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Granola is good on almost everything. Sprinkled over the top of a yogurt parfait, in a bowl of milk as cereal, or even used as a topping for a cobbler. The different flavors, the sweetness, and the crunchiness of the oats and nuts make it one of the tastiest things you can make from scratch. The best part… it is stupid easy to make and able to be varied based on what you have in your cabinet. 

Why I love making granola at home

Granola was one of the first pantry staples that I made from scratch. I saw a recipe for it in a Magnolia Table cookbook (my favorite cookbook series btw) and thought, “hmm, I didn’t even know that was something people made from scratch.” Joanna listed her recipe in the ‘Desserts’ section of her book. Her recipe definitely belongs there and is the perfect pairing with vanilla ice cream on a summer day but I wanted something that was more mild in flavor and could be eaten in the morning in addition to some fruit and yogurt. 

My granola now changes depending on what I have in my pantry and what flavors I am currently enjoying. At the time of this writing, it is autumn so I am loving all of the warm flavors. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and maple syrup are in my current batch of granola along with lots of nuts. 

Ingredients

Every basic granola recipe has these things: oats, nuts, dried fruits, honey/syrup, oil, and spices. With the right ratios of these things you will have the best granola every time. 

Oats

Oats are the foundation to any good granola recipe. They are the main ingredient, the star of the show. These oats are my favorite ones, and you can mostly find them on any store or on Amazon.

Nuts

Walnuts, pecans, and almonds are all excellent choices when it comes to granola. My favorite to use if I have the choice would be pecans. I love the flavor that comes through when roasting them in the oven, and think they balance out the rest of the sweet flavors like dried fruits and the sweeteners nicely. 

Dried fruit

Any sort of dried fruit will work, and like most of the other ingredients in this post, can be changed to suit the mood you’re in when baking. If I had to pick my favorites, cranberries would be at the top of the list. I think they make a nice pairing to the pecans mentioned earlier and provide a sharp contrast to the subtlety of the oats and warmth of the cinnamon. 

*A note on adding dried fruit*

If you add dried fruit before baking, the fruit could become more dried than you want. It has the tendency to get a little chewy.

Honey 

The role of a sweetener like honey is twofold. It provides the sweetness that you expect in a granola, but it also helps the mixture to stick together when baking. Using honey and letting it bake without over stirring creates those large, crunchy pieces that I’m always hunting for when I eat granola.  Local honey is going to be the best thing to put into your granola because of all the health benefits and boosting local farmers, but this honey is a great option if you don’t have access to local honey. 

Coconut oil

For some reason, I have always thought that coconut oil tastes sweet so naturally this is the oil that I use when making granola. The oil not only brings the mixture together, but also helps aid in the crispiness of the granola (can you tell that I love a good crunch??) My personal preference is avocado oil in savory dishes, so I basically only have coconut oil so that I can make granola. This is the brand that I prefer.

Spices

I like to stick to basic spices like vanilla and cinnamon. This is because I think it’s unnecessary to have lots of spices to have a great granola, and I also have a small kitchen and just don’t have the space to store spices I don’t use on a regular basis. 

Instructions

Super simple instructions here folks; put all ingredients in a bowl and combine. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 375 F for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Tips: 

• If you have whole nuts like walnuts or pecans, you will want to chop them up into bite-sized pieces. The nuts won’t break down or anything like that so make the pieces the size you want to consume. 
• Coconut Oil: If your coconut oil is solid you might want to heat it up in the stove or microwave until fully melted. While it’s not necessary it will help your oats and extras to be fully coated in order to create that crisp texture you expect in granola. 
• Be creative! This is totally customizable for whatever flavors you want. Stick to the general ratios listed in the recipe card and you can’t go wrong.
• Be sure and let your granola cool completely before storing. Putting in a container before fully cooled can allow condensation to form, creating a soggy granola (ew).

Storage:

This granola lasts around 1 week before it starts to lose its crunchy texture. I keep mine in the freezer and pull it out when I need it because I need the crunch. This granola lasts around 2 months when stored in the freezer. I keep mine in a freezer ziplock bag.