed
I love this combination of ingredients and always seem to have them on hand in my pantry!
- Oats: Quick or rolled oats both work well for this recipe. Use gluten free if needed.
- Nuts and seeds: Almonds and cashews can be used whole or coarsely chopped. Pumpkin seeds are small enough to remain whole. Sunflower seeds could be used too.
- Sweetener: Real maple syrup or honey. You can replace liquid sweetener with favorite sugar free liquid sweetener, just be sure it is liquid not granulated.
- Oil: Coconut oil, melted. At room temperature is solid. When used in moderation it has an abundance of health benefits.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla for best taste.
- Seasonings: Cinnamon and salt.
- Dried fruit: Raisins. Some will have added sugar on them. If you’re wanting to decrease the sugar content, make sure they are not coated in sugar.
- Optional: Ground flaxseed. Very high in fibre and rich in omega 3 fats. Also great to use as a clumping agent to get those larger clumps of granola.
How to Make Healthy Granola
Easy homemade granola is so simple to make in only a few steps. It’s seriously the best!
Prep: Preheat oven to 325F degrees and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.
Mix: Add oats, pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews, coconut oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt into a large bowl and mix to combine.
Transfer and bake: Pour granola mixture onto a prepared baking sheet and spread and press down evenly. Bake on lower rack and halfway through, stir, and press down again.
Remove and let cool: You will know when it has finished. Your kitchen will smell amazing and everything has browned nicely. Let cool completely before breaking it apart or stirring.
Add raisins: Just before you stir, you can add the raisins or dried fruit. Because this granola has so little sugar, it will not clump as much. Adding flax may help that as mentioned above. Enjoy!
Variations
- Nuts and dried fruit: Can use walnuts or pecans instead of, or in addition to, almonds or cashews. Chia seeds would be great, too! Dried cranberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, and even mango can be used in place of raisins.
- Chocolate chips: Dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs are my preference, but use what you like best.
- Zest: A 1/2 – 1 tsp orange zest would be delicious.
- Peanut butter: A few tablespoons melted would taste amazing, especially if planning to add chocolate chips.
- Warming spices: Substitute cinnamon for nutmeg, chia spice, or pumpkin pie spice.
- Unsweetened coconut flakes: Add halfway through baking so it is toasted but not burned.
Healthy Granola FAQs
If you forgot to stir it while it baked, if you did not cook it long enough or if you stored it while it was still warm, any of these reasons could lead to soft granola.
You need to use binding ingredients such as oil and liquid sweetener. To make the best clusters, press your granola in the pan before baking, and when you stir it, use a flat spatula to ‘flip’ the clusters in the pan. So it still bakes evenly but is less disturbing than stirring with a spoon.
Also, when you remove it from the oven, don’t stir it right away so the granola clumps have a chance to bind further.
Yes it can be! For this recipe, a serving size is 1/2 cup and because I have used just enough oil and sugar for binding and taste. It has only 5g sugar and 5g saturated fat per serving balanced by 10g protein and 6g fiber.
Bottom line, granola can be healthy! Always be sure to check the ingredients you are using to ensure they are ‘healthy’ for you and keep an eye on the serving size when consuming.
One of the easiest ways is to use it to top your yogurt, make a yogurt parfait, or eat it in a bowl as cereal with milk. You can also enjoy it as part of a healthy trail mix snack or for dessert use it to top some vegan vanilla ice cream.
Tips for Best Results
- Check often: Ovens all bake differently, be sure to check frequently as you may need to stir pieces near that edge of the pan that are browning quickly.
- Oats: Although you can use quick oats, old fashioned rolled oats results in a better granola with texture more typical of store bought. Quick oats may bake faster, too.
- Firmly press mixture in pan: Using your spatula make one layer in the pan. This helps form granola clumps.
- When to add mix ins: Dried fruit needs to be added after you bring granola out of oven, chocolate chips can be added after the granola has cooled completely (otherwise they will melt!), coconut flakes add halfway through baking time.
How to Store
This easy healthy granola recipe is great to prepare on the weekends to have on hand throughout the week. Having healthy snacks at home, work or school to balance your blood sugars during the day is definitely a game changer!
Storing: This granola keeps very well in an airtight container at room temperature for weeks.
Freezing: Granola can freeze in an airtight container, or better yet a vacuum-sealed bag, for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Before using, if frozen, leave to thaw at room temperature. Reheat in the oven at 300 degrees F for 10-15 minutes to regain some of the original texture.
More Healthy Breakfast Recipes
Healthy Homemade Granola
Ingredients
- 3 cups quick or rolled oats
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup almonds whole or coarsely chopped
- 1 cup cashews whole or coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup flaxseed ground (optional)
- 3 tbsp coconut oil melted
- 3 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup raisins or any dried fruit of choice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- In a large mixing bowl, add oats, pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews, coconut oil, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt. Stir well with spatula.
- Transfer granola mixture onto baking sheet, level evenly with spatula while pressing it into a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes on lower rack. Then stir, press into a layer and bake for another 20 minutes. Ovens vary, so watch closely after each 15 minute mark.
- When oats are nice and toasty, almonds browned and amazing aromas fill your kitchen, remove granola from the oven and let cool completely before stirring.
- Add raisins and stir. Because this is healthy granola and doesn't contain a lot of sugar, it doesn't clump as much but is uber delicious!
Notes
- Store: Place in a large airtight container or bag and store in a cool dry place for weeks.
- Freezing: Granola can freeze in an airtight container, or better yet a vacuum-sealed bag, for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Before using, if frozen, leave to thaw at room temperature. Reheat in the oven at 300 for 10-15 minutes to regain some of the original texture.
- Flaxseed: Adds nutrition and makes granola more lumpy.
- Sugar free: Replace liquid sweetener with favorite sugar free liquid sweetener, just be sure it is liquid not granulated.
- Sheet pan: Dark baking sheet bakes faster, so watch closely and reduce bake time if necessary.
Thanks for this healthy granola recipe!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I enjoy your recipes Olena, simplicity and healthy natural ingredients are my kind of cooking. I’m sensitive to gluten and dairy (specifically straight milk). I have learned over the years what are my triggers, although still have some symptoms, but also have good days.
My kitchen DOES smell amazing! My husband has commented twice in half an hour about it. Just waiting to try the granola. It’s still hot! Can’t wait…
I love the smell of this granola in the kitchen! Just wait until you try it!!!