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
Stephanie says
Hello, was wondering if you could substitute agave nectar for honey?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi there. We do not use agave as a sweetener. This article will help explain why: http://www.foodrenegade.com/agave-nectar-good-or-bad/. ~Amy
Maureen says
I was wondering how I could make this sugar free.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Maureen. I supposed you could make Lisa's recipe without the honey. Here is a recipe I found that uses eggs as the binder: http://snapguide.com/guides/make-tasty-sugar-free-granola-healthyeating/. Maybe you could adapt the recipe in that way? ~Amy
Maureen says
Thanks Amy!
Beth says
Hello,
Could I substitute the butter with some coconut oil? Or is there a different alternative?
Thank you,
Beth
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Beth. Yes, you can use coconut oil rather than butter. ~Amy
Liz says
Mine were a little burned on the bottom. Did anyone else have this problem? Should I have turned the granola mixture during baking??
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Liz. You may just have had the rack placed too low? ~Amy
Stacey says
Is it possible to make this granola gluten-free? Thanks.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi there Stacey. You can find gluten free oats. I buy mine at Trader Joe's but I know Bob's Red Mill makes them as well. ~Amy
Elly says
Can the granola bars be frozen?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Elly. Yep, they freeze well. ~Amy
Elly says
Thank you! I can't wait to try that.
phyllis says
I want to add some raisins and dried cranberries. Has anybody added these? When would I do that, thinking I don't want to bake them, can I just add them when the granola comes out of the oven?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Phyllis. I would add those after the granola comes out of the oven but while it is still warm. ~Amy
Phyllis says
Thank you.
Sara says
I apologize if someone has asked this already, but is this freezable? And for how long? I am in dire need of cooking in bulk and freezing (four preschoolers, stay at home mom, little motivation in the moment :)), but am still kind of new to the whole thing. Thank you!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Sara. It freezes well. I usually try not to keep things frozen beyond 3 months but they are probably okay up to 6. ~Amy
Rebekah says
Can I leave out the coconut?
Brenda says
Hi, are sunflower kernels the same thing as sunflower seeds? Do normal grocery stores sell nuts unsalted? What about sesame seeds? This whole seed/nut buying thing is new to me, thanks!!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hello Brenda. Yes, they are the same thing. You can usually find some unsalted nuts in conventional grocery stores though often not a wide variety. ~Amy
ana says
I found unsweetened shredded coconut at Sprouts!!
I loved this granola! I had no idea it was sooooo easy to make :)
Thanks a million!
Milena says
Holly Cow!!!!! This graola is AMAZING!!!! :) i love granola bars and made this one twice last week!!! I think I'm addicted lol!! Thank you for all your receipes!!
Courtney says
Yummy and my house smells like Christmas while its baking!
Melissa says
I love this granola! I make it once a week.
Jenn says
Has anyone tried this using maple syrup in place of honey? I am out of honey and out of granola - yikes!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Jenn. We've not made the substitution ourselves but think it will work. We would love to know how it turns out for you. ~Amy
Denise says
I make a recipe similar using maple syrup and brown sugar and oil (not butter). Think I might try it with just maple syrup.
Gayle says
Jenn, I always make my granola with Pure Maple Syrup I also use coconut oil and not butter. These substitutions make a great granola.
Kate says
Made this tonight with help from the kiddos. I browned the butter, which made it extra yummy. They can't wait for breakfast! Thanks for sharing!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Alice. It should be 7-8 cups. ~Amy
Alice says
Just out of curiosity, how many cups of granola does this recipe yield approximately if making a cereal and following the recipe exactly?
Thanks & I look forwards to trying it!
Rene says
This is the best recipe of the blog. So easy and it lasted for 2 weeks. So yummy that I snack on it too. I ate most of it since husband and kiddo did not like it that much :(
Jessica says
Do I use old fashioned oats or the quick cook type oats. Can't wait to give this recipe a try!
Anne-Marie says
i've always used the regular rolled oats.
Shannon says
Just made this today... My house smells wonderful and I can't wait to use these for lunches th s week! Love this site and the wonderful recipes. I have spent a lot of my life watching calories... Lately it is just about putting the right food inside me! Thanks!
Angie says
Looking forward to making these! Can I use ghee, instead of butter? Is it a 1:1 ratio?
Thanks!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Angie. Yes! :)
Jamie says
I am looking for a way to add some dark chocolate to a granola recipe. Would I just add it at the end when it cools down? I would take any suggestions! I don't want to give up chocolate cereal completely :)
Beth says
I have thrown in some raw cacao nibs. They're pretty strong since they're pure cacao, so a little definitely goes a long way - maybe a couple of tbsp TOPS at first - but it does give a little chocolate flavor.
Jamie says
Do you throw them in before or after it is cooked? Thanks!
Rebecca says
I was wondering if you had any nutritional information for this recipe. Thank you!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Rebecca. We do not provide nutrition information on our recipes. We want people focusing on eating real foods/more whole foods and less on numbers. Here are some posts which help explain our philosophy: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/04/healthy-eating-defined/, https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/23/portion-size-matters/, and https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/10-reasons-to-cut-out-processed-food/ and https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/04/29/mini-pledge-week-8-stop-eating-when-you-feel-full/. There are many tools available online which can help calculate nutrition detail for recipes. ~Amy
Megan says
Hi there!
We absolutely loved this recipe and I am so very thankful for the blessing of your website in helping to teach me how to eat real food in such a "processed world"! I have started my own blog a couple of weeks ago and am very new to blogging and blogging "ettiquite, I have shared your website on my blog because I think it is such a good resource! I have given you any credit for anything I post about you all, but is that how I would go about it?! Do bloggers have to ask permission to share another website etc. as long as they give them the credit? I started the 100 day challenge on the 17th, but have done clean eating for awhile before, but really want to stick to it this time! I am blogging about my faith, family, and heath and wellness!
Also, in the comments someone posted about adding chocolate chips to the granola bars, do you have a brand of chocolate chips you recommend? I have been wanting to use chocolate chips in so many things, but I know most of them have chocolate liquor and soy lecithin and I wasn't too sure about those ingredients.
Thank you!
I appreciate any information, thank you!
Kendra says
Enjoy Life brand is free of all of those things! You can get them online pretty easily if your store doesn't carry them.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Megan. We love when readers share our "stuff". In order to answer your question, here are our terms of use: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/terms-of-use/. I occasionally buy chocolate chips from Whole Foods, though I cannot remember the brand off hand. They also carry a lot of quality dark chocolate bars which you can grind/shave into small pieces if you are unable to find the chips that you want. ~Amy
lori g says
My daughter is allergic to tree nuts so I use peanuts (no allergy issues) and extra oats and seeds to replace the nuts. It is delicious! I wish my phone would allow me to give it 5 stars.
Jen says
I made this yesterday and am enjoying it for breakfast this morning. Thanks for a great recipe! I did make a few adjustments. I couldn't find the pumpkin seeds so I doubled up on the sunflower seeds, and I also used walnuts in place of cashews to keep the cost down. As is, I spent over $15 on all the ingredients, so I'm not sure how often I will be making it, but it is yummy. Oh, also I did not have enough honey on hand, so I did half honey and half maple syrup.
Jessica says
Update!! After burning two batches and crying like a baby, I increased the honey to 3/4 cup, lowered the temp to 225, and pulled it out after 60 minutes (and omitted nutmeg, because I don't care for it) and it was perfect! We've eaten it with fresh berries every day this week and I'm going to have to hide it from my husband because he will not stop snacking on it ;) Thanks for the great recipe and the tips on getting the perfect batch!
nicole says
How do I pin this recipe to pinterest? For some reason I don't see an option to pin it....
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Nicole. If you click on "share this" and then click on "more" it will show all the options including Pinterest. ~Amy
Jessica says
I attempted this recipe last weekend and it burned. I was so disappointed, but I was determined to try it again this weekend. Once again I followed the recipe exactly and even pulled it out of the oven after only 65 minutes and the bottom is burned, tainting the entire batch. I am just so upset I could cry. I spent so much money and time on these two batches only to have to throw them both away. Am I the only one dealing with burned granola?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Jessica. I am so sorry that was your experience. There have been a couple other readers who have burnt their batches, too. It could be that your oven runs a bit hot. I make various versions of this granola pretty regularly and mine is usually ready to come out between 65 and 70 minutes. Maybe you could try setting your temperature a little lower while checking it regularly and see if that helps? Again, so sorry. :( ~Amy
Meredith says
Jessica, I had the same problem the first time I made this, too. The next time around, I used almost 3/4 C honey instead of 1/2 C and it stuck together better.
Starr says
I made this last night and it was amazing. Suprisingly enough, my significant other (who is an "all processed foods and nothing close to whole foods" eater) loves this and took a batch to share at his work.
It is also very food stamps friendly. My family has a monthly allowance of $367 for the three of us and altering the recipe a little like cutting out some of the more expensive nut and seeds and switching them, helped save a lot of money then we normally spend on cereal alone.
Leota81 says
This is a great granola recipe.....but try as I might I couldn't get it to stick together for bars. I even tried a batch and added peanut butter to it and still no luck. It turned out delicious though so I'm happy it is still a good snack and yogurt topping.
Natalie C says
Hi! I've made this granola before and it was out of this world. Recently, I've cut dairy from my diet. I'm wondering if I can sub something like coconut oil for the butter in this recipe. If so, do I use the same amount?? Thanks!!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Natalie. Yes, it is a one to one exchange. Enjoy. ~Amy
Kim says
Hello, just wondered if anyone has used stevia for a honey substitute? I've been learning that honey is great for allergies, but can cause you to gain weight. thanks
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Kim. We do not use stevia. Most forms you will find are very highly processed. And, stevia in its natural form is a green leaf and not a white powder. As for honey, it is certainly high calorie and very sweet. It is, however, more nutrient rich than sugar and certainly less processed. We suggest using all forms of sugar in moderation in your diet as to avoid any of the negative effects. Here is more information: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/05/06/mini-pledge-week-9-no-refined-sweeteners/. ~Amy
Crystal says
Have you any updates as to soaking the nuts, seeds, and oats prior to cooking them? ...in an effort to wash off the enzyme inhibitors. Thank you for all the great resources!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Crystal. No updates but I am researching it. ~Amy
Fanny Lupton says
Hi, I just made this wonderful granola for my family. Everyone loved it especially me. I was wondering if you knew the nutritional information on it i.e, calories, fat, carbs, etc??
Thanks.
Sarah says
Fanny,
There is a nutritional calculator at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator
I haven't used it yet, but I am in the same boat as you in terms of wanting the nutritional info.
Hope it is helpful
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Ladies. I feel compelled to explain why we do not provide nutrition information on our recipes. We want people focusing on eating real foods/more whole foods and much less on numbers. Here are some posts which help explain our philosophy: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/04/healthy-eating-defined/, https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/23/portion-size-matters/, and https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/10-reasons-to-cut-out-processed-food/ and https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/04/29/mini-pledge-week-8-stop-eating-when-you-feel-full/. :) ~Amy
Christi says
I tried this recipe for bars but the steel cut oats have not stuck together at all! I'm brainstoring and I think it's because I didn't prepare the oats properly. They have to be cooked first? These bars are crunchy like Grape Nuts!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Christi. No, they do not need to be cooked first. Other readers have had some difficulty with this but have had success when they added a bit of honey, dates, or peanut butter. Last time I made it, I used both rolled and steel cut oats, added a bit of peanut butter and dark chocolate chips. I pressed it together a bit and let it cool completely. It was delish and stuck together nicely. ~Amy
nicole says
Do you always use parchment paper when making things like this granola or do you ever something like a silpat mat? I feel so wasteful using a piece of parchment paper every time I make more granola but I'm not sure how the safety of something like a silpat mat. Just wondering what your thoughts are about them. Thanks.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Nicole. A silicone mat will work fine, too. As with many things, including parchment, you can find very conflicting opinions about the safety of its use. ~Amy
Ashley says
Hi! I can't wait to try these! I am officially cutting out cereal in my home! What brand of oats do you use? I want to make sure I buy the best product and least processed! Thanks!!!
Rebecca says
Oh my goodness! This recipe is so delicious. I didn't have pumpkin seeds but added flax seeds instead and my family isn't keen on coconut so I left that out. Mine didn't form bars (maybe because lack of coconut) but is the yummiest, whole food, cheap cereal!!! Thanks for all the healthy recipes.