March 29, 2024

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Cooking Is My World

Easy Granola Recipe – Chelsea’s Messy Apron

Overhead view of Easy Granola

This Easy Granola Recipe only requires six ingredients and minimal hands-on time to prepare. It’s got the perfect texture, just the right amount of sweetness, and a hint of vanilla-cinnamon flavor. It’s made with good-for-you ingredients and free of refined sugars.

Or try our easy Granola Bar recipe with miniature M&M’s and chocolate chips!

Overhead view of Easy Granola

This Easy Granola Recipe is a BONUS recipe as part of our Back-To-School Lifesavers — a series of recipes that are intended to have little (or no) veggie chopping, minimal prep time, around 10 ingredients or less (not including pantry staples), and use kid-friendly ingredients. This (obviously) isn’t a dinner recipe, but a fun back-to-school snack (treat?!). Click here to see all the recipes in the series!

An Easy Granola Recipe For Yogurt

As the madness of back-to-school time ensues, this granola recipe is a lifesaver! It makes for a quick (and filling) breakfast option or after-school snack.

I typically fill up bowls with yogurt for my kiddos and top the bowls with fresh berries, chia seeds, and a few handfuls of this granola. It’s one of my kid’s favorites for breakfast or a snack. (Check out all our favorite Yogurt Bowl creations for even more inspiration!)

Process shots of making Easy Granola: add almonds to a blender and pulse to a crumbly consistency; combine with oats.

Ingredients In This Easy Granola 

Some ingredients worth diving into:

  • Almonds. We love dry roasted and lightly salted almonds best — more flavor without any extra effort on your part. (Here’s what we use in this granola). If you aren’t using salted almonds, you’ll want to increase the salt in the recipe by about 1/4 teaspoon.
  • Quick oats. Typically we use old-fashioned oats in our granola recipes, but we use quick oats intentionally in this particular recipe. It’s a different texture and crisps up very nicely.
  • Coconut oil. I have found a good amount of variation in coconut oil brands; there is a stronger coconut flavor in some brands as opposed to others. I personally use LouAna® Coconut Oil and don’t find any recognizable or pronounced coconut flavor in this homemade easy granola recipe.
  • Pure maple syrup. Not to be confused with corn syrup or pancake syrup, pure maple syrup is the sap from a maple tree that has been boiled down to a thicker consistency. It’s just one ingredient — a sugar naturally derived from nature! 

Process shots: Add remaining ingredients, mix well, space out on a baking sheet and bake. Toss and continue baking.

Why Is Granola Not Good For You?

Granola can be quite high in calories from added fats and sugars. It can also be loaded with excess refined sugar, making it more of a treat than a snack or breakfast.

So, it was important for us to create a granola free of refined sugars. For this easy granola recipe, we use natural sugars derived from plant sources. Pure maple syrup comes from nature (trees!) Foods with natural sugars (like fruits, milk, and cheese) are not the same as those with refined sugars. Refined sugar typically starts with sugar cane or sugar beets, which are then processed to extract the sugar.  Processing (refining) removes the nutrients and leaves the sugar.

Even without refined sugars, this granola is still quite calorie dense — even though the calories come from healthy fat sources. It’s best enjoyed in moderation/as a topping as opposed to being the main component of a snack or meal.

(While I have my background in Exercise and Wellness (B.S.), all the content in this post is for informational purposes only. Please consult a doctor or dietician for any specific dietary needs/questions.)

Is It Cheaper To Make Or Buy Granola?

Homemade granola is cheaper, more nutritious, and tastier than store-bought granola! Not only is it more economical by a landslide, but it also allows you to pick the ingredients you’re adding in so you know exactly what is in the granola.

Why Is My Homemade Granola Not Crunchy?

In order to get good, crispy homemade granola it needs to be cooked slowly at a low temperature so it has a chance to properly dry out and get crispy without burning at a high temperature.

It also needs to be spaced out evenly on a pan and tossed halfway through the baking for even baking.

And finally, granola needs a chance to fully cool down which is when it will do a lot of the firming up.

Process shots: let granola harden and then mix in the dried blueberries.

Easy Granola Recipe: Serving Suggestions

  • As a quick snack: A few handfuls of granola make a great on-the-go snack.
  • In a parfait: Layer your favorite yogurt with this easy granola recipe and a layer of fresh berries. Drizzle some honey on top.
  • As cereal: Pour a bowl of this granola and add in some milk for a filling breakfast.
  • Sprinkle over yogurt: Add to a container of yogurt for a great on-the-go snack.
  • On apple slices: Thinly slice apples and arrange them on a plate. Drizzle on some nut butter and sprinkle this granola right on top. (Apple Nachos!)
  • In an Açaí Bowl: Add a few tablespoons of granola right on top.

Close-up view of a bowl of granola and yogurt.

More Breakfast Recipes:

Easy Granola Recipe

This Easy Granola Recipe only requires six ingredients and minimal hands-on time to prepare. It’s got the perfect texture, just the right amount of sweetness, and a hint of vanilla-cinnamon flavor. It’s made with good-for-you ingredients and free of refined sugars.

Easy Granola Recipe

This Easy Granola Recipe only requires six ingredients and minimal hands-on time to prepare. It’s got the perfect texture, just the right amount of sweetness, and a hint of vanilla-cinnamon flavor. It’s made with good-for-you ingredients and free of refined sugars.

Instructions

  • PREP: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.

  • ALMONDS: In a powerful blender, add the whole almonds. Pulse just to break down to crumbs (see the picture or video — not too long, though or it will turn into almond butter).

  • COMBINE: Add the blended almond crumbs, quick oats, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon. Use a wooden spoon to mix well. Pour onto a sheet pan, spacing into one even layer.

  • BAKE: Bake 15 minutes. Remove and flip. Return to oven and bake another 10-15 minutes. Remove and let stand until completely cooled to room temperature (this is where it will crisp up a lot). Add in the dried blueberries and mix together. Enjoy!

  • STORE: Store in airtight container, out of sunlight, at room temperature for 3-4 weeks (do not refrigerate). Freeze any leftovers for up to 3 months.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Blender: You’ll need a good, powerful blender (think Blendtec® or Vitamix®) to break down the almonds without over-heating the machine.
Note 2: Almonds: We love dry roasted and lightly salted almonds best — more flavor without any extra effort on your part. (Here’s what we use in this granola). If you aren’t using salted almonds, you’ll want to add about 1/4 teaspoon additional salt to the granola.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 74kcal | Carbohydrates: 3.6g | Protein: 2.6g | Fat: 6g | Sodium: 0.2mg | Fiber: 1.7g | Sugar: 1.2g

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.