This homemade granola recipe is a favorite at our house! It is perfect with milk, yogurt, or just by the handful. My kids eat it as fast as I can make it.
On weekends, I like to cook up hot breakfasts, but for busy school mornings, we usually eat toast, oatmeal, or cereal. If we happen to have homemade granola on hand, it is everyone’s first choice!
CHUNKY GRANOLA
I love granola with large chunks in it, and that’s one reason I love this recipe so much. The whole wheat flour helps bind the ingredients together, so when it bakes, you end up with delicious chunks of granola!
When I grind my wheat for this recipe, I grind it more coarse than I do for bread. You end up with a crispier granola that way.
Whole wheat flour is definitely a must, regular white flour is too finely ground. I tried it once, and it made a bit of a gummy mess when I stirred in the wet ingredients. It threw off the texture of the final product too. So stick with whole wheat flour!
I realize that the wheat flour and wheat germ make this granola not a good choice for those on a gluten free diet. For a gluten free granola recipe, check out my Coconut Granola. It’s not as chunky, but it is simply delicious!
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE GRANOLA
Ingredients needed:
- oats (Whole oats are better for granola than quick oats.)
- coconut (I use sweetened, flaked coconut. You can use unsweetened coconut if you prefer.)
- whole wheat flour (This helps bind the granola together.)
- chopped nuts (We like sliced or slivered almonds or chopped pecans, but you can use any type.)
- wheat germ (Adds a nice crunch, and is also high in fiber and nutrients like vitamin E and magnesium.)
- crisp rice cereal (Makes for a lighter granola that is easier to chew.)
- salt (balances out the sweetness and enhances the flavor)
- ground cinnamon (We like quite a bit of cinnamon, but you can use less if you prefer.)
- honey (helps coat the granola to bind it together, and adds sweetness)
- brown sugar (adds flavor)
- water (also helps bind the granola together)
- oil (I use coconut oil, but vegetable or canola oil will also work. Oil makes the granola easier to chew.)
- vanilla extract (makes the granola extra tasty)
Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Heat honey, brown sugar, water, and oil in a saucepan till sugar is dissolved. Add vanilla and pour over oat mixture. Stir till well coated.
Divide between 2 greased 15×10″ cookie sheets with sides. Bake at 275 for one hour, stirring after 30 minutes. Cool and store in airtight container.
This recipe does make a large batch, so feel free to cut it in half. Just pour the entire batch onto one baking sheet, and bake as directed above.
How long does this homemade granola recipe last?
If stored in an airtight container, it will last perfectly for about a month. It starts losing its crunchiness after that, but it’s still edible.
VARIATIONS
- Use all bran cereal instead of crisp rice cereal. The granola will be higher in fiber, but have a more dense texture.
- Omit the cup of coconut and an additional cup of oats or nuts instead.
- You can use all honey or all brown sugar for the sweetener. We prefer a combination of both, but you can use what you like. You can even use pure maple syrup in place of the honey.
- Stir in some sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or sesame seeds before you bake the granola.
- After the granola is cooled, stir in any dried fruit of your choosing. I love Craisins, but you could add black or golden raisins, dried cherries, chopped dates, dried apple, dried apricots or mangoes, or just about any dried fruit you enjoy! I recommend adding any dried fruit just before serving. If stirred into the whole batch, the fruit tends to dry out and get hard to chew.
- You could also stir some chocolate chips into the granola after it has cooled to room temperature. I think mini chocolate chips would be best.
MORE RECIPES WITH OATS:
TASTY BREAKFAST RECIPES:
- Diner Style Pancakes
- Cinnamon Apple Dutch Babies
- Freezer Friendly Breakfast Pockets
- Bacon Breakfast Casserole
HOMEMADE GRANOLA RECIPE
Granola
Equipment
Ingredients
- 7 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 cups coconut
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 ½ cups chopped nuts
- 1 cup wheat germ
- 2 cups crisp rice cereal
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup honey
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup water
- ¾ cup coconut oil
- 2 Tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
- Stir together oats, coconut, whole wheat flour, nuts, wheat germ, crisp rice cereal, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
- Heat honey, brown sugar, water, and oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat till sugar is dissolved. Add vanilla and pour over oat mixture. Stir carefully till well coated.
- Divide the wet mixture between 2 greased 15x10" cookie sheets with sides.
- Bake at 275 for one hour, stirring after 30 minutes. Cool completely and store in airtight container.
- You can also add raisins, dates, craisins, or any other dried fruit after the granola is cool.
Nutrition
(originally published 10/13/2008, updated February 2020)
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This looks so good! I needed a new recipe for granola.
this recipe looks great, I can’t wait to try it out. I have a link party that goes on Sundays would love for you to link this recipe or any other favorite up. BTW my sisters name is Kara 🙂