This oil-free basic granola recipe is my go-to! It is super fast to make, stays fresh and crunchy a long time, and can be loaded with healthy ingredients.
Every season is a great season for granola. Summertime is perfect for cold breakfasts, big batches of granola for camping trips, family reunions, road trip snacks, and sprinkling on smoothie bowls or nice cream.
Winter and fall are great seasons for baking and the smells of cinnamon and spices filling your kitchen.
This is a basic granola recipe that can be adapted to feature whatever nuts, seeds, fruits and flavors you like. I have some suggestions below. With whatever combination you use, it’s going to be SO YUMMY.
Also, it’s
- Gluten-free (if you use GF oats)
- Oil-free. Fats from whole foods instead of refined oils.
- Perfectly-sweetened. Add more or less maple syrup to your liking.
- High-nutrient. All the nuts, seeds, and dried fruit add important fats like omega-3’s, fiber, cancer-fighting lignans. The spices (optional) pack antioxidants. See more about how powerful spices are here. (Did you know that ground cloves have more antioxidants than any other spice? Three times as much as turmeric! Add some!)
- Crispy, clustery, so delicious it’s addicting.
For a fat-free granola, see my Super Simple Granola recipe. This recipe here has the more classic crunch of regular granola, thanks to the fat from the nut butter. I use peanut or almond butter, but any nut or seed butter will work (what you decide to use will heavily influence the end flavor of the granola).
One snack and breakfast that I’m obsessed with is my homemade soy milk yogurt, sweetened a little bit, with this granola mixed in. It’s just. so. good!
For a 5-minute raw granola, don’t miss my delicious Rawnola recipe. For more breakfast ideas, see my 25 Different Ways to Eat Oatmeal post.
My Favorite Basic Granola
Ingredients
Mix together:
- 7 cups rolled oats
- 1 TBSP cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup sunflower, pumpkin, or sesame seeds
- 1 cup chopped nuts
Add wet ingredients, combined (warmed if necessary to mix thoroughly)
- 3/4 cup maple syrup or honey
- 3/4 cup nut butter
Optional Spices
- 2 tsp nutmeg
- 2 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp ground ginger
Add after baking:
- 1 cup dried fruit (raisins, apricots, dates, dried apple, craisins)
Instructions
- Position oven racks so the bottom one is not on the lowest level--put them both near the middle or top to prevent burning. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Mix dry ingredients, except dried fruit, in a large bowl. You can leave out the nuts and seeds and stir them in after baking if you'd like to keep them raw (more nutritious but without the toasted flavor).
- Mix nut butter and maple syrup together. Warm up in the microwave if needed to make it pourable.
- Toss all together until everything is coated. I use my hands to really get it mixed.
- Spread onto two cookie sheets. Bake 10 minutes, SWITCH PANS, then 10 minutes more. SWITCH PANS half way through so the bottom one does not burn. It should be until golden brown and dry. Let cool completely. Stir in dried fruit (and raw nuts and seeds, if not already in) and store in an airtight container, jars, or bag.
Notes
- Almond Ginger: Use almond butter, add 2 tsp ground ginger or 2 TBSP freshly grated ginger root.
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip: Use peanut butter, add mini chocolate chips to cooled granola.
- Pina Colada: Omit spices. Use almond butter, add shredded coconut and chopped dried pineapple and mango to cooled granola.
- Orange Cranberry Pecan: Use chopped pecans for the nuts, add the zest of one large orange before baking, and add dried cranberries to cooled granola.
- Maple Sea Salt: Use almond butter, and use 1.5 teaspoons of course salt. Add a little maple flavoring to the nut butter mixture if you have some (about 1/2 tsp).
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