Healthy Homemade Granola Recipe with oats, bran, spelt, nuts, dried fruits and maple syrup or molasses, is packed with nutrition and no added sugar.
Why Homemade Granola Is Worth Every Minute
Weekday mornings can be so hectic that everyone leaves the home nutritionally unprepared for the day ahead of them.
It doesn’t have to be that way if you are willing to give a little of your time twice a month to make a healthful batch of granola.
I can’t think of a better way to start the day with nutrition and delicious flavors!
Easy Weekend Granola – Easy, Effortless, Crowd-Pleasing
If weekends are meant for rest, why spend them cooking three meals a day? Create a simple granola spread and let everyone serve themselves.
Set out bowls of homemade granola, an assortment of fresh fruit, a few yogurt options (dairy or plant-based), and a pot of coffee or tea.
Whether you’re enjoying a quiet morning alone or hosting guests, breakfast becomes beautifully effortless.
What Exactly Is Granola?
Unlike boxed cereals, where we can’t see what’s really inside, Granola is honest food. It’s a delicious mix of raw oats, raw bran, nuts of your choice, dried fruits of your choice.
Baked low and slow until golden and toasted, every ingredient shines, full of texture and flavor.
Seeds, such as sesame or hemp heart, can be swapped out for nuts, if you have a nut allergy.
Granola Is Lightly Roasted Grain
Did you know, Muesli, a Swiss-German variation of granola, a mix of raw oats, nuts, seeds and other grains was served, unbaked and cold?
Granola, since it gets baked on a very low oven, turns all those grains, seeds and nuts into something crunchy.
The final result is much more flavor, since it has all been lightly toasted, bringing out the flavors of each ingredient.
Kids Can Make This Granola
Since the measurements of my granola concoction are so easy, a third grader could do it.
The ingredients get dumped it onto a baking sheet, and popped into a low oven. It makes for an easy ‘new chore’ to assign your little ones to help with.
Dried Fruit
Fresh fruit is not always available and often quite costly, but dried fruit can be purchased year round and from anywhere in the world.
I grew up on dried apricot sheets from Lebanon, dried figs from Greece, dried grapes (of course known as raisins), from California, along with dried cranberries from Massachusetts.
Dried fruits are loaded with vitamin C, iron and fiber. They can be an easy to-go snack for work, school or after workouts at the gym, simply because they don’t need refrigeration.
Dried Fruits Are So Mediterranean!
Having grown up with a Syrian mom, I watched her cook with dried fruits in ways my American friend’s moms never did.
Oh sure, American moms put raisins in baked breads and on top of cereal for breakfast, but I never heard them speak of putting dried fruit in with meat.
America is now a melting pot of cuisines from all over the world. It’s not uncommon for everyone to incorporate foreign cuisine, into a nouvelle cuisine, all Americans can claim as their own.
Dried Fruits In Both Sweet And Savory Dishes
My mom often roasted lamb with dates or apricots. She said the intense sugar content in the dried fruits would tenderize an inexpensive cut of meat.
North African Tajine is a slow roast method of cooking various meats or vegetables in an earthenware pot, using spices and hot peppers for dimension and depth in flavor and dried fruits to balance the heat.
A Tajine is often served with a Mediterranean Rice, also made with dried fruits and sometimes nuts. Dried fruits and nuts have been a part of Mediterranean cuisine for a long time.
In my healthy homemade granola recipe I wanted be certain to keep processed sugar out and use dried fruits with a splash of honey or molasses, to sweeten it.
What Can Granola Be Used With
Cookies and Muffins!! Yes, granola makes for the most delicious cookies or muffins.
For an easy muffin, just get yourself My Muffin Madness cookbook and along with these fabulous healthy granola muffins, there are 51 others you will love!
In the recipe from my cookbook, I used sweet, dried cranberries in my granola muffins, for a sweet tart flavor.
How To Make Healthy Homemade Granola
The easiest thing to make, is granola!
No precise measuring, or unusual ingredients that aren’t already in your pantry.
Simply grains, nuts, seeds, a drizzle of honey or maple syrup, a little drizzle of olive oil, or other favorite oil.
And then:
- Toss to coast everything.
- Dump it onto a baking sheet.
- Bake for ninety minutes on low.
- Cool and store in an airtight container.
What Makes This Homemade Granola So Good? Ingredient Breakdown
- Rolled Oats – The foundation of any great granola. Rolled oats toast beautifully in the oven, turning golden and slightly crisp while still maintaining a hearty bite. They’re rich in fiber, especially beta-glucan, which keeps you full longer and supports heart health.
- Spelt Flakes are the secret to adding a wholesome, nutty depth that regular oats alone can’t provide. This ancient grain is easier to digest than wheat and adds a rustic texture that makes your granola feel artisan and homemade.
- Bran (oats, wheat or rice), adds a gentle crunch and an extra boost of fiber, making this granola not only delicious but also great for digestion. It’s often overlooked, but it gives the granola that “good for you” feeling without compromising flavor.
- Dried fruit – Think raisins, cranberries, apricots, dates, or cherries, each adds natural sweetness and chewy contrast to the crunchy grains and nuts. They also bring a vibrant pop of color and essential vitamins, like potassium and antioxidants.
- Nuts – Almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, choose your favorites! Nuts provide satisfying crunch and richness thanks to their healthy fats and protein. When lightly toasted, they deepen in flavor and give your granola that irresistible aroma.
- Oil – A little oil is key to achieving that perfect crispness. It helps the oats and nuts toast evenly and gives the granola those golden, crunchy clusters everyone loves. Olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil all work beautifully.
- Vanilla extract or other favorite flavor enhancer.
- Maple syrup – This is your natural sweetener and binder. Maple syrup caramelizes as it bakes, forming delicate clusters and adding a warm, earthy sweetness. It’s refined sugar-free yet flavorful enough to make every bite feel indulgent. Plus, it brings essential trace minerals like manganese and zinc. Optional sweetener – agave, molasses or my favorite Honey.
Equipment Needed
- Large mixing bowl to combine the ingredients.
- Large sheet pan with a sheet of parchment paper to slow roast the granola without it sticking to the pan.
- Metal spatula to loosen turn the granola a few times for even roasting.
- Wooden spoon to mix the ingredients
- Measuring cup and measuring spoons.
- Oven for roasting the granola mixture.
- Large airtight container for storing the granola once it has cooled.
Healthy Homemade Granola Recipe
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Baking sheet pan
- 48 oz. Airtight container
Ingredients
- 3 cups Rolled Oats
- 1 cup Spelt flakes
- 1 cup Bran, oat, wheat or rice
- 1 cup Dried fruit, your choice
- 1 cup Nuts, your choice, lightly chopped
- 1/4 cup Oil, coconut or sunflower
- 1 tsp spices, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom or your choice
- 1/2 cup Maple syrup, molasses, agave or honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250.
- Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix. Gently stir in the wet ingredients and continue to fold all the ingredients together until all of the dry ingredients look wet.
- Spread evenly onto a parchment paper lined baking tray. Bake for 90 minutes.
- Cool and transfer to an airtight container.
Video
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.