Name: Best Homemade Granola
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups rolled oats; 1/4 cup sesame seeds; 1 cup chopped mixed nuts; 2/3 cup oat bran or wheat germ; 2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut; 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds; 1/2 cup dark brown sugar; 2/3 cup sunflower or any light oil; 2/3 cup water; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/4 teaspoon salt

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This is the best homemade granola, with a naturally gluten-free combination of oats, seeds, nuts, and a wonderful texture and crunch.

This recipe is part of my Breakfast collection, where you can find a variety of foods you might find interesting. You can try these Banana Pancakes, or this savory recipe for Blueberry Bread Pudding With Cheddar. Learn how to make a Strata or try these delicious Easy Banana Nut Muffins.

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Why should you try this recipe?
Recipe Ingredients:
Variations
How to make this recipe
How to serve
How to store
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Why should you try this recipe?

It is gluten-free: Naturally gluten-free, this homemade granola is healthy, low in sugar, and packed with beautiful ingredients full of nutrients and flavors. It is ready in less than 40 minutes and super easy to make.

Great for adding fiber to your digestive system: Whether in a bar or a bowl, wholegrain cereals are good for our bodies. Fiber is necessary to keep your gut healthy, and you will undoubtedly notice a difference if you start incorporating whole grains into your daily breakfast.

Fuel to start the day: People often skip breakfast because they do not have time or simply because they are not hungry.

But cliche or not, many cultures around the world start their day with a meal that is considered the most important of the day.

We need fuel to function correctly, and after not eating anything for about 12 hours overnight, we are definitely running on fumes in the morning.

Your body is like a car engine, and you need food if you want to get the most out of your day.

Breakfast provides the energy we need for daily life.

There is some evidence to suggest that both children and adults who eat breakfast regularly perform better and are less likely to be overweight than those who do not.

Versatile: This easy homemade granola is a beautiful recipe that you can make at home. You can add/replace some ingredients with things you like.

Recipe Ingredients:

(See the recipe card for quantities.)

Cereals and other dried ingredients:

Oats: Rolled oats, the main ingredient in this recipe, are also known as old-fashioned oats. They're flat, irregular in shape, and steamed then flattened during processing. Naturally gluten-free, they absorb more liquid than steel-cut oats, making them ideal for granola, bars, muffins, and cookies. Steel-cut oats, which are chewier and drier, aren't recommended for granola, and instant oats, being highly processed, are also not suitable.
Sesame seeds: These seeds have a rich, nutty flavor to the mixture.
Chopped mixed nuts: Mixed nuts could be anything you like, from pecans to cashews, almonds, peanuts, or walnuts. There are so many options out there, and all are good for you.
Oat bran: Oat bran is the skin of the oats that is left over after the grains are processed. We add them because they are good for us. You can replace the oat bran with wheat germ or flaxseeds.
Unsweetened shredded coconut: For this recipe, I use unsweetened shredded coconut or coconut flakes to cut down on sugar. Remember, coconut flakes differ from shredded coconut, but either can be used if unsweetened. This flexible recipe allows you to omit coconut entirely if it's not to your taste.
Pumpkin seeds: Pumpkin seeds or pepitas have great texture adding a good crunch. I like them in this recipe for their texture and color. I used raw seeds, as they will roast in the oven together with the oats.
Brown sugar: It brings an extra level of flavor to the cereals due to the amount of molasses in the sugar.

Syrup ingredients:

Sunflower or any light oil: Vegetable oil is used to coat and protect the oats from burning while baking in the oven. You do not need any fancy oil here. I used sunflower oil because this is what I have in the house. Because we also use coconut flakes, you can replace vegetable oil with coconut oil for extra flavor. The cereals also need moisture, so we combine the oil with water, which is the next ingredient on our list.
Water: Water adds moisture to the grains, so they cook evenly in the oven without burning.
Salt: Salt is the magic ingredient in any baked goods. It balances and enhances the flavors of the product, so please do not skip it.
Vanilla extract: Try to buy a good vanilla extract that doesn't taste artificial. Good vanilla brings happiness to a dish, so please buy the best you can afford.

Variations

This is a basic recipe that you use for a quick batch of granola. However, here are more ideas to make this homemade granola even better:

Flaxseeds: Prepare the basic recipe, and add ¼ cup of flaxseeds, whole or crushed, and ¼ cup of sunflower seeds. Mix and proceed with the rest of the instructions.

Berries - Prepare the basic recipe, bake, and remove from the oven. Add ½ cup of dried berries like cranberries, raisins, blueberries, currants, or strawberries, and mix them with the cereals.

Apple&Cinnamon - Prepare the basic recipe without the coconut. Add two teaspoons of ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients. Bake, remove from the oven, and add ⅔ cup of dried apples to the mixture stirring well.

How to make this recipe

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Place parchment paper on a baking tray or cookie sheet and set aside.

Step 2. Combine the oats, sesame seeds, chopped nuts, oat bran, coconut, pumpkin seeds, and brown sugar in a large bowl.

Step 3. Whisk together the oil, salt, water, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients, and stir to combine. Mix well.

Step 4. Spread the mixture into a large baking pan or a cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, occasionally stirring, until the mixture gets crisp and golden.

Step 5. Remove the tray from the oven and allow it to cool before storing the granola in an airtight container.

Cooked granola on baking tray with blue towel0

How to serve

Serve it with milk, fruits, yogurt, or on its own. While some people might find this weird, I like to warm up the milk, especially on colder days when I need something to “stick to my ribs.”

Cooked granola in a bowl Pinterest photo

How to store

Store it in an airtight container for up to two weeks. I would not store it in the fridge, as it might lose the crunch due to the humidity. Some people freeze it for later use, but I never tried it. If you consume it in these two weeks, it will not go stale.

Try my other recipe of Homemade granola with berries!