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.
Want to Save this Recipe?
Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you'll get great new recipes from us every week!
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
Ginna says
Made this tonight and it is so yummy!!!
Nicole says
Has anyone tried to substitute coconut oil for the butter?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Nicole. Many readers have though we have not. :) ~Amy
Jennifer says
Making this now for the fourth or fifth time. It's never the same because I just try to use what I have on had. This time I've added some peanut butter. Seventy five minutes from now we'll see how it turns out.
Amber says
I made this granola and it didn't turn out very 'crunchy' or in any type of granola cluster that I would usually be used to. Any tips or advice?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Amber. It may not make many big clusters but it should be crunchy once it is cooked long enough and dried. You might cook it a little longer. :) ~Amy
Wendy says
If you use Steel Cut oats which is what I have, do you cook them first and then add them to the mixture?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Wendy. No, you would not cook them first. ~Amy
Stephanie says
Beth, it's Fahrenheit.
Beth says
Is this in degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius? I'm from England so don't know what the normal american degrees means! Thanks
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hello Beth. We use the Fahrenheit scale. :)
Kayla says
I tried this today with some variations and it was wonderful!! I used 100% maple syrup instead of the honey and added some canned pumpkin to the mixture. I also used some dry fruit and added a few chocolate chips. What's awesome about this recipe is you can make it your own depending on what you have on hand. Thanks for the great recipe, Lisa!!
Bonnie says
I made this yesterday to have for breakfast today. I almost couldn't stop snacking on it yesterday. I didn't use salt because the sunflower seeds and pumpkins seeds I had on hand were already salted. I used almonds and walnuts too, since it's what I had but I left out the coconut because I don't like. So my husband texted me a picture of it in a bowl of milk with raspberries on top. He had packed some to take to work and he loved it. He said it isn't too sweet like the store bought kind we've tried in the past. I love it too. It made a wonderful breakfast.
Melissa says
Did you use the same amount of oil?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi. Do you mean if you are swapping coconut oil for butter? Yes. ~Amy
Marina says
Just made a batch today with a few alterations (didn't have cashews and sesame seeds, so put in extra shaved almonds and swapped butter for coconut oil), and it turned out so yummy! I can't stop snacking on it all day =)
Jewelia says
Do you have the nutrition facts for this recipe? I have made it before and love it!.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Jewelia. We do not provide nutrition information for our recipes. Our focus is getting people to eat real foods and not so much on numbers. :)
Ann Marie says
Could I substitute almond butter for unsalted butter? If not what would be a good substitute?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Ann Marie. Our typical sub for butter is coconut oil. Here is more info: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/02/07/how-to-cook-with-coconut-oil/. ~Amy
Michelle says
I love this granola as a cereal but I do like variety and that is a bit more difficult when trying to eat whole foods. I recently have made my own Honey Smacks using puffed whole wheat cereal and raw honey. You just have to mix in the amount of honey to your liking and then bake for 10 minutes at 350. I thought I would share.
Mandy Gann says
Recommendation for a coconut substitution?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Mandy. You could leave it out or add whatever you think you would like in your granola. Dried fruit, chia, flax, cocao nibs? ~Amy
Kristen says
I've got a batch in the oven... It doesn't seem to want to dry out! I used everything as directed in the recipe, except subbed 1/2 cup of almonds for 1/2 cup of cashews (for cost).
Didn't soak anything.
The only thing I can think is maybe my layer is a little thicker... but I don't see how to spread it thinner as I'm already using a regular size baking pan and its the same amounts of oats etc mixed in. Thoughts?
Its been in for 85 minutes at 250 now... I turned it up to 300 and reset a timer for another 20 minutes.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Kristen. Sorry, we are rarely able to answer recipe questions in real time. How did it turn out? All ovens are different, but it shouldn't have to cook for so long. After you pull it out and cool, it should have been okay. ~Amy
Kristen says
I totally understand the real time vs internet delay! XD
It's a little chewy for what I think of as granola cereal, and definitely didn't clump. It takes fine with milk and berries, but I definitely use more milk than I was with the bulk bin granola I bought at Fresh Market. Also with the higher heat it tastes a little more toasted than I think it was going for.
Is the recipe assuming a standard baking sheet? Something like 12" by 17" (a half sheet).
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi again. Yeah, the baking sheet size sounds right but chewy should not have been the result. :) I'm not sure what might have happened.
kimberly says
This is so yummy! I am not a coconut girl so I just eliminated it and it turned out well. I was looking for a healthy snack food and this hits the spot. It fills me up and takes the place of sweet foods for me :) I now have friends at work asking for the recipe :)
Emily says
I like this recipe except for it is really, really sweet. Too sweet in my opinion. Do you have any recommendations for cutting out some of the honey, what to sub with so that I still get the moisture needed to coat the oats, only without all the sugar?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Emily. You could cut back somewhat on the honey without subbing. ~Amy
Loucrecia Hollingsworth says
I don't know if anyone would be interested, but I thought I'd offer something I came across on facebook. I LOVE this granola recipe & mine lasted a little over a week (because we loved it so much!). My daughter asked if next time I could make it into bars. I noticed other people say they've tried & had trouble getting it to stick. I came across another, simple recipe for "No Bake Energy Bites" that may be a similar, tasty alternitive for a bar or ball type snack instead of loose granola. 1 C dry oatmeal (I was told to use quick oats & according to my package doesn't seem to be that different from regular oats), 1/2 C choc chips (I wonder if there's a dark chocolate out there that would be acceptable, or you could substitute something like crasins, rasins, or dates maybe), 1/2 C peanut butter (or almond butter is awesome), 1/2 C ground flaxseed, 1/3 C. honey, 1 tsp vanilla. Just mix ingredients, roll into balls or shape into rolls/bars, & I stuck mine in the fridge for them to firm up. They didn't last long either. I love playing with recipes & making different versions.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Shelly. Lisa doesn't soak her grains or nuts. We do know a lot of people practice soaking to help with digestion but it is not something we have tried with this recipe. ~Amy
Shelly says
I want to use the steel cut oats to make bars. Do I need to soak the steel cut oats.? How about soaking of the raw nuts?
Dawn says
I'm in the process of convincing my husband to do the 100 day pledge. So I'm making lots of Lisa's recipes to prove to him that real food tastes fantastic! I made this granola with my 3 year old last night and I can't get enough of it!! It's so good and so easy to make! Thank you for the recipe.
oksana says
Q: 250 Fahrenheit OR Celsium?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi. 250 F :)
Katherine says
The recipe sounds yum! Just a quick question though, can organic coconut oil be substituted in for the butter?
Nana Phyllis says
I absolutely love this granola! Making my second batch. I keep it in a zip top bag in the frig and it lastts a long time. Love the combination of flavors. Might add some dried fruit to this batch when it cooks, tart cherries or apricots maybe both!
Elise DeCarolis says
I was wondering if anyone has tried using coconut oil as a substitute for the butter? I know the melting points are different and I wasn't sure if this would do anything to the recipe. I am new at using coconut oil when baking. Thank you!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi. Many readers have used coconut oil. Here is more info on cooking with coconut oil: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/02/07/how-to-cook-with-coconut-oil/. ~Amy
Haley says
Hi! I love this recipe so much. I have made both the granola and the bars. I was wondering if there was a way to help the bars stay together better. Maybe more honey? I try to press it firmly in the pan before baking and cool completely before breaking up, but they are still rather crumbly. I would appreciate any tips! Thank you!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Haley. I often add a bit more honey when making bars. I've also added small bits of chopped dates and it works well. ~Amy
csilm says
If I make the granola bars, do I cook it at the same temperture and length of time?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi there. Yes, it is the same. ~Amy
Yvette says
I'm looking forward to making this recipe. I used to feed my 3 year old the store bought Quaker Chocolate Chip granola bars and now that I have stopped, he is constantly asking me for a granola bar.
Question: do you know if any of your readers have tried making these with chocolate chips? Any brand suggestions for the 'cleanest' chocolate chips?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hello Yvette. Lisa often uses the Enjoy Life brand: http://shop.enjoylifefoods.com/Chocolate-for-Baking/c/EnjoyLife@Baking?gclid=CLHmlOzM770CFcU-MgodcyEA1Q. ~Amy
LJ says
Do you soak the nuts first?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hello. No, we don't.
Vickie says
This is the perfect recipe for home made granola! The only change I made was to omit the coconut otherwise I followed it exactly. I have some with Greek yogurt each morning.
Jennifer says
Can you substitute maple syrup for the honey?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Sure, though it will lend a slightly different flavor. ~Amy
Rosie says
I'm a cereal addict and I'm in love with this recipe! Did a blog post about it for my college lifestyle site: http://www.yourbestfouryears.com/journal/2014/3/30/cereal-to-start-your-day-off-right! Thank you :)
Lindsey says
Is there a dairy free option for this. Could I use coconut oil instead of butter?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Lindsey. Many readers have used coconut oil rather than butter. ~Amy
Monica says
I LOVE this granola. I can't seem to get it to last more than a couple days... It's just so good! I've even substituted coconut oil for the butter and it still turned out great! Great recipe! Thank you!
LUZ says
I tried these a couple of weeks ago and they were awesome. I only tried half the recipe, just in case I didn't like them, but they were wonderful. Making full recipe soon.
Amber says
This is my new favorite breakfast! Love it with milk! How much do you consider a serving. Also, to address the above comment, I accidentally completely forgot coconut last time I made this , and it turned out fine :).
Elisha says
My husband and I just started the 100 Days of Real Food challenge! This recipe looks wonder, but I wanted to get some ideas for substituting coconut. It's not a big favorite in our house.
Thanks!!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Elisha. Maybe some dried fruit pieces? ~Amy
Brittany says
I have found a new favorite cereal with some changes to this recipe. I sub puffed cereals such as puffed kumat, brown rice, wheat and millet for the 3 1/2 cups of oats. It produces the yummiest cereal or bars! It gives it a different crunch, like "sugar smacks" cereal. I have never successfully gotten bars from the original recipe with steel cut oats or otherwise. My change results in almost one complete block on the tray when done and can be broken into bars or crumbled into cereal. Also, we prefer this without the ginger. Only cinnamon for us. Thanks for the recipe that inspired a new favorite for us!
Lana says
Help! I did something wrong I guess. Made this according to recipe but it did not come out hard at all. I used organic steel cut oats trying to make bars, but there is nothing to 'break up' as it is all still kinda mushy.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Lana. You didn't cook the oats first, did you?