Homemade Granola is wholesome, delicious, easy to make, and easy to customize with just a handful of real ingredients, including chewy oats, your favorite nuts, coconut flakes, your choice of oil, and naturally sweetened with honey!

Homemade Granola is one of my very favorite wholesome, easy-to-make pantry staples. It's totally customizable and great for breakfast or as a snack.

I've been making this recipe for years and am excited to reshare it here today! Yes, I said reshare, because this granola recipe was actually one of the very first recipes I published over ten years ago...before the post sadly fell victim to a site clean-up awhile back. But it's such a great recipe that it didn't deserve that fate! So with new photos, new tips, and a new video, my beloved granola recipe is back today and better than ever. 😉

Ingredients

Even though the ingredients are minimal, I wasn't kidding when I said this Homemade Granola is highly customizable.

Rolled oats. Sometimes called "old-fashioned rolled oats." At any rate, don't try to use quick oats, which are too finely cut. They won't yield a nice chunky, crunchy granola texture and, worse yet, they may burn. Similarly, steel cut oats won't work because the cooking time and temperature of this recipe are not appropriate.
Nuts. Use your favorite (all one type of nut or you can combine two or more types), and make sure they're chopped into bite-sized pieces. My preferred combination to use is half sliced almonds and half cashew pieces, but the possibilities are endless. Walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, or pistachios would all be delicious.
Coconut flakes. I always use unsweetened coconut flakes or chips in my granola, but you may use sweetened coconut if that’s all of you have on hand. Just keep in mind that if you use very finely shredded coconut, it may not be very noticeable in your finished granola, and it may actually burn. If you wish to leave out the coconut, you'll just need to increase the oats and/or nuts accordingly.
Salt. I recommend using fine sea salt.
Oil. I typically make Homemade Granola using unrefined coconut oil, melted and cooled, because it results in an amazing glazed, chewy texture. I do not find the coconut flavor to be noticeable. However, if you prefer to use a different oil, a neutral-flavored extra-virgin olive oil would be a healthy choice. You could also opt for a light, neutral-flavored vegetable oil, such as sunflower. Finally, if you prefer, melted butter may be substituted for the oil.
Honey. Pure maple syrup or agave nectar may be substituted, but keep in mind that the flavor will be slightly affected.
Add-ins. Totally optional. Dried fruit such as raisins (regular or golden), cranberries, or cherries are obvious choices, but you could also go for chopped dried fruit, such as apricots, mango, papaya, or pineapple. You could even incorporate non-fruit add-ins, from pepitas to chocolate chips!

How to Make Granola

(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)

Homemade Granola is quick and easy to make. It's as simple as stir, spread, and bake...with just a bit more stirring in between. 😉

Center the oven rack and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and salt.

Homemade Granola dry ingredients combined in a bowl.

Stir in the oil and honey until well-coated.

Adding honey and oil to mixture in bowl.

Dump the mixture onto the sheet pan and spread into an even layer.

Bake, stirring and flipping every 10 minutes until the granola is evenly golden brown, for about 25 to 30 minutes total.

Granola, baked on pan and fresh out of the oven.

Remove your Homemade Granola from the oven and stir it frequently as it cools, scraping any spots that may be trying to stick. If desired, mix in 2 cups of dried fruit or other add-ins once cool.

Adding optional dried fruit to granola recipe.

Store in an airtight container and get ready to swoon!

Ways to Enjoy Homemade Granola

As much as I love eating Homemade Granola simply plain, there are lots of other ways to enjoy it as well:

With milk (think granola cereal).
Sprinkled over yogurt.
Sprinkled over cottage cheese.
Layered with yogurt and fruit (or compote) into a parfait.
In a smoothie bowl.
Over fresh or frozen fruit.
Pressed onto a peanut butter-smeared banana.
As a topping for muffins (think streusel).
As a topping for ice cream or frozen yogurt.
To add texture to oatmeal or overnight oats.
Incorporated into trail mix.

I'd love to know...do you have any other ideas for enjoying this versatile granola recipe?

Tips, Tricks, and Special Equipment

And now for a few notes to ensure Homemade Granola-making success!

Measure the honey into the same measuring cup you used for the oil. The residue of the oil helps the honey slide out of the cup without sticking!
The granola will probably need to bake for a total of about 30 minutes, but ovens vary so watch the granola carefully, particularly the first time you make it.
If you cut this recipe in half, it will require less time to cook, and if you double it and cook two sheet pans at once (switching racks and rotating pans each time you stir), it will take longer.
The rimmed sheet pan size required for this recipe is technically known as a “half sheet pan,” with measurements of 13"x18"x1”.
Since this granola tends to stick to the pan if not stirred very frequently during the cooling process, I've found that using a silicone baking mat or some parchment paper on the bottom of your sheet pan alleviates this problem. You just need to stir carefully to make sure the granola doesn't wind up stuck under the parchment paper.

So there you have it!

Homemade Granola is wholesome, it can be customized to your liking, and it's surprisingly easy to make.

It's great to keep on hand for breakfast, snacktime, or even dessert. And it's popular with kids and adults alike!

Hope you get to try this perennial favorite soon. 🙂

Homemade granola recipe on pan and in jar.

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