A homemade Healthy Granola recipe that is incredibly easy to make and perfect for a quick breakfast or snack idea. At just 100 calories per serving you can feel good adding this granola to your morning yogurt, or even eating it plain with a bowl of milk. 

A mason jar filled with homemade granola and a sheet pan of baked granola in the background.

Easy Healthy Granola

For anyone unfamiliar with this dish, granola is a snack or breakfast food containing oats, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, shredded coconut, almonds, and other desired ingredients.  There are a million varieties out there but i’m completely obsessed with homemade granola, especially this healthier version!

I got the recipe from a family friend–thank you Glinda Straddeck! I eat it pretty much every morning for breakfast, which consists of light Greek yogurt with a scoop of cottage cheese, some berries or bananas, and a handful of granola. I never get sick of it, and I love how filling it is!

What I LOVE about homemade granola:

  • Less sugar and lower calorie.  Most store-bought brands of granola are around 200 calories per serving and are full of sugar. This homemade granola recipe has just 100 calories per serving!
  • Freezer Friendly. I like to make a big batch of it and store it in my freezer.
  • Fast and easy.  You can prep and cook homemade granola in 30 minutes!

Healthy Granola in 5 Steps

1. Mix dry ingredients. Add all of the dry ingredients to a bowl: whole grain oats, sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, raw sesame seeds and raw unsweetened coconut flakes.

Overhead photo of a glass bowl with the ingredients to make granola and text on the photo naming each ingredient including oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, sesame seeds and coconut.

2. Make the syrup.  Combine the butter, sugar, honey, salt, and vanilla in a saucepan. Cook the mixture until it boil, then remove it from the heat and stir in the baking soda.

3. Pour syrup over granola mixture.  Pour the syrup over the oat mixture and toss everything to evenly coat it.

4. Bake. Pour the mixture out onto a parchment lined or greased baking sheet and bake it for about 18-20 minutes, tossing once during baking.

Process photos for making granola including a photo of hot syrup being poured over the dry ingredients and an overhead photo of a sheet pan with the homemade granola mixture in it, ready to bake.

5. Serve or store. Allow the granola to cool completely in the pan to allow it to harden up and create those clusters of granola that we all love.

Granola Adaptations:

  • Make it vegan. Substitute coconut oil for butter and agave nectar for honey.
  • Add dried fruit.  Raisins, craisins, or freeze dried fruit
  • Make it nut free. Substitute seeds (like pumpkin or sunflower), or dry fruit instead.
  • Substitute flax seeds. Substitute the brown sesame seeds for flax seeds
  • Make it gluten free. This recipe is gluten free so long as you make sure your oats are gluten free.  Gluten is naturally found in wheat, rye, and barley, but not all manufacturers guarantee that their products do not contain gluten.  Check the packaging to be sure!  To make gluten free granola, be sure your oats are gluten free

Is granola healthy?

The key to understanding if granola is healthy or not is the sugar content!  Many granolas are packed with added sweeteners.  If you then serve granola over sugary yogurt or with a bowl of berries, you really up the sugar content.  The serving size of granola is small because it can be high in calories.  This recipe has an estimated 5 grams of sugar per serving (¼ cup).  Also consider whether the recipe contains whole grains (fiber) and protein.  This recipe has a gram of fiber and two grams of protein in each ¼ cup serving.

A close up photo of a granola in a sheet pan after it's been baked and a wooden spoon scooping some of it.

10 ways to eat granola:

  • Eat granola with milk
  • Eat granola with yogurt
  • Enjoy granola over ice cream
  • Eat granola on apple slices that have honey or peanut butter on them
  • Eat granola straight out of the bag
  • Eat granola with a parfait
  • Mix granola into your oatmeal
  • Eat granola with spoonfuls of peanut butter
  • Make granola into trail mix by adding some dried fruit mix-ins.
  • Add granola to a yummy salad!

Storing and Freezing Granola:

To store: Allow granola to cool completely and place it in an air tight container.  Store granola in a cool, dry location for 4-6 weeks.

To freeze: Allow granola to cool completely and place in a freezer safe container or ziplock bag.  Freeze for 2-3 months.

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Recipe

An easy homemade granola recipe in a bowl on a baking sheet.
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 20 minutes
Total 30 minutes
Save Recipe

Ingredients
 
 

For the Syrup:

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees and spray a large sheet pan with cooking spray, or line with parchment paper.
  • Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl: oats, sunflower seeds, coconut, almonds, and sesame seeds. Stir to combine then set aside.
  • Make the sauce by adding butter to a large saucepan. Melt the butter over medium heat.
  • Add all sauce ingredients EXCEPT baking soda.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil and once boiling, remove from heat and stir in baking soda.
  • Pour immediately over the dry oat mixture and toss to evenly coat everything.
  • Pour mixture onto prepared pan and spread into an even layer. 
  • Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and toss mixture, then gently press down on it with your spatula to flatten it back into the pan. Bake for another 8-12 minutes until golden brown.
  • Remove pan from oven and use the back of a metal spatula to press the hot granola firm down into the pan. Then allow the granola to cool completely in the pan before stirring or breaking it up (this will yield clusters that stick together).
  • This recipe yields about 8 cups of granola. Serving size is ¼ cup.
  • Store leftover granola in an airtight container or freezer-safe ziplock bag for up to 3 months. 

Notes

Variations:
  • Make it vegan. Substitute coconut oil for butter and agave nectar for honey.
  • Add dried fruit.  Raisins, craisins, or freeze dried fruit
  • Make it nut free. Substitute seeds (like pumpkin or sunflower), or dry fruit instead.
  • Substitute flax seeds. Substitute the brown sesame seeds for flax seeds
  • Make it gluten free. This recipe is gluten free so long as you make sure your oats are gluten free. Gluten is naturally found in wheat, rye, and barley, but not all manufacturers guarantee that their products do not contain gluten. Check the packaging to be sure! To make gluten free granola, be sure your oats are gluten free
Storage Instructions: Allow granola to cool completely and place it in an air tight container. Store granola in a cool, dry location for 4-6 weeks.
Freezing Instructions: Allow granola to cool completely and place in a freezer safe container or ziplock bag. Freeze for 2-3 months. 
Serving size: ¼ cup

Nutrition

Calories: 102kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 2gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 61mgPotassium: 68mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 60IUVitamin C: 0.05mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 1mg

Did You Make This Recipe?

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Have you tried this recipe?!

RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.

 

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About The Author

Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Easy to make, delicious and very crunchy. Love the baking soda trick and will try that with other granola recipes I will make in the future.

  2. 5 stars
    So good! Nervous to try; only made granola once and it was a disaster from a woman know for “pioneering” recipes. Can’t afford to throw out food, had to keep adding more ingredients to make edible. Really made me angry! So I read all your reviews first. Love how versatile your recipe is. Hate coconut so used pecans, walnuts, almonds, dried pineapple and apricots and of course oats. Used up maple flavored margarine instead of butter, thought might be too sweet so only added 1/4 cup honey. Appreciate food science of baking soda in this. It came out fabulous even though I burned it a little, more brown than golden. Still yummy. Can’t wait to try again with other fruits, nuts. Thanks!!!

  3. Is ¼ cup really a serving?😂 Especially if you’re eating it with a bowl of milk like it says in the post, that’s barely a sprinkle it the bowl. Anyway I’m about to try this recipe and see how it goes!

  4. This is a keeper! Some many ideas for additional things to switch out or add.
    Thanks for sharing your great recipes.

  5. 5 stars
    I searched for lighter granola without boatloads of sugar, dried fruit, etc. Just healthier, crunchy, and versatile. This one checked all the boxes in a very delicious and gratifying way!

  6. 5 stars
    I’ve tried a lot of Granola recipes and this one has changed my world! I didn’t skimp on anything, added dried cherries, cranberries, and raisins. I eat this as is, with chocolate chips, and in my yogurt. Thank you for sharing this recipe!!

  7. This sounds so delicious! Do you think I could leave out the brown sugar altogether, or maybe increase honey to 9Tbs if I do (I don’t want it to be too gooey). I’m trying to cut refined sugars out of my recipes. Thanks!

  8. Wonderful My first time making Granola. I followed the recipe, but add the last of my crunchy peanut butter to the sauce. Plus cranberries and apricots. The Smell in my kitchen!!! Amazing I did use coconut oil.

  9. Nice recipe but watch out if you are counting calories.

    I just added up the total calories for this recipe and it comes out at 5.4 calories per gram, which equals 172.8 calories per serving (1/4 cup =32g) not 104 calories per serving.

  10. 5 stars
    I’ve made this recipe for a couple years now and finally wanted to thank you for it. It has become my GoTo granola. My Son in law requests it for hunting trips, my college granddaughters NEED it for their dorms and my husband has it EVERY morning with berries and yogurt. Thank you again for making my family, and me very happy and I add piñon nuts, pepitas and cinnamon . Yummmm

  11. 5 stars
    This is our “go-to” granola recipe. We love it as a topping for peanut butter toast or smoothie bowls! Or in a bowl with milk. Thanks for the great recipe!!

  12. I’ve made granola for years and live to experiment with new ingredients. (Crabapple sauce, molasses, peanut butter, etc.) I’ve never heard of boiling the wet ingredients (why?) and what does the baking soda do to the batch?

    1. To dissolve the sugar and create a richer caramel-like coating for the granola. The baking soda helps the hot sugar mixture soften so it’s not tacky/sticky as it hardens.

  13. 5 stars
    I double this batch and make it at the very least a week… I also skip coconut but add tons of assorted nuts.. so so good!

  14. 5 stars
    DELICIOUS!!!
    I made this with Oats, sliced Almonds and chopped Pecans. I also used Coconut Oil instead of butter.
    This was fabulous!!! And super easy!!!

  15. 5 stars
    This is a perfect recipe. I have made it about five times now. I’ve even doubled it because we go through it so quickly. I make it exactly as is or sometimes I add less brown sugar. I always add raisins and pumpkin seeds sometimes I add almonds, sometimes I add walnuts. I use butter and coconut oil or just butter. Basically, you can make it your own. It is the best granola recipe I’ve ever used.

  16. I just made this recipe. I added cinnamon and changed out the nuts a little bit, based on what I had on hand and it came out great. I did add the dried fruit as well.

  17. 5 stars
    Best granola I’ve ever made! I used the coconut oil instead of butter, ground flax instead of whole, and maple syrup instead of honey. Just because this is what ingredients I already had.

  18. 3 stars
    Not sure if it is the baking soda or using honey instead of maple syrup but, there is not much of a “flavor”.. I will try maple syrup next time.

      1. It helps soften the syrup and keep it from being grainy. Baking soda helps break up the brown sugar molecules and prevent them from crystalizing.

  19. Hi. What is the reason you call for regular rolled oats and not the quick cooking kind? I’m going to try it, but have a lot of the quick cooking kind.

    1. Regular oats give the granola a heartier texture then the quick oats will, but you can substitute them if you like. The cook time should be reduced as well, if using quick oats.

  20. 5 stars
    Wow! This is the granola recipe I’ve been trying to create for years! It’s excellent and fast. Great job. Thank you for sharing!

    1. I’m sorry I couldn’t say. I haven’t tested any other sweeteners and how they would effect the syrup for the granola.

  21. 5 stars
    Have just made this and it’s delicious! I baked it for longer and can not wait to have some with my yoghurt tonight 😍

  22. 5 stars
    Easy to make, tastes great and I love the crunch.

    I didn’t pay close attention to the recipe and when making the syrupy mixture didn’t notice the part about leaving the baking soda out until the after it was removed from the heat. So I had to make the syrupy mixture a 2nd time and then poured it over the dry ingredients.

  23. 5 stars
    Great recipe! Easy to make and delicious!! I found this by googling healthy granola and chose it because it also said easy. I made some substitutes (gluten free oats and added a few pistachios because I didn’t have sesame seeds). I hate to admit it, but I forgot the baking soda/aka didn’t have any…oops. The granola turned out just fine. Thank you!

  24. 5 stars
    I saw you post this on Instagram last week and I knew I had to make it. It turned out AWESOME!
    All of the ingredients were easy to find except the brown sesame seeds which I ended up finding at a natural foods store in their “bins”. I love that it made a big batch so I froze the extras, like you suggested. Thank you!