Healthy Homemade Granola (Easy Versatile Recipe)

Inside: Get a recipe for an easy, homemade granola that uses just a few basic ingredients. Easily adapt it to the nuts and seeds you already have.

A jar of homemade granola sits next to a bowl along with bowls of blueberries and strawberries

Recipe at a glance

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 45 minutes
Ingredients: oats, walnuts, coconut, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, salt, butter, maple syrup, brown sugar and vanilla

Ever find yourself with full cupboards and a full fridge – and yet still spend your usual amount on groceries every week?

When I’m at this point, I try to find ways to exhaust all odds and ends so I can cut my grocery bill and waste less food.

Homemade granola is a perfect way to repurpose those half-empty bags of nuts and seeds that are taking up space in your pantry. Ten minutes of practice, and you’ll have breakfast and yogurt toppings for the next week or more.

This healthy homemade granola recipe uses walnuts and sunflower seeds, but is versatile. So use whatever you have in your hands.

Plus, while store-bought granola tends to be too sweet, you can adjust the sweetness to your liking when making your own granola.

And even if it’s your first time making granola, it’s super simple to put together.

Ingredients for healthy homemade granola

Oats: I prefer old fashioned oats for this recipe over quick oats
Walnuts
Coconut Flakes: You can use coconut either with or without sugar
Sunflower seeds: You can also use pumpkin seeds (use shelled seeds called pepitas)
Cinnamon
Salt
Butter
Maple syrup: Use real maple syrup (vesrus pancake syrup).
Brown sugar
Vanilla extract

You may also like: Granola Cluster double chocolates made with cocoa and mini chocolate chips.

A bowl of dry granola ingredients and a picture of a small pot of wet ingredients

How to make homemade granola

Combine all dry ingredients (oats, pecans, coconut, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, and salt) in a large bowl.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Reduce to low and add the maple syrup, brown sugar and vanilla. Stir to combine and remove from heat.

Pour wet ingredients over oat mixture and toss well until everything is coated.

Spread the granola on the pan (lined with either parchment paper or a silicone pan) in an even layer. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring halfway through the baking time.

Let the granola cool, breaking it into smaller pieces, before storing it in an airtight container at room temperature. This granola will keep for several weeks.

SUGGESTION: If you prefer granola, beat two egg whites and mix into granola before spreading it on the baking sheet.

Eat this granola on its own as a snack, with milk and fresh fruit for breakfast, or topped with yogurt. Enjoy!

A bowl of homemade granola sits on a polka dot napkin

Variations

This easy granola recipe is very versatile. I’m a fan of reducing food waste, so feel free to swap in ingredients you already have. Some ideas:

Use different nuts (such as sliced almonds, chopped pecans, or chopped cashews or peanuts) instead of walnuts, or use a mix
Use pumpkin seeds instead of sunflower seeds
Use 1/4 cup honey instead of 1/4 cup maple syrup
Cut the brown sugar and maple syrup by 1 tablespoon for a less sweet granola