Healthy Granola
Store-bought granola can be hit or miss when it comes to freshness, flavor and quality of ingredients. So learning a homemade healthy granola recipe can come in handy! This is a great recipe for those who want something simple, slightly sweet, and filled with healthy ingredients.
Healthy Granola Recipe
Granola is such an easy healthy snack since there are so many different ways to eat it, and so many different flavor combinations out there. However, the store-bought version can be super expensive and sometimes they don't even taste as good as what I paid for them!
Learning to make my own homemade granola has been a life-saver. My family goes through granola like its water, so I needed to find a way to make some that tasted amazing and was still healthy.
This basic recipe is now what we use all the time. The best thing about it is that you can adapt and change it however you want! Add different ingredients, experiment with flavors, and make granola that is exactly what you want it to be.
That's the same thing that we do with my basic muffin recipe. We've used that recipe a bunch of times and love to create new flavors each time we bake with it.
So, skip that granola in the grocery store and make your favorite granola in your own kitchen instead!
Why You'll Love this Recipe
Making your own granola has too many benefits to name! But here's a few reasons why I love it:
- This healthy granola has a very low sugar content — in fact, all the sugar is natural sweeteners. It's a healthy snack that you can feel good about eating and sharing with others.
- Granola is an easy snack that you can prep ahead of time and store for later. We love to make a big batch on the weekends and then munch on it throughout the week.
- A simple granola recipe can be a big money-saver. Making your own snacks from scratch will save more money than you realize! We're all about helping stretch that budget.
Ingredients
These basic ingredients are the building blocks of a good and chunky granola. Here's what you need to buy at the grocery store, but feel free to add on different ingredients you want to mix in:
- old-fashioned rolled oats
- mixed nuts, chopped
- honey
- coconut oil, melted
- chia seeds
- vanilla extract
- ground cinnamon
- salt
Substitutions and Variations
We like to use sliced almonds, chopped walnuts, and chopped pecans in our granola. However, you can use a mixture of any nuts or omit them if you have a nut allergy. Sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds are tasty in granola too.
Natural sweeteners like honey and pure maple syrup work best in this recipe. However, if you want to you can mix in some brown sugar as well. Other sweeteners like agave would also work well.
Coconut oil can be swapped for melted butter if you prefer. Another neutral oil may work as well.
Make healthy peanut butter granola by mixing some into the ingredients or drizzling natural peanut butter over the granola as it cools.
For more warming spice flavors, use pumpkin spice in this recipe instead of just cinnamon. You can make your own pumpkin spice if you want!
Mix-in anything you want. Some fun add ins are: chocolate chips, coconut flakes and dried fruit
How to Make Healthy Granola
Follow this step by step guide for the best granola recipe:
Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C) and then line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it to the side.
Combine old-fashioned rolled oats, chopped nuts, chia seeds, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Then use a separate bowl and whisk together the wet ingredients.
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.
Dump the healthy granola mixture onto the previously prepared pan and spread it into an even later.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, watching closely to make sure the nuts do not burn. Stop and stir the granola once or twice as well to make sure that cooks evenly.
After baking, allow the granola to cool on the pan for 5 minutes. Then drizzle the remaining honey over the top to create large clusters of clumpy granola.
Allow it to completely cool so that it crisps up.
Then, break the granola into pieces and transfer to an airtight container or zip top bag. Store at room temperature, sealed well, for up to 4 weeks.
What to Serve with Healthy Granola
We love to make yogurt parfaits with our homemade granola! Whether we use greek yogurt or homemade yogurt, they're always delicious. You can even put granola on top of smoothies! It would be the perfect addition to a pumpkin smoothie, peanut butter banana smoothie, chocolate smoothie or any other favorite.
It would even be tasty paired with a fresh fruit salad. But, of course, you can simply eat it in a bowl of milk too — or almond milk for a dairy free option!
Tips for Success
If this is your first time using an easy homemade granola recipe, then check out these tips to make sure it is successful:
- If you are trying to make a gluten free granola, make sure you are using certified gluten-free oats. The rest of the ingredients should be good to go!
- It's important to keep a close eye on your granola while it bakes, especially if you add extra ingredients. Some ovens and mixtures of ingredients will bake differently and you don't want your crunchy snack to burn.
- I do not recommend greasing your baking sheet as a substitute for lining it with parchment paper. The extra grease on the pan could cause the granola to overcook or develop a funky texture.
FAQ
Healthy granola, like this, is a great snack all on its own. The nuts and oats give it plenty of protein and healthy fats while the honey adds a nice touch of sweetness. It's a crunchy, crispy snack that is perfectly delicious!
Many store-bought granola options are high in sugar and the few that aren't are often more expensive. However, making your own granola can help to ensure that the sugar content stays low or doesn't exist at all!
More Snack Recipes
Did you make this recipe?
If you make and love this recipe, please leave a ★★★★★ review below! It means so much to me when you try my recipes, and I'd love to know how it goes. Please leave a comment below if you have any questions.
Healthy Granola
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup mixed nuts e.g., sliced almonds, walnuts, chopped pecans, chopped
- ½ cup honey or maple syrup for a vegan option plus 1-2 tablespoons after baking.
- ¼ cup coconut oil melted
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the old-fashioned rolled oats, chopped nuts, chia seeds, cinnamon and salt.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients. Pour the honey and coconut oil mixture over the dry oat mixture.
- Use a spatula or wooden spoon to thoroughly mix everything until the oats and nuts are evenly coated.
- Spread the mixture onto the baking sheet.
- Bake in oven for about 20-25 minutes, keeping an eye that the nuts do not overcook and burn. Stir once or twice during baking to make sure the granola cooks evenly.
- After baking, allow to cool for 5 minutes then drizzle remaining honey over granola and stir. This will create more large clusters of granola. Allow the granola to cool completely on the baking sheet. As it cools, it will become crispier.
When do we add the chia?
Hey Anne! Thanks for clarifying on when to add the chia seeds. We updated the recipe card to reflect that you add them when mixing the ingredients before baking.