How To Make Homemade Granola

The ultimate homemade granola recipe

Do you stroll through the granola aisle at your grocery store only to get sticker shock? I sure do. Storebought granola is always so expensive, especially when it’s filled with the best treats, like nuts, chocolate, and seeds! Thankfully, learning How to Make Granola at home is super easy. It comes together in no time on the stove and only takes 8 minutes to bake. You won’t be able to get enough of the comforting smells of honey, vanilla, and cinnamon, not to mention a staple breakfast option that’s now good to eat for weeks at a time! You can top the comforting homemade granola over a Chocolate Banana Smoothie or a bowl of yogurt with fruit, or enjoy it as a quick breakfast while you sip on some mint tea. There’s never a bad time for granola!

How to make healthy granola at home

I love how easy it is to make healthy homemade granola from scratch. The process is so easy, in fact, that you shouldn’t have a problem making it over and over again! Here’s how it’s done: Add the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon to a saucepan. Heat it over medium high heat until the butter melts. Stir in the oats and let the mixture cook for a few minutes. Transfer the oat mixture to a prepared baking sheet and spread it out with a spatula. Place it in the oven to bake until the granola looks golden brown, the edges are crispy, and it smells amazing. Let it cool completely, then break it up and store in a jar or sealed bag.

Tips and substitutions

Don’t stir! If you love large chunks in your granola, don’t stir the mixture while it bakes or after it comes out of the oven. This will ensure those big golden chunks stick together as you break it up.Gluten free – Use certified gluten free rolled oats to ensure the homemade granola is gluten free.Vegan – Use maple syrup instead of honey and coconut oil or vegan butter instead of regular butter to make vegan granola.Let it cool completely – The granola should be left to cool completely before you break it up. If 30 minutes doesn’t cut it, leave the pan with the finished granola out overnight.To serve – Enjoy the granola with yogurt, fresh fruit and berries, in a bowl with strawberry milk, or on top of a berry banana smoothie for a healthy breakfast.

Customize it!

It’s so easy to customize granola when you make it at home! Get creative and add any of these tasty add-ins to your granola:

Dried fruit – Add in raisins, mango, banana chips, apple chips, apricots, coconut shreds, dried cranberries, or any other dried fruit you like after it’s done baking.Seeds and nuts – Pecans, pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, and pistachios would all be delicious and make the granola more filling.Chocolate – Stir chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, white chocolate chips, or your favorite chocolate candy into the finished cooled granola.Peanut butter – Stir in about 1/4 cup of natural peanut butter or almond butter to the honey mixture before adding in the oats.Warming spices – Cinnamon and vanilla are a comforting pairing but your other favorite warming spices would pair just as well. For fall themed granola, try adding ground nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and/or allspice.

How long does homemade granola last?

This easy granola recipe keeps so well in an airtight container at room temperature. Keep it for weeks and weeks in your cupboard or on your kitchen counter. You can forget all about adding expensive granola to your shopping list when you have this recipe in your back pocket!