Easy Homemade Granola

A delicious and simple homemade granola that is both filling and flavorful! Plus, it’s such an easy recipe that you can easily make a large batch that will last for quite a while. It only takes 30 minutes to bake and once you’ve had homemade granola, you’ll never go back to store-bought!

We love a good hearty breakfast around here. Usually, it’s bacon and fresh eggs from our hens, with a side of handpicked strawberries from our patch. But on days when we need a quick breakfast, we often opt for homemade granola.

While I like to have this recipe on hand as homemade granola bars, we also like to have it available as cereal or to put on top of some homemade yogurt.

Easy Homemade Granola

One of the things I love most about making our own granola is that we have complete control over all the ingredients. For this reason, among others, we really enjoy making our own granola at home – and I can’t wait to share the recipe with you!

Ingredients

While this recipe is for the type of homemade granola we enjoy, you can tweak whatever you’re family would enjoy most. There is a printable version at the end of the post with the specific amounts for each.

• Oats – We use organic old-fashioned oats, but quick oats will work too. I would avoid steel-cut oats as they take much more liquid to cook properly. Get gluten-free oats if needed.
• Flour – All-purpose flour works best, but whole wheat can also be used. We use all-purpose einkorn flour for our baking.
• Almonds – This can be any nut, but we tend to enjoy sprouted almonds best. I’ve seen people using pecans or walnuts instead, and that sounds delicious too!
• Brown sugar – The brown sugar caramelizes during the baking process and helps keep everything in those classic granola clusters once cooled.
• Dark chocolate chips – Add just a touch of sweetness to your granola with some dark chocolate chips! Optional, but highly recommended.
• Salt – This is a flavor conductor, don’t skip it! We love pink salt, but the type of salt is up to you.
• Butter – The liquid of the butter helps soften the oats during baking and adds a really rich flavor. Coconut oil could be used instead.
• Honey – While we enjoy using our homegrown honey, you can also use maple syrup instead!
• Vanilla extract – Another flavor enhancer that gives the granola a beautiful depth of flavor.

Homemade Granola Variations

This is our go-to recipe, however, it’s very easy to create your own favorite granola. You can use this basic recipe formula to create a custom granola that your family will enjoy time after time.

• Base – Oats are the most common base for granola, but I’ve even used coconut shreds in place of oats for a paleo/keto/gaps granola! Amount: 4 cups
• Nuts/Seeds – This is totally up to you, we like to use almonds, but pecans, walnuts, or even cashews would be a wonderful addition. Amount: 1/2 cup
• Fruit – From raisins to dried cranberries, or even freeze-dried fruit, whatever flavor profile you like, feel free to add it! Amount: 1/2 cup
• Sweetener – We use a mix of brown sugar and liquid honey, but you can use all dry sugar, or all liquid sugar if you’d like. Amount: 1 cup total
• Chocolate – This deserves its own category! Adding chocolate really adds to your granola, we add it sometimes, and other times we don’t. If you want to add it to your granola, you won’t be sorry! Amount: 1 cup
• Oil – While raw butter is our go-to, you can use olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil instead. Amount: 1/2 cup
• Spices – This is where you can really “spice” things up! Add cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and more for a seasonal treat! Amount: 1-2 tablespoons total

Making Homemade Granola

Making your own granola is a remarkably easy process. All you need to do is combine your ingredients, bake them, and then store the finished product.

1. Combine – Mix all your ingredients in a large bowl. Work it well until the sugar and butter are fully incorporated and your oats are completely coated.
2. Spread – Onto a parchment-lined baking dish, spread your granola into a single layer (you don’t want it too tall).
3. Press – To get those delicious clumps of granola, be sure to press your granola down a bit with the back of a spatula.
4. Bake – In a 350°F oven, bake your granola until it’s golden brown.
5. Cool – Be sure to let your granola cool all the way down before you attempt to break it up.
6. Store – Keep your homemade granola in an air-tight container for 3-6 months. Enjoy!

Best Tips for Homemade Granola

Once you try this recipe for homemade granola, even if you customize it, it will be your go-to recipe for years to come! We’ve been enjoying this easy granola for about 8 years now, and here are some of the tips I’ve picked up along the way.

• Press – If you want those nice large granola chunks, press your granola well before you bake. This can be done with greased hands, the back of a spatula, or even a piece of greased plastic wrap! Pressing it together will help it maintain those chunks after baking.
• Thickness – When you’re pressing your granola, make sure that the granola is pretty much the same thickness throughout. This will keep the granola from overbaking in some areas while underbaking in others. I do 1 batch of granola per half-sheet baking pan.
• Cool – Let your granola cool completely before trying to break it up. This will help maintain those lovely chunks! You’ll also want to make sure it’s completely cooled before storing.

Storing Homemade Granola

We make this granola in bulk and store it for up to a year! It’s a great cereal option, grab-and-go snack, or yogurt topping.

• Cool – Like I said early, be sure your granola is completely cool before storing. If you put it away hot, condensation will form during the cooling process and you will end up with moisture in your container. This will cause mold and all sorts of issues!
• Air Tight – Use an air tight container to store your granola. We like these glass jars with rubber seals from The Container Store. You can also use the same method for storing flour long term (just skip the freezing step).
• Enjoy – This granola is best within 6-12 months, but it won’t be “bad” beyond that point. It just might lose some of its flavor!

Even more pantry Staples

Keep your pantry shelves filled with delicious homemade foods with these next recipes, from our home to yours!

• Homemade Einkorn Butter Crackers
• Einkorn Oreos
• Homemade Einkorn Animal Crackers

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