How to Make Homemade Granola

How to make homemade granola nut free, without oats, or with both and chocolate chips shared here. Using honey or agave nectar to clump it together, adding sunflower and pumpkin seeds make for a healthier breakfast you’ll love. So many add ins to make it delicious.

Is it worth making your own granola?

Ummmmmm, yes but obviously it will take more time than pouring it out your store bought granola box. Skip the preservatives and start from scratch this week to see why granola homemade is so worth it! Especially if you have allergies in your house, this basic recipe is a game changer! Make it without nuts, with tons of them chopped up, use the sweetener of your choice, bake, cool and enjoy!

Nut-free Granola Ideas

It is easy to substitute other ingredients for nuts if there is an allergy in your home. I show you How Long to Bake Pumpkin Seeds at 350 here which are our favorites. You would want to remove the shells and then roast to get to just golden brown, cool, and add those. You can find them in a bag at the store this way too. Sunflower seeds are popular too as well as dried fruit such as dried cranberries or raisins.

What are the basic ingredients for homemade granola?

Old fashioned rolled oats is where you start. You can find gluten-free varieties at the store and online if needed too. Usually Roasted Hazelnuts or almonds are crushed and added in there but seeds work too. Many mixes have coconut and/or chocolate chips. Vanilla and cinnamon add flavor and then you need binders which we used as coconut oil + agave nectar which is sweet and helps stick ingredients together.

How to Make Granola Without Oven

How to make granola on the stove

Preheat a large non-stick skillet or frying pan over medium heat. In a small saucepan, heat the coconut oil, honey or agave until melted and combined. Stir in the vanilla extract and salt. In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts and/or seeds (optional), and cinnamon.

Add the melted coconut oil mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until evenly coated. Pour the granola mixture into the preheated skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10-15 minutes or until it is golden brown.

How long to cook granola in microwave

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the coconut oil + honey or maple syrup.
2. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes until melted and combined. Stir in the vanilla extract and salt.
3. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the oats, nuts and/or seeds (optional), and cinnamon.
4. Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until everything is evenly coated.
5. Microwave for 5-7 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes, until golden brown. Be careful as the bowl will be hot.
6. Let the nut free granola recipe cool completely in bowl. Once completely cooled, if you want to stir in diced dried fruit do so now.

What ingredient makes granola clump together?

The ingredient that primarily helps granola clump together is a sticky binding agent, which acts to hold the individual components together. Common binding agents used to make homemade granola recipe include:

1. Honey which is a natural sweetener that adds moisture and helps bind the ingredients.
2. Maple Syrup is another natural sweetener that provides stickiness.
3. Brown Sugar is often used to add sweetness, moisture, help to form clumps and give it a deeper molasses type of flavor.
4. Nut Butters like peanut butter, almond butter, or other nut butters add both flavor and binding properties.
5. Oil that is often time used would be coconut oil, olive oil, or vegetable oil which can also help to create clumps when combined with the sweeteners.

How would you make a granola recipe healthier?

We show you How to Roast Pine Nuts in Oven on baking sheet with parchment paper. This can be done with a number of other varieties as well. Roasting nuts yourself means they are super fresh, as crunchy as you want them to be and without any additives or preservatives. Organic honey offers health properties (can be used instead of agave, which is also great), and of course chocolate is optional though dark is healthier than milk versions.

Does granola need to be cooked?

No, right out of the package it does not need to be cooked. It is typically made by baking a mixture of oats, nuts, seeds, and sweeteners, so it is ready to eat as is. You can enjoy it straight from the bag store bought, add it to yogurt, or use it as a topping.

Some people also make no-bake granola by mixing similar ingredients and letting it set without baking. A great option if you don’t want to heat up your house but the texture will be different. It won’t be as crispy as what you would expect but nevertheless another option that doesn’t require cooking.

How do you Make Granola Without Oats or Nuts

You just combine dry ingredients, melt oil, combine, stir in liquid sweetener and spread out on a parchment paper lined sheet pan. Preheat your oven to 325° F. Bake for 20 – 30 minutes stirring every 10 minutes!

• 1 cup shredded coconut flakes
• Add 1 cup sunflower and pumpkin seeds (or seeds of your choice)
• 1/2 cup chia seeds, chopped up dried fruits and flaxseeds
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted + sweetener like maple syrup or agave
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt

I show you How to Make Pressure Cooker Yogurt here and that is typically what we serve this on top of. Jump to recipe and if you love granola get started!! Store room temperature granola in sealed containers in a cool space for up to 4 weeks.