The BEST Healthy Granola

Literally THE BEST healthy granola recipe you'll every try. Not only that but its easy and fast to prepare. It's made with simple ingredients and is perfectly sweetened with honey and brown sugar. It's an easy way to give your body the energy it needs to start the day. Enjoy it with fruit, yogurt, milk or just eat it straight out of the jar. Once you start you won't be able to stop.

Is Granola Healthy?

Granola can be a part of a healthy diet! It's made with ingredients that are full of fiber (oats, nuts, seeds) and healthy fats (chia and flax seeds). The fiber helps to keep you full longer! While the nuts and seeds are also a source of antioxidants which may help battle inflammation (source).

This granola minimizes the sugar using just enough brown sugar to sweeten and the honey helps give it the classic sticky texture. The healthiness of your granola will depend on the recipe but in many cases it can be high in calories so keep your portion in mind!

Why You Will Love This Healthy Granola Recipe

• Easy to Make in Bulk. Granola will last for a bit so feel free to make a double batch to use for breakfast, snacks, and more!
• Versatile Recipe. You can easily mix and match ingredients and change things up to use up ingredients you have on hand.
• So Many Ways to Use It. It's perfect for snacking on its own or you can add it to your breakfast yogurt, a bowl of ice cream, and so much more!

Ingredients

• Oats: You can use any type of oats you prefer including old fashioned oats, quick oats and gluten-free oats. The only trick is that the quick oats are pre-cooked and rolled thinner so they will cook faster meaning you will need to watch the oats while baking to make sure they do not get too brown too quickly.
• Almonds: These are a popular nut for granola and one we really like but feel fee to use any type of nut you prefer or even use a mixture.
• Shredded Coconut: Adds natural sweetness to homemade granola.
• Flax Seed and Chia Seed: If you are unfamiliar with these two ingredients, DON'T BE SCARED! Flax seed and chia seeds are both pretty flavorless but they do add a lot of health benefits including omega-3 fats, nutrients, fiber, antioxidants, and protein. Most grocery stores -- even my Walmart -- will likely have both these items. Check in the nuts and seeds section. Sometimes they are in the health food aisle or the baking aisle.
• Honey: It adds both natural sweetness and flavor. You can use your favorite type of honey whether it's creamy or regular! If you don't want to use it you can substitute maple syrup instead.
• Brown Sugar: For more sweetness with flavor! Brown sugar has molasses added to it so it has a richer, deeper flavor than regular granulated sugar. Coconut sugar works in a similar way if you prefer to use it instead.
• Coconut Oil: The coconut oil aids the granola in cooking and browning. Using coconut oil also adds some flavor but you can also use other vegetable oils that you prefer.
• Spices and Flavors: A combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla adds warmth and spice.

Variations

• Chocolate Granola: Toss in some mini chocolate chips after the granola has cooled down or if you want a less sweet option you can use cacao nibs which are simply pieces of cacao broken up that add chocolate flavor without sweetness.
• Dried Fruit: Dried cranberries, raisins, or dried berries all work well. You can even chop up banana chips or dried apricots and mix them in. I suggest adding them to the granola as soon as it comes out of the oven.
• Experiment with Spices: Blends such as apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice are a great way to add more complex flavors to your granola.

How to Make Healthy Granola

Making this crunchy granola recipe takes just a few minutes to measure everything out and mix it up. The rest of the time is spent baking and cooling to get the right consistency. Here's a look at the process.

1. Combine the melted coconut oil, honey, and vanilla in a small bowl.
2. Mix them together completely.
3. Combine all the dry ingredients together and mix well.
4. Add the oil and honey mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir them for a minute or two to make sure that they syrup is well incorporated and distributed.

5. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper to make for an easy clean up. Spread out the granola evenly on the baking pan. Cook for 15 minutes.
6. Remove the pan from the oven to cool. Stir it a few times to keep it from clumping together.

How to Serve Granola

You can serve healthy homemade granola a few different ways!

• Eat it like cereal with your favorite milk and fresh berries or fruit.
• Make a parfait with this easy granola recipe for yogurt! Use our Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe or buy your favorite greek yogurt and layer it with fresh and granola.
• Add a spoonful on top of your favorite smoothie such as this green pina colada smoothie, a pineapple smoothie bowl, or acai bowls!
• Pack it up in a lunch box or snack for later and enjoy it like trail mix.
• Serve it up over a bowl of ice cream. We love it with

Expert Tips

• Storing Granola for Later. Keep your homemade healthy granola in an airtight container or bag for up to 2 weeks at room temperature. For longer storage you can also store it in the fridge for up to a month and in the freezer for up to three months.
• Line Your Baking Tray. Use parchment paper on your tray to make for easy cleanup after cooking.
• Fully Cool. Allow your honey granola to cool completely before storing it. This way moisture will not build up in the jar and soften it.
• Larger vs Smaller Clumps. If you prefer larger clumps in your granola allow it to cool without moving it around much. As it cools the honey and sugar will help it all stick together. For a smaller clumps move it around frequently as it's cooling to break up the pieces.

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