This easy granola recipe is made in one bowl, bakes up golden and crunchy, and uses simple, wholesome ingredients you probably already have. It’s endlessly customizable, naturally gluten free if you use the right oats, and perfect for topping your yogurt, snacking by the handful, or even gifting.
Every year I believe a little bit more that the best food is not the fancy stuff. Instead it is the simple things we love but made really, really well! This granola recipe is simple but it brings together easy ingredients into a very memorable food. I have three kids, I homeschool and I run a business – simple is something I’ve come to appreciate deeply.
Why Make Granola at Home?
Sure, you can buy granola at the store… but homemade? It’s fresher, more flavorful, and you get to control exactly what’s in it (and what’s not). High quality granola at the store can be expensive but the stuff you make at home usually tastes way better and is much cheaper. You can make it as healthy or indulgent as you like, and pack it with your favorite nuts and seeds for a big protein boost. Plus, your kitchen will smell like a bakery while it’s in the oven — always a win.
The Granola Ingredient Formula
Think of granola as a simple equation:
- Base: Oats or gluten-free grains for crunch and fiber
- Nuts and Seeds: Cashews, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds — the good stuff for healthy fats and protein
- Sweetener: Honey, maple syrup, or sweet brown sugar to bind and flavor the mixture
- Oil or Fat: Coconut oil, olive oil, or even butter for crisp texture
- Extras: Spices, coconut flakes, dried fruit, chocolate chips (added after baking). The sky is the limit here. I lean into coconut here for added pop and crunch.
How to Make Granola – One Bowl Method
One bowl granola is easy enough that my grade school age kiddos make it for us!
- Mix dry ingredients together
- Add wet ingredients – this is the step where you need to stir really well or you won’t get good ingredient distribution (this is a nice way of saying you will have plain oats without any flavor!)
- Spread and bake – Spread evenly on your baking sheet. Bake and stir a few times. I use a good quality cooking sheet to help it cook up evenly.
- Cool– Let granola cool completely before putting it in jars to store.
How We Eat Our Granola
We love to grab handfuls of granola to snack on eat it with milk for breakfast.
But our absolute favorite way to eat it is in fruit and yogurt parfaits! We use Fage 5% yogurt (no they don’t sponsor me or even know I exist!) The yogurt is thick and creamy like ice cream and the protein is high. I looked at every yogurt available locally and decided this had the best protein and flavor and texture.
I stir in homemade jam or Bonne Maman jam to flavor it. (Guys, my kids are BOUJIE! I can’t even with them sometimes!) I add some fresh berries if they are available and top with a healthy pile of our tasty granola.
This past summer I made fruit and yogurt parfiets when I ran the kitchen for a local youth camp. It was hard to get a lot of fresh berries out two hours into the mountains and keep them in good condition. Instead, I bought big bags of high-quality frozen berries at Costco and set them out about an hour before breakfast.
The fruit was about half thawed in the warm summer weather and the kids DEVOURED breakfast. All I served was the yogurt parfaits with frozen berries and some sausage links. But it was easy and nourishing and nobody was hungry until lunch time!
I like to serve yogurt parfaits for a “special” but still healthy and easy breakfast. Once I served them in pretty glass parfait / sherbet glasses. I thought it would be cute and fun and one of those mom things you do to make an ordinary morning a little nicer. I also thought it was a one off – ya know?
But my toddler loved it so much he decided that was just how breakfast came – fancy cup all the time. If I try to serve him a bowl with yogurt and granola, he likes to remind me that this is no longer acceptable.
My life, you guys! If it’s laugh or cry I choose laughter and apparently washing extra nice dishes… (Also serious apologies to my children’s future spouses. Imagine getting married and discovering your new spouse only eats yogurt out of fancy glass dishes!)
Storage & Shelf Life
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 – 4 weeks. (In Boise the weather is very dry and we can get away with a lot longer. If you live in higher humidity plan on a shorter life span!)
- To keep it crunchy, make sure granola is completely cooled before sealing it in a container.
- I use quart mason jars to pack it up and then the reusable plastic lids on top to close. This is my go to for a lot of food storage and it works like a dream for granola.
How to Package Granola for Gifting
- Pack in pretty glass jars with ribbon for a rustic look.
- Use Kraft paper bags with a clear window and tie with twine.
- Seasonal twist: Add flavors like pumpkin spice or peppermint chocolate for holiday gifts.
More Breakfast and Brunch Recipes to Love
- Easy Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes
- Easy Buttermilk Waffles
- Healthy and Delicious Oatmeal Muffins
- Crispy Oven Hashbrowns
- Triple Chocolate Hot Chocolate Mix
Easy Homemade Granola Recipe – Healthy, One Bowl, and Perfect for Yogurt
Ingredients
- 3 cups old- fashioned rolled oats (also called old fashioned oatmeal)
- 1 cup sliced raw almonds
- 1 cup chopped cashews I use roasted / salted pieces from the bulk section of grocery stores like Winco
- 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes see Note #1
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup maple syrup see Note #2 to sub honey
- ¼ cup neutral oil or melted butter coconut, canola, vegetable, avocado etc.
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250F
- In a large bowl combine the oats, almonds, cashews, coconut flakes and brown sugar. Set aside.
- In another bowl combine maple syrup, oil, and salt.
- Stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture and spread the wet granola onto two sheet pans.
- Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes stirring every 20 minutes until the granola is dark, golden brown and well toasted.
- Remove from the oven and let cool. The granola must be 100% cool before it is put into air tight containers or it will become mushy. Transfer the granola to air tight containers and store. (I like mason jars with screw top lids.)
Helpful Recipe Notes
Your Rating Matters
When you leave a comment or star rating, it means more than you might think. It helps me understand what you’re enjoying, builds trust for other readers, and supports real, tested cooking content. If you have a moment, I’d truly appreciate you sharing your experience. - Mirlandra
Nutrition Estimate
A Note on Nutrition
Nutritional info is an imperfect estimate. Please take it with a grain of salt.
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Jon says
This granola recipe was delicious and easy to follow. My kids love it!
Mirlandra Neuneker says
Thank you! I’m glad your family is enjoying it!