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You are here: Home / Breakfast / Homemade Granola Recipe

Homemade Granola Recipe

April 10, 2019 By Sam 25 Comments

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Homemade Granola

Today I’m sharing an easy, customizable Homemade Granola Recipe. This granola is perfectly flavored with honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Feel free to sub in your favorite nuts or dried fruits!
Overhead image of granola on baking sheet

Ever since I shared my recipe for homemade granola bars, I’ve been getting e-mails and comments asking whether that recipe could be turned into bar-less granola recipe instead.

While I wish it was that easy, unfortunately my granola bars skew towards the softer and chewier end of the granola spectrum, while a good standalone granola recipe should be hard and crisp.

You might recognize that this recipe has a lot (but not all) of the same key players as the bars, but the technique is a bit different and the results are pure, perfect, crisp & clumpy granola. Perfectly flavored and easily customized, this granola recipe is simple to make and much less expensive than buying a bag from the grocery store!

Ingredients for making homemade granola: dry ingredients in large bowl, wet ingredients in smaller bowl, egg white in smallest bowl.

Ingredients for My Homemade Granola Recipe

Homemade granola is customizable and you can substitute in a few places (I’ll indicate where), but here’s what I used for today’s recipe:

  • Rolled oats
  • Almonds (whole), feel free to substitute your favorite nuts though!
  • Dried cranberries (or your favorite dried fruit!)
  • Flax seed (optional, but great for additional nutritional value)
  • Honey
  • Canola oil
  • Brown sugar
  • Vanilla extract
  • Ground cinnamon
  • Salt
  • Egg white

The egg white may seem like an unusual ingredient, but it is critical in helping our granola to properly clump together and get nice and crunchy. Maybe you’ll remember I used it in a similar way in both my candied walnuts and candied pecans recipes.

How to Make Homemade Granola

  1. Combine your oats, nuts, fruit, and flax seed in a large bowl. You’ll be doing a lot of mixing, so give yourself room!
  2. In a separate (medium-sized) bowl, whisk together honey, oil, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until well-combined.
  3. In yet another bowl, vigorously whisk your egg white until it’s nice and frothy (about 15-30 seconds of whisking). Once frothy, stir this in with your other wet ingredients.
  4. Pour honey mixture over dry ingredients and use a spatula to stir until everything is completely coated.
  5. Spread evenly onto a parchment or Silpat lined cookie sheet. Bake for about 50 minutes. Let granola cool completely after baking (important so you have nice clumps in your granola!), then break granola into pieces and use as desired.

Making granola: stirring together ingredients in large bowl

How Long Does Homemade Granola Last?

Homemade granola has a great shelf-life and lasts a long time. It will keep for at least several weeks, though I know some people suggest that you can keep homemade granola for several months. Make sure that you store your granola in an airtight container in a cool dry place.

Does Granola Freeze Well?

Yes, homemade granola freezes well, but be sure to keep it tightly sealed in an airtight container. It will last upwards of 6 months frozen. Keep in mind that granola keeps for so long even at room temperature, so freezing it may not even be necessary!

Granola

Enjoy!

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Granola

Homemade Granola Recipe

Here's how I make my favorite homemade granola recipe! Easily customizable by substituting your favorite nuts or dried fruit!
Be sure to check out the how-to VIDEO at the bottom of the recipe! 
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: homemade granola recipe, how to make granola
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Cooling Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 6 cups
Calories: 150kcal
Author: Sam Merritt

Ingredients

  • 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 320g
  • 1 cup whole almonds¹ 125g
  • 1 cup dried cranberries² 160g
  • 2 Tablespoons ground flax seed optional
  • 1/3 cup honey 80ml
  • 1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil 80ml
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar firmly packed (100g)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg white

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 275F (135C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, stir together oats, almonds, cranberries, and flax seed.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together honey, oil, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt.
  • In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk egg white until frothy (about 30 seconds) then stir into the honey mixture.
  • Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and use a spatula to stir well until all dry ingredients are completely coated.
  • Evenly spread ingredients over prepared baking sheet. Transfer to 275F (135C) preheated oven and bake for 45-55 minutes. Granola should have slightly darkened in color and should appear dry.
  • Remove from oven and do not stir, allow to sit undisturbed until completely cooled.
  • Once granola has cooled, use your hands or a wooden spoon to break up into pieces. Use as desired.

Notes

¹Or substitute your favorite nuts!
²Or substitute your favorite dried fruits! 

How to Store

Homemade granola should be stored in an airtight container in a cool dry place and will keep for at least a month.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cup granola | Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 54mg | Potassium: 57mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 0.9mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

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Filed Under: Breakfast Tagged With: dried fruit, egg white, honey, nuts, oats

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Comments

  1. Kathie says

    December 28, 2020 at 7:59 pm

    I made something very much like this years ago. It was a big hit! I lost that recipe, so I’m really looking forward to trying this.

    Reply
  2. Kaveri says

    December 16, 2020 at 11:14 am

    This looks amazing! I want to make it, but I am allergic to eggs unfortunately. Can I omit the egg white? Or use a substitute? As I understand, the egg white will help the granola clump up together.
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sam says

      December 16, 2020 at 9:51 pm

      Hi Kaveri! I’m really sorry I don’t have a good substitute here. I’m racking my brain but nothing is coming to mind. Maybe someone else can help.

      Reply
      • Kaveri says

        December 18, 2020 at 12:13 am

        No worries! Thank you!

  3. Shelly says

    July 13, 2020 at 11:12 am

    Could the honey be be left ,or a little more brown sugar added. I prefer things not so sweet anyway. Wasn’t sure if It was needed to hold things together?

    Reply
    • Sam says

      July 13, 2020 at 10:32 pm

      Hi Shelly! The honey is needed to hold the granola together so it clumps properly, you might be able to reduce it a little bit, but the granola will be a bit more dry/crumbly.

      Reply
  4. BRIGITTE Couture says

    May 31, 2020 at 12:58 am

    Do you think I could omit the cinnamon or replace it by something else? Hubby is not a fan of the Fall spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger…). Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sam says

      June 1, 2020 at 12:12 pm

      Hi Brigitte! You can certainly leave the cinnamon out. 🙂

      Reply
  5. Christine says

    May 3, 2020 at 9:52 pm

    5 stars
    I made this granola today and I cannot stop eating it!! It is crazy delicious 😋 I’ve made a crockpot granola several times but, this is by far better. I did add some extra spices to mine. I added 1 tsp nutmeg and 1/2 tsp allspice. This is definitely going to be my new homemade granola recipe and, I’m never going back to buying it. Thanks for sharing this recipe, I’m in love with it so is my husband.

    Reply
    • Sugar Spun Run says

      May 4, 2020 at 7:59 am

      I am so glad that you loved it, Christine! It is a favorite of mine too. Thanks for trying my recipe and for commenting. Enjoy! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Jen says

    April 30, 2020 at 1:09 pm

    5 stars
    This is legit granola. I have always wanted to make granola and for some reason never got around to it. Well, enter shelter-in-place….you find the time 🙂 This was so easy, and the ingredients are normal, every day ingredients that I already had. It’s delicious! Great mid-afternoon snack, hiking snack, or breakfast mixed with yogurt and berries. Winner! I’m never going back to store-bought 🙂

    Reply
    • Sugar Spun Run says

      April 30, 2020 at 1:55 pm

      Hooray! I am so glad that you found the time to finally make your own, Jen! I am even happier that it was better than what you’d purchase at the store. Thanks for trying my recipe. 🙂

      Reply
  7. Praise says

    April 19, 2020 at 12:12 pm

    Thank you sam❤❤❤ please can you also make traditional fruit cake🙏

    Reply
    • Sam says

      April 19, 2020 at 12:35 pm

      You are welcome! I will put it on my list of things to bake. 🙂

      Reply
  8. Cheska says

    February 6, 2020 at 7:55 am

    5 stars
    I’ve made granola before from another recipe and it was kind of average.
    I made this recipe fairly plain (left out the fruit and put less nuts in it).
    The flavour didn’t disappoint! My kitchen smelled delicious and the granola tasted just as good. My son asked for some extra in a baggy “to-go” when he left for school this morning.
    I’m definitely going to experiment with other additions again! Thanks 😊

    Reply
  9. Olive knapp says

    September 14, 2019 at 3:53 pm

    Hi sam! my name is Olive knapp and I am 12. I like to cook and bake but I have a question. In my 1st period class we are making pizza and we have to have 8 toppings, how long should I bake the pizza for?

    p.s. Sorry if this is in the wrong catigory, i just love your site

    Any way, i would love to here back from you!
    Olive knapp

    Reply
    • Sam says

      September 14, 2019 at 8:53 pm

      Hi Olive! 8 toppings is a lot of topping. I usually recommend 13-15 minutes, but with that much stuff on top, it may need an extra minute or two. I hope this helps. 🙂

      Reply
  10. Willo says

    April 26, 2019 at 7:45 am

    Roast the almonds first?

    Reply
    • Sam says

      April 26, 2019 at 10:49 am

      No need, they’ll be roasted with everything else in the oven. Enjoy! 🙂

      Reply
  11. Anita says

    April 11, 2019 at 12:13 am

    Would instant oats work as well?

    Reply
    • Sam says

      April 11, 2019 at 9:46 am

      Hi Anita! I don’t recommend using instant oats here, they are more likely to burn in the oven. If you do it, watch it carefully when baking. 🙂

      Reply
  12. Debbie in California says

    April 10, 2019 at 3:10 pm

    Looks great!
    However, I would rather not use honey , yet, I am not creative/brave when it comes to substitutions.
    Would you think maple syrup might work, or a smidge more brown sugar, or, is there something about the consistency of the honey that is necessary?
    Thank you in advance for your suggestion.

    Reply
    • Sam says

      April 10, 2019 at 7:10 pm

      Hi Debbie! I think maple syrup will work fine here. Enjoy! 🙂

      Reply
  13. Shelly says

    April 10, 2019 at 10:56 am

    5 stars
    I am looking forward to trying this one out! Thanks Sam!

    Reply
    • Sam says

      April 10, 2019 at 11:00 am

      I hope you love it, Shelly! I have a feeling you will 🙂

      Reply

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The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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