This Homemade Granola Recipe is crunchy and crispy, with bites of chewy dried fruit. Enjoy it sprinkled over yogurt, in a bowl with milk, or by the handful straight from the jar! Or, make a batch to share as gifts – it keeps for several weeks.

Easy Granola Recipe

Ingredients
How to Make It
Recipe Tips
How to Store Granola
More Recipes to Try

When the fall season rolls around, I feel the pull to make homemade granola. Maybe it’s the warm cinnamon scent as it bakes, or the fact that it’s super easy, or maybe I just feel extra wholesome when the leaves change – whatever it is, I highly recommend trying it if you want to feel the fall vibes in your kitchen.

It’s such a fun project, really easy to do, and so much better than store-bought granola. This recipe has all the great textures – it’s crunchy, crispy, and chewy – and you can customize it however you like. Once you know how to make the base recipe, adding your own special twist is easy to do.

Plus, it keeps for quite a while – two to three weeks! So, save it all for yourself or spread some good fall vibes and hand it out as gifts.

a wooden spoon scooping granola off a sheet pan.

Ingredients

Brown sugar
Butter
Honey
Vanilla extract
Ground cinnamon
Rice Krispies cereal
Quick-cooking oats
Sliced almonds
Dried fruit

Sweetener: Brown sugar is a must, but you can swap the honey for maple syrup for a different taste.

Spices: Cinnamon is a classic, but ground nutmeg works great, too. Or do a mix of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger – you just need one teaspoon total. If you have some pumpkin pie spice on hand, use that instead.

Nuts: I love almonds, but chopped walnuts, pecans, or cashews would be delicious, too. Or try mixing up a few different kinds of nuts. As long as it’s 1/2 cup total, you’re good.

Dried fruit: I like raisins and cranberries – they’re already bite-sized, so you can just toss them right in. Other dried fruits like apricots, apples, or cherries work, too – just be sure to cut them into bite-sized pieces first.

How to Make It

First, melt the butter in a saucepan and then add the brown sugar and honey. While whisking continuously, bring the mixture to a low boil.

the ingredients for the granola coating in a pan.

After it’s boiled for about a minute or so, it will be nice and smooth. Take it off the heat and whisk in the vanilla and cinnamon.

the vanilla and spices being whisked into the brown sugar mixture.

Mix up the cereal, nuts, and oatmeal in a large mixing bowl. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until it’s all combined.

the brown sugar mixture mixed into the oats in a bowl.

Spread the granola mixture on a large baking sheet and bake it for 10 minutes. Give it a stir and bake it for ten minutes longer or until it’s golden and toasty.

the granola spread on a baking sheet ready to be baked.

Leave the granola on the sheet pan to cool. Once it’s at room temperature (after about 30 minutes or so), mix in the dried fruit. At this point, you can break up any larger granola clusters and transfer it all to an airtight container for storage.

Recipe Tips

When you cook the butter and sugar mixture, be sure to boil it until the sugar is completely dissolved. It shouldn’t take long if you are whisking continuously.

If you’re not into dried fruit, feel free to leave it out or substitute another mix-in that you like. Chocolate chips, toasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or other baking chips would all work well.

I love granola as a sweet snack, but it’s also great with Greek yogurt, or serve it in a bowl with milk and fresh fruit.

milk being poured over a bowl of granola and berries.

How to Store Granola

For the best results, be sure to let the granola cool to room temperature before you store it. If it’s even a little warm when you put it in a container, the heat will cause it to soften, and it won’t keep for nearly as long. It can keep for up to two to three weeks as long as it’s properly stored in airtight containers at room temperature.

It makes a great gift! Scoop it into mason jars or other cute airtight containers and add a ribbon and a tag.

jars of granola on a sheet pan with more granola spread out.

Give this easy homemade granola recipe a try, won’t you? Once you do, I think it’ll be your go-to recipe.

Happy baking,

granola in a bowl with fresh berries on top.

More Recipes to Try

📣 Do you love this recipe? I would love to know! Leave a comment below the recipe, along with your recipe star rating.