Delicious Homemade Granola
Sweet, crunchy, and nutty, this granola beats anything you can buy!
Ingredients
The Granola Base
- 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats *For gluten-free granola use gluten-free oats
- 1 ½ cup raw nuts and/or seeds *I use 1 cup pecans and ½ cup almonds
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon *you could even add a pinch of clove if you wanted to!
- ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
- ½ cup maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fruit *Recommended*
- ⅔ cup dried fruit chopped if large (I usually do dried cranberries or raisins)
Optional Add-Ins
- ½ cup chocolate chips or shredded unsweetened coconut * I usually add coconut. See recipe notes if you want to do that!
Instructions
The Granola Base
- Preheat the oven to 350 ℉ and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the oats, nuts and/or seeds, salt, and cinnamon and stir to combine.
- Using a liquid measuring cup that holds at least 1 cup, pour the oil into the cup to the ½ cup line. Then add the honey/maple syrup up to the 1 cup line (this is a lazy way of saving time and making sure your honey/syrup won't stick to the cup). Then pour the contents into the oat mixture.
- Add the vanilla and stir until the oats and nuts/seeds appear lightly coated. Then pour the granola onto the baking sheet and spread it into an even layer.
Baking & Toppings
- Bake until golden, about 23-30 minutes (your preference), stirring about halfway through (be sure to flatten it out again after stirring). The granola will crisp up a bit more as it cools, so it doesn't need to be a deep golden brown to be cooked.
- Let the granola cool completely (about 45 minutes if you use a cooling rack under the pan) before topping with dried fruit (or chocolate chips if you're into that). If you want big chunks, break the granola into pieces with your hands. If you want smaller pieces, use a spoon to break the granola up a bit.
Notes
*For Toasted Coconut
You're going to want to add this to your granola at the halfway point. I like to just sprinkle mine on up when I'm done stirring so that it gets a nice deep golden. If you don't want it toasted, I question your judgment, but you can just throw it on at the end with the rest of your fruit. No Nuts? No Problem! Just use 1 1/2 cups of seeds, like pepitas or sunflower seeds instead of the nuts! Storage This granola can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 weeks, in the fridge for about 1 month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Enjoy! References Recipe adapted from Cookie and Kate's Granola.