This really is the best healthy granola recipe! It’s quick and easy to make, naturally sweetened with (just a little) maple syrup, and always so flavorful and delicious.

Healthy Granola Recipe

Alright, time to pin, print, save, tag, or bookmark this recipe however in the world you prefer. Because I’m telling you, this one is a total keeper.

Friends…meet my all-time favorite homemade granola recipe! ♡

As I’m sure you’ve noticed by now, our little household has a borderline out-of-control granola obsession. We’re constantly whipping up various kinds of granola (or granola bars) to keep on hand for easy breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and — let’s be real — our fair share of lazy weeknight dinners cozied up on the couch with a bowl and a side of Netflix. We love it plain, we love it drowning in almond milk, we love mixing it with fresh fruit and Greek yogurt into parfaits, we love sprinkling it on everything from desserts to mashed potatoes to salads (<– yes, surprisingly good). We just freaking love granola.

And while I have shared over a dozen kinds of fun and quirky granola recipes here on the blog over the years, I will be the first to admit that the vast majority of the time, we usually keep things simple and default to this classic healthy granola recipe right here.

In my granola-obsessed opinion, it’s simply the best.

Partly because it’s super quick and easy to make, with ingredients you probably already keep in your pantry. Partly because it’s full of feel-good ingredients, including lots of protein and omega-3s. Partly because it isn’t overly sweet, just lightly tossed with a bit of honey or maple syrup. Partly because it’s perfectly crunchy, and easy to customize with whatever ingredients you love most. But mainly, I just love this granola recipe because it is downright delicious.

So if you’re on the search for a back-pocket, tried-and-true, perfectly-crunchy, all-kinds-of-flavorful, feel-good granola recipe of your own, I highly recommend giving this one a try. I think you’re going to love it!

The Best Healthy Granola Recipe | 1-Minute Video

Healthy Granola

Homemade Granola Ingredients:

To make this homemade granola recipe, you will need:

  • Old-fashioned oats: Also known as rolled oats. If making this recipe gluten-free, be sure to double-check that the brand you buy is certified GF.
  • Nuts: I almost always use slivered almonds in my granola. But feel free to replace them with your favorite nuts or seeds (like pepitas or sunflower seeds).
  • Chia seeds: I like sprinkling these in for extra omega-3s, but feel free to omit them if you prefer.
  • Melted coconut oil: Or your preferred kind of oil.
  • Honey: Or maple syrup.
  • Ground cinnamon, fine sea salt and vanilla extract: To flavor the granola.
  • Flaky coconut: Or you can use shredded coconut, or omit the coconut altogether.

How To Make Granola

How To Make Granola:

Alright, let’s talk about how to make granola! Simply:

  1. Toss together (most of) the dry ingredients. Oats, almonds, chia seeds, cinnamon and salt, that is. We’ll save the coconut and any extra add-ins for later.
  2. Add the wet ingredients. Whisk together the melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Then drizzle it over the dry ingredients and give everything a good toss until it’s evenly mixed. Spread the mixture out evenly on a large parchment-covered baking sheet.
  3. Bake. Let the mixture bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Then remove from the oven and give the mixture a thorough stir.
  4. Add coconut. Then sprinkle the coconut evenly on top of the granola. (We’re doing this so that it’s just lightly toasted and doesn’t overcook.)  And pop the baking sheet back in the oven for another 5 minutes, keeping a close eye on the coconut so that it doesn’t burn. Then remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack.
  5. Let the granola cool. Wait for about 20-30 minutes, or until the granola has completely cooled to room temperature. Then use a spoon (or your fingers) to break it up into your desired size of clumps.
  6. (Optional) Add your mix-ins. Then at this point, if you plan to add any chocolate chips, dried fruit, or other add-ins, go ahead and stir them in. And finally…
  7. Enjoy! You can either serve the granola right away. Or transfer it to a sealed container, and it should keep for up to 1 month.

Best Granola Recipe

Possible Variations:

Want to customize your granola a bit more? Feel free to add in extra:

  • Dried fruit: Any kind of chopped dried fruit would be delicious here.
  • Chocolate chips: As would, of course, your favorite kind of chocolate chips.
  • Peanut butter: Feel free to stir in 1/4 cup natural peanut butter (stir it into the melted coconut mixture) if you would like.
  • Warming spices: I’ve kept the recipe simple below with just using ground cinnamon. But feel free to add in any other additional warming spices that you love, such as ground nutmeg, cloves, ginger and/or allspice.

Healthy Granola Recipe with Almond Milk and Blueberries

More Favorite Granola Recipes:

Be sure to check out some of my other favorite granola recipes too!

The BEST Healthy Granola Recipe

Enjoy, everyone! ?

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Healthy Granola Recipe

The BEST Healthy Granola!

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 126 reviews
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 0 About 6 cups

Description

This truly is the BEST healthy granola recipe!  It’s quick and easy to make, it’s naturally sweetened with (just a little) maple syrup, and so flavorful and delicious.  See above for more ideas on how to customize your granola too.


Ingredients

Scale


Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350°F.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together oats, almonds, chia seeds, cinnamon and sea salt until evenly combined.
  3. In a separate measuring cup, stir together the melted coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract until combined.  Pour the coconut oil mixture into the oats mixture, and stir until evenly combined.
  4. Spread the granola out evenly on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through.  Then remove from the oven, add the coconut, and give the mixture a good stir.  Bake for 5 more minutes, until the granola is lightly toasted and golden.
  5. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire baking rack.  Let cool until the granola reaches room temperature.  Then stir in the dried fruit, chocolate chips or any other optional add-ins you might prefer.
  6. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.


Notes

Gluten-free option: If making this recipe gluten-free, be sure to use certified GF oats.

Fine sea salt: Note that if you use iodized (table) salt instead, you will need to use less salt.

The Best Healthy Granola Recipe

About Ali

Hi, I'm Ali Martin! I created this site in 2009 to celebrate good food and gathering around the table. I live in Kansas City with my husband and two young boys and love creating simple, reliable, delicious recipes that anyone can make!

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248 Comments

  1. Denise Givens says:

    Sounds yummy! Chia seeds and I don’t get along, so I assume I can just leave them out! Happy New Year to you and Barclay!

    1. Ali says:

      Sure thing! Feel free to just leave them out. :) And thank you!

  2. Phyllis says:

    I have never made granola but I will try your recipe.
    Wishing you both a Happy and Healthy New Year and looking forward to your blogs. Thank you so much! Your insights into a new and exciting time of your life are wonderful to read about.

    1. Ali says:

      Aw, thank you, Phyllis! Hope that you enjoy the granola! :)

  3. Martha Mitchell says:

    Hi there
    I make granola on a regular basis
    as my family always gobbles it right up!
    I prefer to double even triple granola recipes
    Do you recommend?
    Should turn out just as tasty, non?
    Thanks
    Can’t wait to make this
    Martha

    1. Ali says:

      Sure thing, feel free to double or triple! You’ll just need to bake each batch on a different baking sheet so that it doesn’t overcrowd the pan. ;) Enjoy!

  4. Beth says:

    I made this tonight. Your timing was perfect as I needed a change in breakfast. A lot of my chia seeds stuck to the parchment paper. Is that normal?

    1. Ali says:

      Yay, thanks for giving it a try! And hmmm, mine often drop to the bottom a bit, but they usually don’t stick. Not sure why that would be…maybe they sat on the parchment a little too long before baking? Hopefully you can just scrape them off. :)

    2. Teri Ware says:

      Mine stuck or fell off, too. I’m thinking that next time, I’ll sprinkle it on top and pat it down.

  5. Adele Fulkerson says:

    This looks great, thank you. How could I make this into granola bars? Or do you have another healthy recipe for that?

    1. Ali says:

      Recipe coming soon actually! :)

  6. Marsha B. says:

    This looks so good, I’m making some today! The last batch of granola I made was pumpkin flavored and now that the Holidays are done I’m so over that for awhile! :) I love a nice big sprinkle of granola over my greek yogurt! Thanks for sharing this recipe!

    1. Ali says:

      Awesome, hope you enjoy it!

  7. Rebekah says:

    This looks great! Should the almonds be raw?

    1. Ali says:

      I use the basic slivered almonds, which I believe are briefly blanched.

  8. Tracy says:

    Hello, I am excited to try your recipe. I love fruit and will be sure to add. Thanks

    1. Ali says:

      Awesome, enjoy!!

  9. Susan says:

    This recipe is similar to the granola I usually make, except mine doesn’t have cinnamon and does have dried cherries. I’ll have to try making a batch of your granola, and I will probably add fruit.

    1. Ali says:

      Sounds great! Enjoy!

  10. Leslie Gardiner says:

    Hi! I have just enjoyed your December update video about your month in Barcelona! Thank you both for including all of us who have been enjoying your blog in this next stage of your life together! I am really loving your look back at favorite times and the hard times too. Learning a lot, and wishing you both a GREAT year in Barcelona!

    1. Ali says:

      Aw, thank you so much for watching, and for your encouraging words! :) We really appreciate it!