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Suit breakfast to YOUR tastes with this surprisingly easy homemade granola recipe! Crunchy, healthy and deeply delicious, homemade granola has never been easier to make. Read on for the full recipe and lots of helpful tips…
Shop bought granola can be incredibly expensive and, quite often, you’re not a big fan of all the ingredients used. Despite the huge variety that’s now available. How do we fix that?
Make your own homemade granola of course! It’s honestly way easier to create at home than you think, it tastes better AND could save you a ton of money! What’s not to love about that?!
What’s even better is, if you don’t like a particular ingredient in this recipe – just switch it out for something else! So long as you use a similar volume (not weight) it will work just fine.
Ok I know – I always use weighing scales as I like things SUPER accurate but, well, 1 cup of marshmallows doesn’t weigh the same as 1 cup of chocolate chips does it? Hence why it’s safer to stick with volume on this one, so you know there’s enough liquid ingredients to stick everything together. (It’s a similar sort of deal in no bake treats like the Mars bar slice.)
Is homemade granola bad for you?
It’s all relative. Honestly it depends entirely what you put into it. If you like it really sweet and throw a load more golden syrup or honey into it then yes, it’s going to be worse for your body.
We also know that nuts and seeds, although containing healthy fats, eaten in large quantities can also be a bad thing.
It’s the same as anything though really – everything in moderation. Meaning, don’t eat a ton of it every single day, enjoy a varied diet and you’ll be absolutely fine. Variety is the spice of life and all that!
Is it cheaper to make your own granola?
Overall, yes. It depends on where you buy your ingredients from and what kind of quality/price they are but yes, making your own granola can be much cheaper than buying the highly marked up shop bought versions.
My biggest tip would be to buy your nuts and seeds from discount shops like Home Bargains as you will likely save a great deal of money. (At least, I have in the past!) Failing that, keep an eye out for offers in the supermarket.
What makes a good granola?
Everyone’s tastes are different, so the flavour can’t be what makes granola good. A good granola (in my opinion) has got the perfect crunchy texture with smaller pieces and larger clusters. It’s also filled with your favourite nuts, seeds and dried fruits.
What you need to know
Before you embark on your homemade granola journey, there’s a few important things you should know. Check them out in this section…
Important: free from options
Firstly I’d like to take a second to remind you how important it is to check the labels when baking for people with dietary requirements. This recipe is naturally vegetarian and gluten free but, especially with the oats, PLEASE check the labels! Sometimes they cross contaminate with wheat, despite being a naturally gluten free ingredient.
It’s not worth the risk. Always check the labels!
Ingredients
Here’s everything you need to know about the ingredients…
- Oil – Make sure you use a relatively flavourless oil such as vegetable or sunflower so as not to alter the granola’s flavour too much.
- Golden Syrup – If you’re not based in the UK you can use corn syrup, but I highly recommend trying to get this! Golden syrup has a very unique and beautiful flavour that really makes this granola.
- Honey – You can leave this out and add more golden syrup if you want. I just think it adds a little extra touch of flavour.
- Vanilla – I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, always use a good quality vanilla as you’ll really taste the difference! Nielsen Massey is my go to.
- Oats – Rolled oats are perfect in this recipe but you could honestly use whatever type you happen to have in the cupboards and it should still work fine.
- Walnuts* – I chopped up some whole walnuts but you can use the ready chopped ones if you like.
- Almonds* – Flaked almonds work great in this recipe! Any brand will do.
- Sunflower Seeds* – These are so good for you, I strongly advise not taking these out.
- Pumpkin Seeds* – Also incredibly good for you! Plus they add a lovely colour and texture.
- Cranberries* – Cheaper versions can be very shrivelled and dry. I like to use slightly better brands for cranberries to get the nice plump dried ones.
*Note: nuts, seeds and dried fruits can be expensive so check discount shops like Home Bargains and special offers in the supermarkets before buying.
How to make granola from scratch – recipe summary
- Preheat your oven and line your tray.
- Mix together all the dry ingredients (excluding the cranberries.)
- Mix the wet ingredients together, heat for 20 seconds in a microwave then pour into the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Press into the tin and bake. 20 mins in, break up with a fork slightly then bake for 20 more minutes.
- Cool then add the cranberries.
Recipe tips
Here are helpful tips
- As with anything, buy the best ingredients you can afford. You’re putting this into your body and you need to look after it! Plus they almost always affect the taste in a positive way.
- Make sure you read through the whole recipe and prepare your ingredients before starting to avoid any silly, costly mistakes.
- When mixing, ensure every single dry ingredient is coated in the syrup. Otherwise it may not stick together properly.
- Remember that all ovens vary so, if your granola isn’t as crunchy as you’d like at the end of the cooking time – bake for a little longer.
- Store in an airtight metal container at room temperature to keep the crunch for longer.
How to store homemade granola
I recommend storing your homemade granola in an airtight metal container at room temperature. Plastic makes sugar ‘sweat’ which can quickly alter the texture. Metal helps to keep that wonderful granola crunch for longer.
Easy Homemade Granola – Step by Step Picture Recipe
(For a printer friendly version, see the recipe card at the end of this post)
Ingredients
Here is what you will need to make 10 servings.
- 350g (4 + 1/2 Cups) Rolled Oats
- 50g (1/2 Cup) Chopped Walnuts
- 50g (1/2 Cup) Flaked Almonds
- 50g (1/3 Cup) Sunflower Seeds
- 40g (1/3 Cup) Pumpkin Seeds
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 150g (1/2 Cup) Golden Syrup
- 4 tbsp Honey
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 100g (3/4 Cup) Dried Cranberries
Essential equipment
- Baking Tray (approximately 30 x 20cm/11 x 8″)
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Spatula
- Small Jug
Instructions
First, lightly grease and line your tin then preheat your oven to 150ºC/140ºFan/300ºF.
Next, mix together the rolled oats (350g | 4 + 1/2 Cups), chopped walnuts (50g | 1/2 Cup), flaked almonds (50g | 1/2 Cup), sunflower seeds (50g | 1/3 Cup), pumpkin seeds (40g | 1/3 Cup) and salt (1/4 tsp) together in a large mixing bowl.
Then heat together the vegetable oil (2 tbsp), golden syrup (150g | 1/2 Cup), honey (4 tbsp) and vanilla (1 tsp) in a small jug for 20 seconds in the microwave. (This helps to make it slightly runnier, making it easier to mix into the dry ingredients.)
Pour this into the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly until every single grain, nut and seed is completely covered in it.
Now tip the mixture into your prepared tin and press down quite firmly. It should be just under 1″ thick – this will encourage clumping, giving you lots of lovely clusters!
Bake in your preheated oven for 20 minutes then remove and gently break apart with a fork. Not too much, just a little to allow the heat to get through to the granola in the middle.
Then place back into the oven for another 15-20 minutes until golden. Bear in mind that all ovens vary so, if yours isn’t quite cooked to your liking at this point – pop it back in for a few minutes more until it is.
Leave to cool completely then break apart into the cluster sizes you love. Finally, stir through the cranberries.
Store in an airtight metal container at room temperature and consume within 1 month. (Metal containers help to keep the granola’s crunch for longer.)
Other recipes you might like…
Have you made this recipe?
Have you made this beautiful homemade granola? I’d love to know if you have! Send me your pics, comments and questions on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or email me at emma@kitchenmason.com.
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Easy Homemade Granola - Printable Recipe
Suit breakfast to YOUR tastes with this surprisingly easy homemade granola recipe! Crunchy, healthy and deeply delicious, homemade granola has never been easier to make.
Ingredients
- 350g (4 + 1/2 Cups) Rolled Oats
- 50g (1/2 Cup) Chopped Walnuts
- 50g (1/2 Cup) Flaked Almonds
- 50g (1/3 Cup) Sunflower Seeds
- 40g (1/3 Cup) Pumpkin Seeds
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 150g (1/2 Cup) Golden Syrup
- 4 tbsp Honey
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 100g (3/4 Cup) Dried Cranberries
Essential equipment
- Baking Tray (approximately 30 x 20cm/11 x 8″)
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Spatula
- Small Jug
Instructions
- Grease and line your tin then preheat your oven to 150ºC/140ºFan/300ºF. Mix together the oats, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and salt in a mixing bowl.
- Put the oil, golden syrup, honey and vanilla in a jug and heat in the microwave for 20 seconds. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly until everything is evenly coated.
- Press the mixture into the lined tin and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and break apart gently with a fork. Not lots, just a little to allow the heat to get into the middle more easily.
- Cook for a further 15-20 mins until golden.
- Cool completely then break apart and stir through the cranberries.
Notes
Store in an airtight metal container at room temperature and consume within 1 month.
See the main post for a more detailed, step by step picture recipe.
Be sure to read the 'What you need to know' section (especially the 'Recipe tips' part!) for lots of helpful information before you begin making this recipe.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 362Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 396mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 6gSugar: 21gProtein: 8g
Nutritional information on kitchenmason.com should only be used as a general guideline, I am not a certified nutritionist. Please always check labels for allergens where applicable.