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
Jori Wachowiak says
Can I dry this in a food dehydrator instead of in my oven? I just got one and I'd love to start using it, just not quite sure what I can use it for yet. Thanks!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Jori. I do know that people make granola in a dehydrator but we've not tried. Let us know if you experiment with it.
Georgia says
We make this weekly, but the kids are wanting to try a chocolate version. Is there a way to add cocoa powder or something as a treat?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hello Georgia. How about chocolate chips? We do that often. :)
Angela says
Could I use coconut oil instead of the butter? I can't have any dairy...
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Angela. Yes, you can. :)
Kimberly Davis says
Is it possible or has anyone gained weight while changing over to this way of eating? I seem to have even while giving up soda and sweets???
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Kim. I would say that both food choices and portions size matter. These post might help: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/23/portion-size-matters/ and https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/04/healthy-eating-defined/.
Helen says
I prefer to make meusli, to not have butter and sweets (honey) in my breakfast cereal. Basically the same ingredients but leave out the butter, honey, vanilla and salt; no baking needed then. I also add ground flax to the mix. Add fresh diced bananas, strawberries, blueberries to your bowl, or any other fresh or frozen fruit. I've been totally addicted to this for years!
Darlett says
I bought some honey. It says it is Clover Honey...Grade A 100% Pure
Is this the same as Raw Honey? I plan on making this granola which I see requires honey. The Raw Honey was more expensive...maybe it was better...
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Darlett. Raw honey will be mark as such and is usually a more expensive honey. You can use clover honey, though. ;)
Suzanne says
I've been making this every week for a few months now using butter. My whole family loves it! I tried making it with the coconut oil today and it burnt beyond belief after less than an hour in the oven? Has anyone else had this problem?
Kisha Q says
This is a favorite in my house. I cook it for exactly 68 minutes, and it comes out perfectly. My crew mixes it with yogurt, has it as cereal, or just munches on it during the day!!
Cassandra says
Hello,
How many cups is acceptable to eat for cereal? How much is acceptable to top on yogurt? I want to make this but want to make sure my portions are accurate.
Rachel says
About 3/4 c. is a serving to me. I put about a 1/2 c. on top of yogurt.
Cassandra says
Should the granola be refrigerated?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Cassandra. Refrigerating it is fine. You can even freeze it to prolong freshness. It just depends on how fast you eat it. Ours is kept in the pantry but is generally completed eaten within a week.
Krystine says
This is part of my weekly food prep. We eat it like cereal, on yogurt, I leave some of it as bars.
Love it!
Karen says
Love this recipe. Made it twice so far. It is fragile but didn't have issues of it not binding. We let it cool down completely before touching it. Maybe that helps. Freezes awesome! We couldn't find the raw pumpkin seeds so we did use roasted and salted; they were fine. Otherwise followed recipe exactly.
Carol says
wondering what the nutricional breakdown is for this granola in serving sizes.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Carol. We do not provide nutrition information. This post will help you understand why: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/04/healthy-eating-defined/. There are online tools like My Fitness Pal that can help you figure out those details. ~Amy
lenah says
i dont have sunflower or pumpkin seeds, will this taste okay until i can buy some for my next batch?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Lenah. It will.
Catherine says
All I can say is OMG so delicious! I was a little afraid of the amount of ginger so I just did a sprinkle instead. The flavors blend so beautifully. I mixed the liquids into the dry in a bowl instead then spread on to baking sheet lined with parchment.
Paige says
My daughter is allergic to cinnamon. Are there any recommendations for substituting it? I know it's a large part of the spices.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Paige. You can just leave it out.
Jaime says
I just put my very first batch in the oven. I can't wait to taste it. It smells amazing!!
Ticiana says
How many granola bars does this recipe make?
Im trying to figure out serving size. Thanks.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Ticiana. I've not made these in bar form for a while but I think I get about a dozen and a half.
Julie says
I apologize if this was already asked but I don't have time to search through all the comments. :) is there a way to make the granola nut free since we have a nut allergy in our house? Thanks so much for all your work and info...I am new to the blog and am enjoying it!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Julie. Here is a nut free recipe I made for friends this holiday. It's a bar: http://www.superhealthykids.com/delicious-and-chewy-homemade-granola-bars-for-nut-free-kids/. Maybe you can experiment with a nut free-combination of both recipes. :) ~Amy
Stacey says
Like another commenter I was looking for a replacement for Cheerios for my 17 month old. I made the granola and we have not looked back. We love it! I make it almost weekly/bi-weekly so we always have a supply. Thanks so much!
Jennifer says
This is THE best granola recipe. I thoroughly enjoyed making and eating this! The time it took to bake warmed my house, which is nice considering it is winter. Thank you!
JP says
There are 68 pages of comments so I apologize if this was asked…do you know the nutritional breakdown of the granola? I could go through each ingredient but I was wondering if anyone has done this already. I am adding non processed foods to my diet (eliminating processed would be better to say) and I like to log nutrients (carbs and fats etc) for tracking as weight loss is also a goal. Thanks for any help. I really enjoy the blog, website and facebook posts so thank Lisa for me. I am a guy and I think there are not many that follow. I talk to friends about non-processed food choices often and always refer them here as a starting point. Thanks again, JP PS, I made this last year and it was great, just looking to make it again and track ingredients.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi there. We do not provide nutrition information because we really don't focus much on numbers. I do think I recall a reader providing that info somewhere in the comments, though. You can also import recipes into My Fitness Pal and it will give you the break down. :)
JP says
Thanks Amy, that was my plan but I was trying to skip the work and hoping someone had already done it. :) I use my fitness pal and will load it all in as a "meal". I appreciate that you don't like to focus on the numbers, I get that. For me though, right now I need to. I appreciate the quick reply and thanks again to Lisa, you and your team for providing such great information. SHared it today with a group of guys actually. Have a great day, JP
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
:)
Gina A says
First time making homemade granola. This is some seriously awesome stuff!
Karen says
Do you have to add the honey and butter? Just wondering if you can just mix all the dry ingredients and eat it that way? (without baking)
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hello Karen. Sure, I suppose you would have raw and unsweetened granola. :)
Yvonne M says
Is there any reason I cannot freeze the granola after making it. I am the only person eating it and not sure it will be gone in 2 weeks.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Yes you can freeze it, Yvonne.
Laura says
How much can you taste the coconut? I really really really dislike coconut.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi there. You can leave the coconut out if you choose.
Ashleigh says
I made this for the first time today and was not disappointed. One little tip for anybody making it for the first time would be to watch the cooking time. 75 minutes was a little too long for mine. Still delicious though. Can't wait to try it again with some different ingredient variations!
Chandra says
When making the granola cereal ( to bars), if I want to add dried fruit, should I add it before baking or after?
Thanks!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Chandra. Before. ;)
Leigh says
Do you need to do anything to the dried fruit to keep it from drying out? I've read some recipes that suggest soaking the fruit in water in advance of baking it in granola...
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Leigh. I've not soaked the dried fruit and have not have a problem. You don't have to add it before cooking, however. I do because I prefer to make bars.
melissa says
What size pan?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Melissa. I use a 15xs20 cookie sheet.
Jennifer says
Lisa... What is the portion size of granola that you have for breakfast? Thanks!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Jennifer. About a half cup. ~Amy
Stacey says
Would it be okay to substitute coconut oil for the butter?! Looking for dairy free options :) Thanks!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Stacey. Yes, many readers have subbed coconut oil.
JP says
Amy, there are 65 pages of comments so I apologize if this was asked...do you know the nutritional breakdown of the granola? I could go through each ingredient but I was wondering if anyone has done this already. I am adding non processed foods to my diet (eliminating processed would be better to say) and I like to log nutrients (and fats etc) for tracking as weight loss is also a goal. Thanks for any help. I really enjoy the blog, website and facebook posts so thank Lisa for me. I am a guy and I think there are not many that follow. I talk to friends about non-processed food choices often and always refer them here as a starting point. Thanks again, JP PS, I made this last year and it was great, just looking to it again and track ingredients.
CanadianFollower says
Has anyone tried freezing this? It makes a huge batch and I don't know if we'll get through it all in two weeks! Also, not sure why, but mine didn't really stick together that well.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi there. You can totally freeze this. This cereal doesn't really clump unless you press it into bars.
Ezekiel says
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Heather says
I've made this once before and crumbled it by hand (for granola). I'm making it again and I'd love any tips from anyone about breaking it up more easily.
Nicole says
I made this morning and it is fantastic! It hardened perfectly for me and is very delicious. I will definitely be making this a staple item. Super easy and yummy!
Emily says
I can't see the actual recipe :(
Jackie Brady says
Where is the recipe for the granola bars?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Sorry, there must have been a little system hiccup today.
Megan says
I can't see the recipe, today. Just the first part of the post and the comments. I saw it a few days ago, then tried to look it up to make it and it was gone. Tried on two different devices. Any ideas?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
The issue must have been on this end!
Barbara theodore says
I followed the directions closely this didn't harden for me:(
Barb says
Just made these today and they are great!! I let it sit on the counter to cool for about an hour and it broke into bars nicely. I wasn't sure I was going to like them before I baked them because i didn't care for the smell too much. Apparently cooking them makes a big difference! Now I just need my 4 year old to try them...thanks!!
Jessica says
I love this recipe! (As well as all of the other recipes of yours I have tried.) They are easy and so delicious. I have tried dozens of other granola recipes and they never turn out well...this one never fails me!
Tracey says
No hardening for me either.