Easy Granola Recipe
I have never thought about making my own cereal until recently. It is amazing to think that almost everything we buy prepackaged, we can make ourselves. I am finding I have to keep changing my paradigm, my thinking. Things don’t have to be the way they were just because I’ve always done them that way, like having packaged cereal almost every morning for more than 30 years. We would have the Saturday morning pancakes, waffles, French toast, or scrambled eggs, but Sunday-Friday it was cereal. To make your own food it just takes a little bit more time then just opening a package, whether it’s making cookies, granola bars, or cakes, mashed potatoes, or pasta dishes. The more you cook and bake, the more efficient and fluent you will get in the kitchen.
I got the inspiration to make a granola cereal. There are so many granola recipes out there. I combined ideas from different recipes to come up with this recipe. Granola is so good as a cereal with milk in addition to being a great topping for yogurt or ice cream.
Update 6/1/13** The Verdict: If I used only five recipes in my life, this would be one of them. Jonathan often tells me that this is the best cereal ever. The kids love this recipe. When I make this now, I make a quadruple batch, and use two crock-pots on high to make it, stirring every 15 minutes for an hour to an hour and a half.
You can add different mix-ins to make different combinations of the granola. We have used dried blueberries, dried cherries, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, and more. What are your favorite mix-ins?
We gave this granola as a gift to our kids’ teachers and piano students for Christmas last year, and it was a hit. Many of the people asked for the recipe. I did a cost breakdown of granola as a gift if you are interested.
Update 1/18/12**: Butter works with this recipe. It is a little heavier. The coconut oil makes the recipe lighter. I am no longer making this with the maple syrup. Alternatively, I have made this granola with 1/2 C honey, 1/2 cup coconut oil and no maple syrup. I think I like the cranberries and coconut better unbaked, so now I added them after baking.
Easy Granola Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 C rolled oats
- 1 1/2 C chopped walnuts or pecans
- 1 C unsweetened large flake coconut
- 1 C dried cranberries can leave out and add after baking if desired
- optional 3 T TriMix 1 T Wheat Germ, 1 T Wheat Bran, 1 T Oat Bran
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/3 C honey agave for vegan
- 1/3 C coconut oil could use butter
- 1/3 C maple syrup I used Trader Joe's Agave Maple Syrup Blend
- or optionally for wet ingredients I use 1/2 C honey & 1/2 cup coconut oil: the important thing is to have 1 cup of wet ingredients whether you use the maple syrup or not
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 300.
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Combine all dry ingredients.
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Combine honey,coconut oil and maple syrup, and heat until coconut oil is melted.
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Stir wet ingredients into dry.
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Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or until golden brown.
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Cool and store in an air tight container.
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This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it. Pinning and sharing!
Thanks, Rosilind! Hope you enjoy!
Hi…this is Lilly, a first-time visitor! Your granola looks so yummy and inviting…something to look forward to every day! Cheers!
Hi Lilly.
Thanks so much, and thanks for visiting!
I’m sorry. I meant for the granola recipe above. My mistake for not clarifying.
Hi Angie. You can go here for the link to the crock-pot granola recipe. Have a great day!
So, after making the yogurt without a crockpot (which totally worked but made me more attentive to it) and LOVING it, I decided to buy a crockpot. Now I want to try to make everything in it to justify my purchase (a little splurge on a programmable). So I like your recipe and see you alluded to using your crockpot, but I couldn’t find the instructions. With my failed attempts and frustration with crockpots in the past, I don’t want my enthusiasm to wane if I botch this recipe. So, I want to do it right. Can you help? Thanks!
Hi Angie,
Go here for a link to the to the crock-pot yogurt . Hope you enjoy, and let me know if I can help at all. It’s super easy and only a few steps!
First time to your site, and I will be back. Can’t wait to make this granola. Thanks!
Hi Sara, As I type now I am making a quadruple batch of this. When I make huge batches, I use two big crock-pots to make it, because it’s easier for me that way. We eat this multiple times a week. Thanks for visiting!
OMG! I made three batches for teacher gifts and had a little leftover for us. My son who is very picky, loved it. It is delicious. I changed it slightly…added vanilla extract 1 1/2 tsp. and I added an extra 1/4 cup of honey, and everything was organic. I will definitely be making it again. I can’t wait to browse through the rest of your website. Thanks!!!
Hi Sara! Thanks for sharing how it went. Hope you enjoy the other recipes and posts! Thanks for visiting!
Sonja: Is it possible to use steel cut oats in this recipe?
Hi Marion, I have never tried steel cut oats here, so I really don’t know. If you try it, I would REALLY love to know how they turn out! Thanks for visiting!
Best granola I have ever made. I used pecans and almonds. I also substituted the butter but only 2 t. Used agave nectar and honey but no maple syrup. Added a little Mexican vanilla and it was amazing. I just wish it would clump together. Its hard to eat as a snack without a spoon.
Hi Kim, So glad to hear! If you want it clumpier, experiment with adding more wet ingredients. So now it has 1 cup of wet ingredients; increase it to 1 & 1/4 cups. Then if you don’t get it clumpy enough, keep increasing the wet ingredients by 1/4 cup each time until you get the desired consistency. If you do this, I’d love to know how it goes. I also have a nut-only granola that is really clumpy. I made it in the crock-pot, but you can do it in the oven, too: https://practical-stewardship.com/2012/07/14/crock-pot-or-not-lower-carb-peanut-butter-granola/ Thanks for visiting!
Can this be made without the flake coconut as my husband is allergic to Coconut.
Oh, yes. I’ve been making this for many months now. I even made it today without the coconut, and then adding it later, and I’ve had NO problem. Enjoy!
I’ve never made granola, but I will now! Thanks so much for sharing at Mix it up Monday 🙂
I’d love to know how it goes. You are welcome!
Thanks! We hope people will benefit, too!
Okay, Jonathan here. I have to say that this is the best cereal I’ve ever eaten, and it’s not even close. It is tasty, I can vouch for the ingredients and it satisfies my appetite until lunch, which is saying something for me. I am generally hungry around 10:00AM, but when I eat this granola, I don’t even think about food again until lunchtime rolls around.
I also love to put it in yogurt. Sometimes I eat yogurt SO THAT I can put the granola in it. 🙂
Oh, and when Sonja’s not looking, I sometimes pick out the nuts, which have an amazing roasted flavor with a hint of honey flavor. But don’t tell her. 😉