My Favorite Homemade Granola

After I shared that Granola Banana Bread earlier this week, I received several requests for the recipe for my favorite granola that I used in that bread. This delicious granola is full of oats, seeds, nuts, and coconut, and sweetened with brown sugar and maple syrup.
A couple of years ago, I was on the hunt for a good granola to add to my morning yogurt habit. I was looking for a nutty granola with great flavor. As much as I like using dried fruits in baking, I really don’t like them in granola. I wanted my granola to focus more on oats and nuts, and be sweet and crunchy.
I tried several varieties, but I knew I’d found *the* granola when I opened up a bag of Early Bird Farmhand’s Choice that I found at one of our neighborhood markets. That became my go-to granola, but I often found that my market would run out right when I needed more. So, I took to the internet to see if I could find a way to make my own.
As luck would have it, I found that Early Bird had shared their recipe with Martha Stewart. That was a happy day, let me tell you. I make my granola pretty much exactly according to this recipe. I might add more nuts or coconut, depending on whatever my current whim is. I do occasionally set aside some of the mixture and mix in some of Quinn’s favorite additions like dried cherries and currants. Then, because his dislike of coconut is epic, I mix in the coconut to my part of the batch.
This recipe makes a big batch, but it will keep for about a month in a tightly sealed container. I usually make a full recipe because I eat it pretty much every morning. If you’re trying it out for the first time or trying some variations, you may want to start with a half or quarter batch.
Don’t just limit your granola enjoyment to yogurt and snacking. Granola is a great addition to your baking. Along with that Granola Banana Bread, don’t forget Yogurt and Granola Muffins and Granola Cookies!
My Favorite Homemade Granola

Ingredients
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 & 1/2 cups chopped raw pecans
- 1 cup hulled raw pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup hulled raw sunflower seeds
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut chips
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for finishing
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Stir together oats, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut chips, and 1 teaspoon salt. Add maple syrup, olive oil, and brown sugar, and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Spread mixture evenly in prepared pan. Bake about 45 minutes or until toasted, stirring about every 10 minutes.
- Remove pan from oven. Sprinkle the granola with salt to taste. Cool completely before transferring to an airtight container, where it can be stored for up to a month.
8 Comments on “My Favorite Homemade Granola”
Could coconut oil be used instead of the olive oil?
I’ve nut tried using anything besides olive oil, but it should be fine.
Mmmmm — I adore making homemade granola – it’s so versatile, this is one amazing recipe ๐ perfect for this frigid weather I’m experiencing.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Going shopping tomorrow.
Can’t wait to give this a whirl!
๐
Love all the crunchy goodness in here. It’s been too long since I’ve made homemade granola.
I’m definitely going to have to borrow your granola recipe…this sounds amazing!
I made this this weekend, in fact, I doubled it…and gave 3/4 away to friends as a house warming gift. It was a HUGE success! They loved it! I loved it too, They told me, they eat yogurt every morning with granola on top, so I thought, what better time to try your recipe! And boy, was I glad I did! This was so easy to make, and so, so good! I have tried several of your recipes, and been very happy! Thanks for all you do to spread joy to my cooking and my giving! Judy
That’s wonderful to hear, Judy! I had some of this for breakfast just today. ๐