Easy Homemade Granola (Gluten-Free)

This easy, healthy, and delicious homemade granola recipe starts with old-fashioned rolled oats, coconut oil, and sweetened with honey. It makes the perfect clusters.

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Inside: How to make homemade granola

Do you ever find yourself on the granola aisle at the supermarket searching for the just-right mix or blend? They either have something in it you don’t want or don’t have something in it you do.

I finally gave up on finding what I wanted from the store and called my friend who makes homemade granola all the time. She regularly keeps it on hand for her family since it’s one of their favorites.

It turns out she did have a good recipe and guess what? I love it! And I think you will too. Now, I can say I have a favorite homemade granola recipe. It’s umm… simple! Sometimes, I like simple and especially in the case of my granola.

All the extra add-ins are good but to be honest, I prefer a simple granola base. It’s easy to add any additional ingredients at a later time in individual servings.

How to make homemade granola

It’s quite easy – stir the dry ingredients together, then combine the wet ingredients and drizzle over, and then mix it all up. Spread it in a large pan and bake for an hour stirring every 15 minutes.

I bake mine in a half-sheet cake pan. If you don’t have a pan large enough, either put it in two separate pans or bake one batch and then the other.

What’s in granola?

That’s a million-dollar question. Mostly because granola is one thing that has so many variations – the possibilities are endless. There’s plain – with just oats – my favorite.

But here are some popular add-ins:

• Nuts (pecans pieces, walnut pieces, sliced almonds, etc.)
• Chocolate chips
• Flaked coconut
• Sunflower seeds (or chia seeds)
• Cranberries (or any dried fruit)
• Almond butter or peanut butter (stir it into the coconut oil)
• Warming spices – cinnamon is the first one that comes to mind, but there is also nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice. These spices are great to add in the fall when you want to warm things up a tad.

That’ several suggestions. I encourage you to get creative until you find the right combination of ingredients for you and your family.

My homemade granola starts with a few main ingredients

• Old-fashioned rolled oats (If you’re going for gluten-free, make sure your oats are processed in a gluten-free facility.)
• Flax meal (if you’re not going for gluten-free you can use wheat germ)
• Honey

Tips on making granola

• Let it completely cool before you dive in. The granola will continue to crisp up as it cools down. Once it reaches room temperature, use a fork or your hands to break up the granola to the size clusters you desire.
• Add your add-ins. If you’re adding chocolate chips, dried fruit, or anything else you wouldn’t want to bake, add those at this point.
• Like your granola wet? Add a little more honey to the recipe if you like your granola on the “wet” side. This is how my friend’s family prefers it.
• Swap out the honey for maple syrup if you’d like – they are interchangeable.
• Do you like clusters? If so, press the granola down evenly in the pan before you put it in the oven. Only stir it once half-way through baking. Before it cools, press down on the finished granola and avoid moving the pan around until it’s completely cooled.
• When is the granola done? It’s not always easy knowing when your granola is done. It will continue to dry as it cools. Take it out of the oven when it starts to look slightly toasted and golden. It should have a toasty aromatic smell.

What ways can I enjoy eating my homemade granola?

• In parfaits with Greek yogurt and blueberries or strawberries
• Sprinkled over ice cream
• Like cereal with a splash of milk
• As a snack – all by itself

How do I store my granola?

In an airtight container on a cupboard or panty shelf for up to a month.

Can you freeze homemade granola?

Yes, you can. This recipe makes a fairly large batch, so I always end up freezing some for later. It should last in an airtight container for up to two months in the freezer.

Granola can have a bad rap sometimes for not really being all that healthy. I know that most of what you get at the store has “extra” ingredients that a homemade recipe will not have.

By extra, I don’t mean the addition of add-ins to a homemade recipe. I’m talking about ingredients you can’t pronounce or ones you’d have to look up to find out what they are.

I try to keep my granola on the healthier side by using coconut oil and honey. This recipe calls for oil – I use coconut oil. It also calls for butter. Since the recipe makes about 22 cups, I’m not too concerned about the ¾ cup of butter. And the butter lends to the rich flavor of the recipe, which I love.

What kind of kitchen items do I need to make homemade granola?

• Large bowl
• Measuring cups and measuring spoons
• Whisk
• Large sheet pan
• Parchment paper

Here’s some other recipes you might be interested in:

Blueberry Muffins
Feather Pancakes

I would love to hear about your favorite combinations, what add-ins do you like to add to your homemade granola recipe?

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