This easy granola recipe is our default gluten free cereal to keep on hand for breakfast or snacks. It's my basic, original recipe that I've been making for years since my kids were small. We like it with homemade Oat Milk. It's also an easy granola recipe for yogurt.
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This low sugar granola recipe is sweetened naturally with just a little raw honey. It's the ultimate granola recipe for customizing according to your personal preferences! Just keep the total quantities the same. I explain this in more detail in the recipe notes. If you're looking for a more decadent, sweet and salty treat, try this Homemade Granola Recipe.
I like to make granola in a large roasting pan rather than on a baking sheet. That way, it's easy to make a double batch without it spilling over the edges when you stir it. If you double the recipe, you'll need to bake it a little longer. Just keep an eye on it.
Ingredients
- Oatmeal - If your healthy granola recipe also needs to be gluten free, use certified gluten free oats. Otherwise, the rolled oats most likely contain gluten from shared fields and processing equipment.
- Almonds - Pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts also work nicely in granola and can be substituted in an equal amount.
- Seeds - If you wish, replace some or all of the sesame and sunflower seeds for pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, or hemp hearts.
- Honey - I like to use raw local honey for its healthy benefits. If you would like to make this recipe work for a vegan diet, use the same amount of maple syrup instead of honey.
- Dried Fruit - Feel free to swap out the raisins and/or dried cranberries for any other dried fruit that you like.
Instructions
Combine the oats, coconut, nuts, and seeds in a large roasting pan.
Stir the mixture together and then stir in the melted coconut oil. Bake, stirring a couple of times, until your granola is starting to become toasty brown around the edges.
Add honey and dried fruit into the hot granola fresh from the oven.
Once everything has been combined, allow the granola to cool in the pan at room temperature. If you would like it to form clumps, don't stir it. If you don't want the clumps, stir it occasionally as it cools.
Now it's ready to eat whenever you are!
Recipe FAQ's and Top Tips
If you compare store-bought granola to homemade granola with the same ingredients in the same quantities, it's definitely cheaper to make your own. If you look closely, you'll find that most store-bought granolas are heavy on oats (the least expensive ingredient) and much lighter on nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. They also often use oils that are less expensive than coconut oil.
You can substitute an equal amount of maple syrup for the honey in this recipe. This will make your granola suitable for a vegan diet. It's something I sometimes do when I'm out of honey or simply want a little change in flavour.
Homemade granola will last a couple of weeks sealed in an airtight container at room temperature. If you want to keep it longer than that, keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Don't refrigerate your homemade granola, as it can become soggy. Refrigeration is unnecessary. It keeps fine at room temperature.
If your granola is not crunchy, it may be that it was undercooked, it was put into a sealed container before completely cooling, or it has been kept in the refrigerator.
Stovetop Granola Instructions
I have often made this granola on the stovetop in a cast iron skillet as we travel in our motorhome. You can make it in ten minutes or less, depending on the level of heat. Here are my top tips!
- Cut the amounts of ingredients in half. (You can easily calculate them by changing the servings from 12 to 6 with the handy slider bar in the recipe.)
- Set a full-size cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- Add the coconut oil first.
- Then stir in the nuts, coconut, seeds, and oats. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes nice and toasty.
- Turn off the heat. Continue to keep an eye on your granola, stirring it occasionally, because cast iron really holds the heat and will continue to cook for awhile.
- Stir the honey, raisins, and cranberries into the warm granola and put it away in a covered container.
More Gluten Free Oat Recipes
- Sweet and Salty Granola
- Baked Overnight Oats
- Instant Pot Porridge
- Oat Milk
- Carrot Cake Baked Overnight Oatmeal
- Oatmeal Cookies
Recipe
Classic Granola Recipe
Equipment
- Roasting Pan
Ingredients
- 4 cups coarse gluten free oats
- 1 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1 cup sesame seeds
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- ½ cup coconut oil melted
- ½ cup raw honey
- 1 cup sultana raisins
- ½ cup dried cranberries optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C).
- If your coconut oil is hard, set it in an ovenproof container in your preheating oven for a minute or two.
- Combine oats, seeds, coconut, and nuts. Stir in melted coconut oil to coat.
- Bake in a large roasting pan or other large pan with sides for 30 minutes, stirring every 10.
- Remove from oven. Stir in honey, raisins, and cranberries.
- If you like clumps in your granola, allow it to cool completely without stirring it. If you don't want clumps, stir it occasionally as it cools.
Notes
- You can easily customize this recipe by swapping ingredients as long as you keep the total quantities the same. For example, replace the almonds with an equal amount of other nuts, some or all of the sesame and sunflower seeds with other seeds, or the honey with maple syrup.
- You can easily double this recipe, as I often do. Click on the number of servings, change it, and the amounts of ingredients will change accordingly!
- Don't put the granola away until it has become completely cooled, or it will form a hard mass and could become soggy.
- Store your granola in an airtight container at room temperature. Don't refrigerate it, or it could become soggy.
Starr says
Sounds great! You've used so many of my favourite add-ins ?
Cathy Brak says
Thanks, Starr! I'm glad to hear it. Granola is quite versatile, isn't it!
Denise from Urb’n’Spice says
I can feel your trepidation with that trip, Cathy. We have also experienced treacherous roads like that. Thank goodness you had this granola! I would be munching it furiously ?. This recipe looks like a winner. Thanks for sharing.
Cathy Brak says
I'm glad you understand, Denise. It can be scary! Thanks for stopping by.