Granola
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Say goodbye to store-bought granola—this homemade version full of crunchy clusters will spoil you for anything else!
Think of this granola not just as a recipe, but as your go-to, foolproof technique for creating the crunchiest, cluster-packed granola ever. I developed this recipe to counteract humidity that was making my original recipe lose its crispness—and now it’s the only way I make granola. It’s wonderfully adaptable: Start with old-fashioned rolled oats, and then mix in your choice of nuts and seeds for texture and healthy fats. For sweetness, add brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey. Bake this mix to golden perfection and then toss in a handful of your favorite dried fruit once it’s cooled.
Whether you’re snacking straight from the jar or sprinkling it over Greek yogurt for a wholesome breakfast, this granola always satisfies. It also makes a lovely homemade gift for the holidays.
The secret to those delightfully crunchy, clusters? A single egg white. This ingredient is a game-changer, binding everything together to create those satisfying clusters while reducing the overall fat content by cutting down on the amount of oil. As the granola bakes, the egg white proteins firm up, acting like a natural glue that holds the oats and nuts together.
Table of Contents
“I have been looking for a homemade granola that checks all the boxes, and THIS one here is IT!”
What You’ll Need To Make Granola
- Vegetable oil or melted coconut oil: Provides moisture and helps bind the ingredients.
- Maple syrup (or honey) and light brown sugar: Adds sweetness and enhances flavor.
- Egg white: Helps create crunchy clusters.
- Vanilla extract, cinnamon, salt: Provides flavor and seasoning to the granola.
- Old-fashioned rolled oats: The base ingredient, providing bulk and texture.
- Nuts of your choice (such as almonds, walnuts, and/or pecans): Adds crunch and nutty flavor.
- Seeds (such as sunflower seeds and/or pumpkin seeds): Adds additional texture, crunch, and nutrition.
- Shredded sweetened or unsweetened coconut: Adds a delightful tropical flavor and texture (optional).
- Dried fruit (such as raisins, cranberries, and/or dried blueberries): Offers a sweet and chewy contrast to the crunchy granola (optional).
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300°F and set a rack in the middle position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, egg white, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
Whisk to combine.
Add the oats, nuts, seeds, and shredded coconut (if using).
Spread the mixture into an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven. Stir the mixture with a rubber spatula and press into an even, compact layer on the baking sheet. Return to the oven and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden, without stirring.
Remove from the oven and allow the granola to cool completely on the baking sheet. It will become crunchier as it cools. Once cooled, break into clusters and add the dried fruit.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s fine to reduce the sweeteners slightly, but keep in mind that it will affect the overall balance of flavors.
Absolutely! One of the great advantages of making granola at home is the flexibility to customize it to your preferences. You can adjust the types and quantities of nuts, seeds, dried fruits, sweeteners, and spices to create your perfect blend.
Granola can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days.
Yes, the granola can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in on the counter before enjoying.
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Granola
Say goodbye to store-bought granola—this homemade version full of crunchy clusters will spoil you for anything else!
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
- ¼ cup maple syrup (or honey)
- ¼ cup (packed) light brown sugar
- 1 large egg white
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1¼ cup nuts of your choice (such as almonds, walnuts, and/or pecans), roughly chopped
- ¼ cup seeds (such as sunflower seeds and/or pumpkin seeds, or replace with more nuts)
- ½ cup shredded sweetened or unsweetened coconut, optional
- ½ cup dried fruit (such as raisins, cranberries, and/or dried blueberries), optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F and set a rack in the middle position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, egg white, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Add the oats, nuts, seeds, and shredded coconut (if using).
- Spread the mixture into an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven. Stir the mixture with a rubber spatula, and then press into an even, compact layer on the baking sheet. Return to the oven and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden, without stirring.
- Remove from the oven and allow the granola to cool completely on the baking sheet. It will become crunchier as it cools. Once cooled, break the granola into clusters of your desired size and add the dried fruit. Store the granola in an airtight container at room temperature for about 10 days, or freeze for longer storage.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: This granola can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in on the counter before using.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Serving size: 1 cup
- Calories: 353
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Sugar: 15 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Sodium: 179 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Comments
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Hello! Love the recipe but was wondering if you could send me the old one as well? I like to switch it up 🙂
I have made this recipe twice and have gotten the same results both times…no chunks. I followed the recipe exactly as written. I pat the mixture firmly before and after each bake. I let the mixture cool several hours without stirring before adding the dried fruit. This is when it just crumbles. The granola itself is delicious but I prefer granola chunky. Please help!
I’m sorry you’ve had a problem with this (twice)! Have you been including the egg white? If so, have you made any ingredient substitutions or adjustments to the recipe?
Yes, I did use the egg white and I never made any additions, adjustments or substitutions. It is still delicious and makes a good topping for yogurt parfaits!
Considering your response, it’s a bit of a headscratcher for me as it should definitely be chunky. Glad that you’re enjoying it despite the lack of clusters!
Hi Jenn,
I absolutely loved your original recipe for granola (the one with the wheat germ in in). I had made it so often that I knew it by heart, but now it has been a while and I have forgotten the quantities of some of the ingredients. I noticed that you were able to send it out to several others. Would you kindly send it to me as well. Thank you.
Hi Christine, I just emailed it to you. 😊
Hi Jenn,
I absolutely love this recipe and make it often. Can you tell me if the nutritional information includes the coconut and dried fruit? Also, is your original recipe still available?
Thanks,
Chris
Hi Chris, Glad you like it! The nutritional info includes the coconut but not the dried fruit (I don’t include the optional ingredients in nutritional info). And I’ll email you the old granola recipe. 😊
I love that this can be tweaked depending on what you have on hand. I sub out the brown sugar for Swerve brown sugar and, while the end result is slightly less crunchy, it’s still delicious and so much more healthy than store bought. Thanks for another winner, Jen!
I made the granola as instructed, however, the granola was in individual pieces not as crunchy clusters after it cooled. Any thoughts on how to obtain larger clusters?
Hi Elizabeth, Sorry you had a bit of a problem with this. After you stirred it (after 15 minutes of baking), did you press it into a compact layer?
I love your recipes and can’t wait to try this! I just wanted to clarify… is it raw nuts you use?
Yes, you’d want raw nuts here. Enjoy!
Did this recipe used to be the one you posted awhile back from The Inn at Occidental? That was my favorite, but it’s not on your site anymore. It had wheat germ in it. Maybe you had to revise it for legal reasons??
Hi Marti, Yes, I updated the recipe and preferred this one overall, but will email you the old recipe. (I didn’t need to change it for legal reasons; I’ve been spending some time in Florida, where the humidity is higher than that in Maryland, and realized that the humidity was making the original version lose its crispiness.)
Hi Jenn, I absolutely LOVED the original recipe! I don’t have a humidity issue here in Vegas, so is it possible for you to send me THAT original recipe too!?! Like you did for Marti Jo?
Thanks Much!
Gigi B
Hi Gigi, just emailed it. 😊
Hi Jenn, I loved the original as well. Can you email me the recipe too? Thanks sooo much. Can’t wait to eat this delicious granola again.
Just sent it!
I just made this and it is really delicious and dare I say, my favorite granola ever! I used olive oil, pecans, walnuts, and maple syrup and followed everything else. I’ve had shredded coconut burn on another granola recipe so I was really worried about that happening again but that didn’t happen at all and the wet mixture coated everything very nicely and protected it from the heat and toasted everything to perfection. It’s also not very sweet which I really like about it. I doubled the recipe and it turned out great. Thanks for this! It’s amazing! (I also love your double chocolate biscotti!)
Forgot to ask: can this granola be made with 1/2 c. maple syrup or 1.2 c. honey or 1/4 of each and skip the brown sugar?
Hi Jane, that should be OK, but because honey is pretty strong and flavor, if you want to go that route, I’d probably stick with the maple syrup.
I have been looking for a homemade granola that checks all the boxes, and THIS one here is IT! Went with the basics, then used Goji berries, sliced coconut, and mixed nuts.
I have to stop myself from eating it out of the jar as a snack!
Also, with yogurt…WINNER!
Thank-you for sharing.
I’ve made this several times since the revised recipe came out, haven’t ever seen the original. This is the best granola! The only thing I would add is to make sure you have the granola in an even layer. If it is thicker in the middle the edges get too done before the middle gets browned. My error & really that should have occurred to me. Now I spend extra time spreading it out after the initial 15 min bake to make sure it is even. The comments are confusing as I assume they are also for the original recipe containing wheat germ & sesame seeds. I may try those but I really see no reason to mess with perfection. My husband dislikes sunflower seeds so I add more pecans, not a problem since they are the best part. Thanks for a great easy recipe.
The new revised recipe did not clump anywhere near as well as the old one! I adored the first recipe and will revert to it. I’m curious why you revised it!
I’ve been spending some time in Florida, where the humidity is higher than that in Maryland, and realized that the humidity was making the original version lose its crispiness. I toyed around with it and this was the finished product. I’m sorry that it didn’t come out well for you; it should have big clusters! I’m curious – did you make any adjustments to the recipe?
Thank you from the Texas gulf coast! I definitely need the high humidity version!
I want to make your updated recipe for Granola. Is it ok to substitute quick oats/1-minute oats?
Hi Sharon, For the best results, I’d stick with old-fashioned oats — sorry!
Hi Jenn
I’m hoping to make your granola soon. After reading the reviews I noticed others mention wheat germ but it’s not listed under ingredients. Checking the original recipe I see it but less oats. Which should I follow?
Chris
Hi Chris, I’d go with the new recipe with no wheat germ. Please LMK how it turns out!
Hi Jenn, I have a question about why the dried fruit is added after baking the granola. It seems it would then be separate little pieces instead of being part of the granola clusters. Thanks in advance, looking forward to making this!
Hi Julia, with this recipe, the dried fruit doesn’t really adhere to the rest of the granola so it’s just loosely tossed in at the end. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
Hi, the granola turned out perfect, except it almost got burned, even though I was following the instructions to a tea. Thank god I was keeping an eye on it, otherwise it would burn. Next time I would keep it in the oven for only 10-15 min. after stirring and pressing, definitely not for the whole 20 min. Other than that, a great recipe! Good luck in the kitchen:)
Jenn, I have been making your original recipe for many years and I’m anxious to try the newest version. My question is about adding the dried fruit. I would stir it into the baked granola when it came out of the oven and then press it flat while it cooled (per your instructions). Can I use this same method for this granola or should I add the fruit when it’s completely cool?
Thank you,
Pam
Hi Pam, good question – with this recipe, that method doesn’t work and the dried fruit doesn’t really adhere to the rest of the granola; it’s just loosely tossed in at the end. Hope you enjoy if you make this version!
Two questions: is it the egg white that means the granola needs to be frozen for longer storage? I usually like to make a triple recipe of granola, and that would be a lot of freezer space.
Also – I’m puzzled about the quantity of “9-10 cups” and thought the recipe looked like it would make just over 5 1/2 cups.
The egg white is not the reason you need to freeze the granola; I only suggest freezing it as it will extend its shelf-life. And I know the quantity of 9 to 10 cups sounds strange – the granola is in such large clusters so it takes up a lot more space in the measuring cups. (If you were to break it into tiny pieces, it would be more like 5 1/2 cups. Hope that clarifies!
In regard to the shredded coconut, do you use sweetened or unsweetened?
Hi Jo Ann, You can use either, but I prefer sweetened. 🙂