This simple granola recipe is the perfect base recipe for a delicious granola. Great on its own, or with nuts or dried fruit mixed in! Enjoy with yogurt, milk, or plain!
When I was in Vienna on my study abroad, my most favorite breakfast was yogurt with muesli on top. Muesli is basically uncooked granola (also known as rolled oats) with lots of fruits and nuts in it. My favorites usually had dried strawberries or banana and chocolate pieces tossed throughout. From there I grew to love the crunchy texture of the cereal on top of my morning yogurt.
Well, fast forward a couple years, and now I love granola on top of my yogurt with some fresh fruit. I also love just grabbing a handful of granola for a great snack on, or eating it like cereal in a bowl with milk.
I decided that it would be easier to make my own granola at home. And this granola recipe could not be any easier! This granola is only 6 ingredients and its so delicious! It’s such a great granola recipe on its own, but its also amazing with dried fruit or nuts added in to the mix.
What type of oats should I use?
For this granola recipe you’ll want to use rolled oats, which are also called old fashioned oats, or whole oats. Rolled oats are pieces of whole grains of oats that are steamed till they’re soft and then pressed to flatten.
Quick oats, or instant oats are precooked and pressed thinner than rolled oats, so you may be able to use them instead, but they will cook much faster because of their thinner shape, so you’ll need to adjust your baking time. I’ve never tried making granola with steel cut oats. There are recipes using steel cut oats and I would recommend using one of those instead as the nature of the oats are a lot different than rolled oats. But if you try it with this recipe, please let me know!
**This post contains affiliate links to products, if you purchase something via these links I may receive a small commission from them, at no additional cost to you.
What can I mix in with the granola?
- Raisins or Craisins
- Other Dried Fruit (dried pineapple, bananas, apricots, blueberries, coconut flakes, cherries, mango, etc)
- Your Favorite Nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc)
- Seeds (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, etc)
- Chocolate or White Chocolate Pieces (Add these after the granola is baked or they will become a melty mess)
This simple granola turned out so delicious. I’m thrilled to be able to eat it on top of my daily yogurt or with milk! I’ve also used it to make homemade granola bars, and yogurt parfaits.
Ps. Nate even loves it too (which is always a good sign!), he was hungry last night and had a bowl of my homemade granola with milk.
How to make homemade granola?
Combine the wet ingredients; brown sugar, honey, and canola oil in a small sauce pan and heat over medium until the sugar is dissolved.
Add the oats to a large bowl, and pour the sugar mixture over the oats. Stir in the cinnamon and salt too until the oats are evenly coated.
Spread the mixture onto a greased cookie sheet pan, or a pan lined in parchment paper in an even layer. Bake it up for 1 hour, stirring about 2 to 3 times until it’s nicely golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the granola cool completely. Then break it into pieces. Enjoy however you want!
Tips and Tricks:
- Try adding melted coconut oil, vegetable oil, or extra virgin olive oil to your granola mixture instead of canola oil. The flavor will be a little different depending on which you add.
- Use real maple syrup instead of honey in the wet ingredients for the sweetener.
- Add in 1 to 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to the wet ingredients for this granola.
Ways to use homemade granola?
- Eat it instead of breakfast cereal in a small bowl with a little milk.
- Add some nuts, pretzels, dark chocolate chips, dried fruit, or m&ms to the granola after it’s baked and cooled, and enjoy it like trail mix.
- Add some granola crumbled on top of some greek yogurt, or other low-fat yogurt.
- Add a couple tablespoons on top of your favorite ice cream for a nice crunch.
How long does homemade granola last?
Although it never lasts that long for us, this homemade granola should stay fresh in an airtight container or zip-top plastic bag for 3-4 weeks.
This granola can also be frozen in small ziplock freezer safe bags for up to 3 months. Remove as much air from the bags as you can, or use vacuum sealed bags and a vacuum sealer for best results. Let the granola thaw on the counter at room temperature over night before serving.
Looking for more homemade granola recipes:
More Favorites from Like Mother, Like Daughter
Connect with Like Mother, Like Daughter
Be sure to follow us on social media, so you never miss a single post!
Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Email
Simple Granola
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup canola oil**
- 4 cups old fashioned oats
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Combine brown sugar, honey and canola oil in a small sauce pan over medium heat.
- Cook, stirring often until sugar is dissolved.
- Pour brown sugar mixture over oats and add cinnamon and salt. Stir until oats are evenly coated.
- Spread granola mixture over a cookie sheet (sprayed with pam) and press mixture down.
- Place in oven and bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15-20 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before breaking apart and into pieces.
- Store in a ziplock bag or other air tight container.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was first shared on May 24, 2013. Photos and text updated on August 24, 2018.
GET READY TO MAKE THIS SIMPLE GRANOLA BASE WITH THESE GREAT KITCHEN TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS:
Cordelia says
This is a great recipe! I accidentally used dark brown sugar instead of light but it still came out so delicious! Much better than any store bought granola I’ve bought. Can’t wait to add pecans and dried cranberries when I make this again. Everyone I’ve gifted granola says it’s tastes so good! Love that the nutrition facts are calculated for us as well. Thank you! <3