This basic granola ratio recipe is the perfect thing to keep in your arsenal of recipes. It can be easily adapted to use up the little bits and bobs that are left over from bags of dried fruit and nuts. Best of all, once you make this recipe a few times, you'll know how to make granola and won't even need to look at a recipe.
For some more make-ahead breakfast recipes, try my resistant starch muesli, 4-ingredient sprouted manna bread, or gluten-free buckwheat banana muffins.
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Ingredients
These are what I use most: oats, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, and walnuts, but you can choose any of the options listed below.
Ingredient Options
- Base: use one or a mix of rolled oats, rolled spelt, rolled barley, even a handful of puffed cereal.
- Protein: nuts like pecans, walnuts, almonds or seeds like sunflower, pumpkin, or sesame seeds. You can use a mix of nuts or seeds. If you want a nut-free option, use all seeds.
- Bulks: if you add nuts for the protein, try adding some bulk like shredded coconut. Otherwise, add some more seeds.
- Sweetener: use any sweetener, like maple syrup, brown rice syrup, or coconut nectar.
- Fat: use a neutral oil such as avocado, coconut, olive oil, or grape seed.
- Seasoning: besides some salt you'll want to add some spices. Think orange zest, cinnamon, fennel, cardamom, nutmeg, vanilla.
- Fruit and add-ins: try any dried fruit like chopped apples, dates, blueberries, apricots, and figs, or cacao nibs, freeze dried berries, or chocolate chunks.
How to Make Granola
Step 1: add everything but the dried fruit to a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: stir well, until everything is combined and the dry ingredients are well coated.
Step 3: spread this mixture on a lined cookie sheet and bake at 150°C / 300°F for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
Step 4: let the granola cool and then add dried fruit if desired. Store the cooled granola in an airtight container.
Top Tips
- Increase the amounts: the basic ratio can be doubled or tripled, or reduced if you want to make less.
- Add the fruit later: dried fruit will burn, so always add the dried fruit after baking.
- Use it as more than cereal: try using this granola in cookies, on top of oatmeal or smoothie bowls, or in muffins.
How to Store
Storage: keep in a sealed container at room temperature for at least a week, or even up to a month depending on the ingredients you choose. Store it in the fridge if you've added nuts or other high-fat ingredients.
Freezing: granola freezes well. Transfer cooled granola to an airtight container and freeze for up to six months, but note that puffed cereal might get a little soft after thawing.
Flavour Combinations
Use any of these flavour combinations to make your granola, or make up your own.
- Apple pie: walnuts, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and dried apples.
- Pumpkin spice: pecans, pumpkin seeds, and pumpkin spice.
- Fennel orange: sesame seeds, fennel seeds, and orange zest.
- Chocolate cherry: almonds, sunflower seeds, a splash of almond extract, dried cherries, and chocolate chips or cacao nibs.
- Blueberry muffin: cashews, coconut, vanilla, and dried blueberries.
- Tropical: cashews, macadamia nuts, sesame seeds, coconut, vanilla, dried ginger, mango, and pineapple.
FAQ
Is granola full of sugar?
While homemade granola is definitely a better option because you can control exactly what's going into it, most store-bought options are very high in added sugar.
What is difference between muesli and granola?
It depends on what you're thinking of as muesli, but generally the difference is that granola is baked and then mixed with ingredients like yogurt or milk to serve, and muesli is made with raw oats and fresh or dried fruit, mixed with yogurt or milk, and served without cooking.
Why is granola my not crunchy?
If you bake the granola at a higher temperature or store it in a place where humidity can get it (or store it before it's fully cooled), it will be soft and not crunchy.
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Recipe
Basic Granola
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Parchment paper
- Cookie sheet
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled oats or rolled spelt, or puffed cereal, rolled barley, etc.
- 1 cup nuts or seeds if you’re nut free
- 1 cup seeds or shredded coconut
- ½ cup liquid sweetener maple syrup, coconut nectar, brown rice syrup, etc
- ½ cup oil avocado, coconut, olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt to taste
- Spices, zest, or extracts as desired
- 1 cup dried fruit cacao nibs, etc. (added after baking, optional)
Instructions
- Mix everything but the dried fruit together in a bowl.3 cups rolled oats, 1 cup nuts, 1 cup seeds or shredded coconut, ½ cup liquid sweetener, ½ cup oil, ½ teaspoon sea salt, Spices, zest, or extracts
- Spread on a lined cookie sheet and bake at 150°C (300°F) for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Let granola cool and then add dried fruit if desired.1 cup dried fruit