How to make homemade granola

Homemade granola is by far one of the easiest things to replace instead of store-bought granola which is generally loaded with sugar. It’s super easy and ten times more delicious to make it at home. For this healthy granola recipe I’ve kept the ingredients simple so you can adjust to your liking. The granola can than be used in any number of favorite ways. I love adding some to my greek yogurt or smoothie bowls. Add some fresh fruit and breakfast is done! You can even sprinkle some on ice cream for some additional crunch.

Homemade granola

First of all there are probably thousands of granola recipes out there. And quite frankly there is not much that can go wrong, so feel free to adjust to whatever you like! Like I said this easy granola recipe can be adjusted but I will give some hints and tips further down.

What I’ve used for this homemade granola:

• ​rolled oats
• mixed nuts
• sesame seeds
• sunflower seeds
• sunflower oil
• honey

If you want to add dried fruit to your granola, you certainly can but add those after baking as they might burn in the oven otherwise. For the rolled oats I like to use the whole flakes.  So that would be old fashioned rolled oats. That is the basis of my homemade granola. To that I add whatever I have lying around in the pantry. I like adding nuts as they make it more filling and add some healthy fats. If gluten free is important to you make sure to use certified gluten-free oats. It should be mentioned on the package if it is gluten free. Don’t use quick oats.

Once you have your ingredients lined out you can simply add it all to a large mixing bowl. Add in the oil and the honey to the dry ingredients. Mix it the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and place the oat mixture on a large baking sheet and spread it out in a even layer. You don’t want the layer to be too thick as it won’t bake properly that way. If necessary you can also use two baking sheets or bake it in batches. Depending on your total amount. It’s wise to use parchment paper depending on your baking sheet.

Now bake it till it is golden brown. Let the homemade granola cool to room temperature before adding it to an airtight container.

Replacements

Now if you have certain things not in your home you can change the ingredients easily. I tend to go for coconut oil instead of the sunflower oil. If you do, make sure to melt the coconut oil before adding to your bowl. No honey? You can use brown sugar instead. I also like to add a little bit of cinnamon for extra flavor. Same with vanilla extract which is also a good addition. Honey can also be replaced by pure maple syrup. It’s very easy to create your own healthy homemade granola recipe.

Additions after baking

Once you’ve made your homemade granola you can add other things to it as well. Chia seeds are a great addition and better not baked in the oven. Dried fruit I’ve already mentioned as a good addition too. Some chocolate chips are also fun to add. Especially if you’re serving it to kids. Flax seeds are also good to add later or coconut flakes. You can bake the coconut flakes, so either add them before or after baking.

Make your own homemade granola

I’ve got to confess that my own granola is almost never the same twice. The one thing you have to keep in mind is that you do want to add some oil of some sort into the simple ingredients. Reason being that it get golden brown better and it does add flavor as well. But if you want to make this completely sugar free? You don’t have to add the honey in. It will be good without it too. If it’s your first time making this recipe, it’s probably easiest to follow the instructions and add other things for the next time. Just so you know how the recipe behaves. This is by far my favorite granola recipe and I even like to use it as a snack sometimes. It can be a bit clumpy granola as the honey makes the ingredients stick together. And those big granola clusters are very tasty to eat like that. 

Questions asked about homemade granola

How long can you keep the granola?

You can keep the granola (once cooled and stored in an airtight container) for at least a month

Is homemade granola cheaper?

Well that’s a good question but not so easy to answer. There are so many different varieties out there these days and prices range from next to nothing to sky high. I do think it is cheaper to make your own, if you use the process for making up leftovers. I make my granola usually from leftover nuts and seeds and that way I sue up what would otherwise go stale.

Is homemade granola healthy?

It is probably healthier than store-bought. But it also depends on what you put inside of your granola. Too much sugar is not a good idea and you can decrease the amount of honey. As mentioned above. Other than that it has all sorts of healthy ingredients

Can I make this granola vegan?

Yes you can. If you replace the honey for maple syrup; the granola is vegan

Check these granola recipes too

• Quinoa granola
• Granola bars