This homemade recipe for granola is super yummy and so flexible! Below is our favorite cereal version, but there are many ways to tweak the recipe depending on your preferences.
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Homemade Granola Bar and Cereal Recipe
For the nuts you can put either all almonds or all cashews (or split them as listed below or even try a totally different type of nut). Also, the same thing works for the seeds – you can either put in all pumpkin seeds or all sesame seeds or put in half and half. You could easily play around with the amounts of sesame seeds and flaxseeds as well. If you can’t find unsweetened shredded coconut you can leave it out completely.
If you want granola cereal make it with rolled oats. If you want granola bars then substitute steel cut oats for the rolled oats, and I also like to add dried fruit bits before baking the bars.
How to Make Cereal Homemade (Or, Granola Bars)!
For the cereal, once it has baked and cooled completely, you want to put it in a gallon zip lock to break it up into small cereal pieces. If you are making granola bars just break off big chunks instead of using a bag. Don’t expect perfectly uniform rectangles for your granola bars, these are homemade after all!
The oats, nuts and spices are seriously what make these bars come together! That being said, you can add any number of ingredients to make this cereal homemade with some fun, seasonal flavors. Simple modifications in the ingredient ratios can make for a festive mix, too. For instance, amp up the cinnamon and nutmeg for a perfectly fragrant winter-themed granola.
Looking for a protein granola that can help you last through those late-afternoon cravings? Fill your homemade granola mixture with some flax seeds, chia seeds or even powdered peanut butter to make those macros skyrocket! Dried fruits like raisins (or craisins, a personal favorite) can also make for a granola bar or homemade cereal that is perfectly crafted to fit your palate. Besides, the best way to add more nutrients to your family's diet is by making recipes you'll actually want to come back to!
How Long Does Homemade Granola Last?
This homemade granola recipe will stay crunchy and flavorful for about a month when stored in an airtight container out of direct sunlight. After that, you should probably start to plan your next batch! Side note: finished granola bars might fare well in the freezer if sealed properly although you should expect to lose some of that desired 'crunch' in doing so.
Granola Recipe (Cereal or Bars)
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups oats (rolled, (if you want bars use steel cut oats so it will stick together better))
- 1 cup almonds (raw, sliced)
- 1 cup cashews (or walnuts or pecans)
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- ½ cup sunflower seeds (raw)
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds (raw)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon (ground)
- 1 ½ teaspoons ginger (ground)
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg (ground)
- 6 tablespoons butter (unsalted)
- ½ cup honey
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Cover a rectangular baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the dry oats, almonds, cashews, coconut, seeds and spices together in a large mixing bowl.
- Heat the butter and honey together in a small saucepan over low heat. Once the butter melts stir in the vanilla and salt.
- Pour the hot liquids over the dry ingredients and stir together with a rubber spatula until evenly coated.
- Spread mixture onto prepared pan in one even layer. Bake for 75 minutes.
- The granola will become crisp as it cools at which point you can break into pieces (if making bars) or break it up into small chunks by pounding it in a zip lock bag (if making cereal). Store in air tight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
More Homemade Breakfast Ideas:
- Fluffy Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes
- Blueberry, Fruit and Nut Whole Wheat Muffins
- Freezer Friendly Breakfast Burritos
Conseis says
HELLO!!
Thanks for posting this. I live in San Antonio and there is no Earthfare around here. There is however, something called Whole Foods, BUT I am not sure whether to even go there, I saw some pretty disturbing videos on their "organic" stuff...made in China..!! goodness! How is that even regulated?? Of course, the store CEO, managers etc refused interviews, which makes me more nervous about the quality of their products. What would you recommend in this case? Thank you for your posts and recipes..we are making lots of changes around here! :)
100 Days of Real Food says
Whole Foods is similar to Earth Fare...I would go check it out in person!
christine says
I'm excited that I came across this recipe.But,I am going to need your help to tweak it for me. I have horrible food allergies and I am allergic to all the nuts, coconut,and dried fruits unless it's bananas. What can you recommend for me?
100 Days of Real Food says
I would just put extra pumpkin and sunflower seeds instead of the nuts and omit the coconut all together (and dried fruit). I've made a nut-free version for my daughter to take to school and it worked great. Good luck!
Jessica says
i made the bars and my whole family loves it, including my husband! Yay! I like the idea of mixing the steel cut oats with the rolled oats....my jaws are tired from chewing! Ha!!!
Next i will try the cereal!
I love your blog!!! Keep it coming...i check regularly! Thanks so much!!
Jessica
Laura Tanase says
Hello,
Can you tell me if it's 250 degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius?
Thanks,
Laura
100 Days of Real Food says
Fahrenheit!
Andrea says
I made this recipe and filled muffin tins to create a bar effect. They came out really good and were easy!
Emily Sirko says
I am SO glad Yahoo published their article about you because without it I never would have tried this granola! It is absolutely delicious and probably better than anything I've ever bought from the store...and it doesn't have 20 grams of sugar per serving! I made it exactly as the recipe said (I just cut everything in half for a half batch) and it is truly perfect. I am a freshman in college and canNOT wait to have this as my go-to healthy snack. Thank you SO much for everything you have done, not only for this recipe, but for the world of healthy eating in general!
Megan Robinson says
I was so excited to find this recipe, I've been wanting to make my own granola and am so glad I tried this recipe. We are not big coconut/ginger fans, so I halved that amount and then threw in some chia seeds for good measure. I loved it, the kids loved it and hubby said, "I hope you keep making this." Yes, I will! Thanks for the recipe. I love this blog!
Amy says
My kids love cereal for breakfast....there is one that they like made by Nature's Path, "organic Heritage Heirloom whole Grains"....the ingredients list is more than 5, but here they are..... organic kamut khorasan wheat flour, organic wheat bran, organic whole wheat meal, organic evaporated cane juice, organic whole oat flour, organic spelt flour, organic barley flour, organic whole millet, organic barley malt extract, organic quinoa, seal salt, organic honey. What do you think?????
100 Days of Real Food says
I just checked it out, and I suppose that cereal looks decent. What I noticed is that they use three different types of sweeteners (cane juice, barley malt, and honey), but at the same time the sugars are only 4 grams per serving so they aren't overdoing it. Also, some of those less common grains don't always say "whole" to tell you it is the "whole grain" so unless you call the company and ask I am not sure if this cereal is 100% whole grain or only partially whole grain. I am guessing it is not 100% (which is what we normally go for) because it does list wheat bran as an ingredient and that is only 1 of the 3 parts of the wheat berry. This would certainly be much better than something like fruit loops though :)
Robin says
Love this so much, I could probably eat it 3 meals a day with raw milk and blueberries (but I refrain). I left out the Ginger and sprinkled in a little organic flaxseed meal. This is the freshest granola I've ever tasted. I could never find a boxed or bin granola that was really good. We've tried it in Giada's raspberry/ricotta/yogurt/granola parfaits. It's so delicious, it could be dessert.
Rebecca says
I was wondering if you have estimated the cost to make this recipe. I'd like to try it, but am nervous that all these nuts and seeds will eat into next weeks budget too severely. Thanks!
100 Days of Real Food says
I compared the cost to boxed granola (this recipe makes 2 boxes worth) a long long time ago and the price was comparable. To reduce the cost you could double the almonds and omit the cashews (which are usually more expensive than sliced almonds...at least at Trader Joe's).
Hope says
Hi, Lisa,
Thanks for another awesome recipe!!! I didn't have parchment paper, so I used tin foil greased with butter. Paper would definitely be better, but it still worked and tastes SO good! The only alteration I made was omitting cashews because I'm allergic, and replacing them with a bit of flax seed. Yum! Thanks again!!!
Marlee says
my friend made granola before a big field hockey game and it was absolutely DELISH! i really want to make this and i'm so excited :)
maria says
I was wondering how much flaxseed would I put into this granola.I have been looking for a simple granola recipe forever I love to put it in my greek yogurt
Please email me the information I also ask for you Homemade Chicken noodle soup
Thanks
Carolyn says
I was wondering if you have ever mixed the rolled oats and steel cut oats for the bar. If so how did they turn out? If not then I am gonna give it a whack. ;)
100 Days of Real Food says
I have not, but I am sure it would work out great!
Ashlee says
My husband is in the Middle East, I saw some posts about people possibly sending this over did anyone try it and how did it hold up? I am concerned about the 2 weeks the packages I send usually take to get there. If you mailed it what were his comments about the freshness and how did you pack it? Thanks.
Drisana says
Is the granola a hard/crunchy type? Or more of a chewy kind? I read a comment above that said the bars made with steel cut oats are crunchy - but I wonder if the regular granola cereal with the rolled oats is chewier? Maybe if I decrease the baking time? Thanks!
100 Days of Real Food says
The granola cereal (with rolled oats) is crunchy, but not as crunchy as the bars with steel cut oats.
Jennifer says
made this granola this morning and my 4 year old who has become a picky eater lately tried it and liked it. That makes me very happy today. It is really good.
Marion says
Just made your granola cereal today - it smells and tastes wonderful! Maybe this will convince my hubby not to buy cereal anymore ...
Thank you so much for this recipe!
Megan says
I don't think I'll ever buy cereal again, this is so much better!!! Thank you!!!
Jenn says
Delicious! The whole family loves it. Once the kids eat up the Kashi cereal, etc. we won't be buying it anymore. So quick and easy. Let the experimentation begin!
Melody says
OMW. I made this granola over the weekend and will not be able to make it again for some time....I can NOT stay out of it and am making a PIG of myself! It's wonderful! Thanks for the recipe!
Maggie says
My husband likes the post great grains, raisin, pecons, and cranberries I think? Would this be easy to make similar. And when you store it, is it in the cupboard. I am tempted to make it and ship it to him overseas.
Hannah says
Mmmm, delicious. I made this with coconut oil instead of butter, very tasty. However, when I tried to make the bars they simply wouldn't hold together. I used steel cut oats as suggested, but since I'm vegan I used agave nectar instead of honey. It is somewhat runnier, but I didn't think it would have much of an effect. Any suggestions? Also, I personally find granola too rich to eat every morning. Just thought I'd mention Kashi Whole Grain puffs cereal that follows the rules as far as I know. My family thinks it looks like rabbit food, but I love it! The ingredients are: Whole Hard Red Winter Wheat, Whole Long Grain Brown Rice, Whole Oats, Whole Barley, Whole Triticale, Whole Rye, Whole Buckwheat, Sesame Seeds. Thanks for the great recipe!
100 Days of Real Food says
Yes, the Kashi puffs sound "approved" and we also buy corn puffs (1 ingredient: puffed whole corn) and shredded wheat. My girls will often mix those cereals with the granola. I've never tried this recipe with anything other than honey so I am sorry I don't have any advice about the agave!
Babs Harell says
We have a nut allergy-will it taste ok if we omit the # 1 cup raw sliced almonds
# 1 cup raw cashew pieces
100 Days of Real Food says
If you omit the nuts I would recommend making it up with the pumpkin and/or sunflower seeds. I've done this with my daughter's school lunch (nut-free school) and it worked out just fine!
beth g says
So I made this tonight and not only does the house smell so wonderful, my husband likes it. He is starting to like the real food. I am so excited to actually find easy tasty recipes. Next are waffles cause we love them and eggo no so good for ya.
Mel says
While I haven't tasted it yet, I have to say my house smells devine! Thanks for sharing your recipe. It reminds me of this awesome granola I had in Asheville made by Hearth Strings....never imagined I could male it myself so easily!
Michelle says
Thank you:)
Michelle Forehand says
I am trying to get my family to eat more whole foods and less processed. I live in a remote area though, with not many buying options. Do you have an internet site that you use for any of your ingredients?
Thanks:)
100 Days of Real Food says
Hi there - Unfortunately I don't shop for food online much, but I know other blog readers do. If you want to post this as a question on my facebook page I bet they would have some good answers for you! http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-100-Days-of-Real-Food-Pledge-Sign-up-for-the-10-day-pledge/111437015567316
Emilie says
Hello! I absolutely love your site! I have passed it on to all my friends since I discovered it last week. I was wondering if you had any ideas for butter substitution in the granola. I know it calls for 6 tbs, but I was wondering if I could use an oil? Thanks so much!
100 Days of Real Food says
Thank you!! :) I've seen plenty of granola recipes that use oil so I think that would work just fine for you.
Rebecca says
WOW! Just made this and our house smells amazing. I'm not sure if it's going to make it into the storage container because we keep "sampling" it while it cools off. Thanks for sharing!
Maryse says
Hello Lisa!
I'm so glad I found you through your guest blog on one of my favorite blogs ($5-dinner)today! I've been trying to feed my family more wholesome foods and less processed foods but you inspired me to go one step beyond and take your 10-day challenge. I have a question regarding the use of steel-cut oats when making the granola bar recipe. I use steel-cut oats all the time but I cook it for 30 minutes first. If you use it raw as in rolled-oats, how does it come out in the granola recipe? Do they stay hard but crunchy? Thanks for your blog!
100 Days of Real Food says
Hi there and welcome! Yes, you just put the raw steel cut oats into the recipe and the bars come out hard and crunchy. We do find that they require a bit more chewing as opposed to when it is made with rolled outs, but the steel cut ones help make the outcome stick together a little better so you end up with big bar chunks instead of cereal crumbles. I hope that makes sense. And good luck with your 10-day pledge! :)
Raina says
I made the granola cereal and it was Amazing! It really fills you up fast and keeps you going for several hours. This was a big hit for my entire family!
I do have one question about the granola bars. I made a batch today and found that the steel cut oats were pretty tough to chew. They also did not hold together at all. What did I do wrong? Thanks! And thanks so much for putting such amazing, natural recipe's on your blog!
100 Days of Real Food says
I am so glad you liked the recipe! Did you wait until the batch cooled before you tried to break apart the one made with steel cut oats? And we agree that steel cut oats do require more chewing which is why we personally prefer the rolled oats. Thanks for your comment!
Suzanne ballantyne says
Did you cook the steel but oats before making the bars? This was my question when I saw these recipes. I imagine cooking the oats first might be necessary, no? I use steel cut oats to make porridge - often using the left over for oatmeal pancakes - use coconut oil - they are scrumptious!
thanks for this blog!
Suzanne
100 Days of Real Food says
We just use raw steel-cut oats for the bars!
Allison says
Thanks for a great recipe. I am always on the lookout for new ways to make whole foods recipes for my kids. I had to laugh when I was scrolling down the page and the Google ad just below this recipe was something like "Corn Syrup is a type of sugar." HA! Unbelievable...
Heather says
Great blog! Having food allergies and sensitivities I've been reading labels for awhile now. I'm so glad to see that other people are on board with real food! Have you tried adding dried fruit to the granola? I think I would add it at the mixing stage before popping in the oven? I also have been reading your 100 Days for Real food blog and was sympathizing with the boy that has celiac. I have a great (and easy!) recipe for tortillas if his mom would like the recipe. But, I'm not positive it contains 100% whole grains. Cheers!
Heather says
Whoops! Didn't read your blog carefully enough, I see the part about the dried fruit!
Lisa says
I would love your corn tortilla recipe...I've been wanting to give those another shot!
Marni says
Glad I've finally found soetmihgn I agree with!
Chrissy says
This granola is amazing! I made it last week and everyone gobbled it up.
Amy says
I can't wait to put this recipe together tonight! I found all the ingredients (incl. unsw. coconut and hulled raw sesame seeds) at Whole Foods in the bulk bins. Everything was organic too. Will post back with a review, I'm so excited to have found this recipe - Thanks so much! Hopefully I'll get my hubby off the 3/day Nature Valley granola bar habit......
kitzzy says
OMG! I just made this and it was absolutely delicious. I couldn't find unsweetened coconut, so I skipped it but it didn't matter. It was probably better that way since Jason doesn't care for it. I only made half a batch, and now I wish I had made more because it will be gone in no time. Thanks for such a wonderful recipe!
Lisa says
So glad to hear that...thanks for the comment!
Violet Monkey says
Where do you find the raw hulled sesame seeds? I went to Trader Joe's today and was able to find all the other nuts/seeds for the recipe... but couldn't find the sesame seeds...
I'm planning on hitting Earthfare in the next couple of days for the coconut, do they have them there?
I usually eat "Bear Naked" granola, but love the idea of making my own!
I live locally, and you convinced me to buy a loaf of Honey Whole Wheat at Great Harvest, while I was at TJ's today. I have been living about 85% "whole" for quite some time, but couldn't (wouldn't?) justify the $5 every week for bread from Great Harvest. Thanks to your blog, I finally got the kick in the butt I needed to do so. :)
Lisa says
Thanks for your comment! I love to know that all of this blog posting is making a difference for at least some people :) Also, you will find that you will probably eat less of the Great Harvest bread because it is more filling than grocery store bread so it might be a better value than you think.
Also, I get sesame seeds from the bulk bins at Earthfare. I actually get just about all of my granola ingredients from Earthfare including the unsweetened coconut (in the baking aisle - green bag). I am definitely a bigger fan of Earthfare than Trader Joes when it comes to eating real/organic food (especially produce). Good luck!
Violet Monkey says
Thanks!
Found everything, and made it last night. It's absolutely delicious!! Next weekend, I'm going to try making the bars!
Karen says
Can you tell me why you don't prefer TJ's. The closest store to me is Whole Foods, which I guess is comparable to Earth Fare. I do like TJ's because of the prices, but the selection isn't as good. I have wondered before if the quality is not as good or if their sources are less desirable. Can you explain?
100 Days of Real Food says
I actually posted about TJs during our budget pledge...I think it might explain things a bit: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/10/27/budget-day-23-trader-joe%E2%80%99s/
Karen says
I made this granola last night and it is better than anything I have ever bought. Thanks for the great recipe and for opening my eyes to real food. I am about to make a lot of changes in our household - thanks for the information and inspiration!
Lisa says
I am so glad to hear that!
Lisa says
I made the bars and the cereal, and both turned out delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
Lisa says
I love getting recipe reviews on here...thank you for taking the time to write something!