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5-ingredient homemade granola (+ video)

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An easy, light homemade granola with just 5 basic ingredients (and no oil needed)! Perfect for breakfast or snacking and great for on-the-go!Homemade peanut butter granola in a glass mason jar and scattered on a counter

Granola to me means wholesome goodness. It’s crunchy, it’s sweet, it’s oh so satisfying. It works for breakfast, for snacking, for travel. We love the stuff!

However, store-bought versions can be expensive and loaded with fat and calories.

No bueno in my book.

And store-bought varieties can have some funky, less than wholesome stuff in it. Check those labels, y’all.

Ingredients laid out for homemade granola

So I make my own and keep it pretty simple. Just five basic pantry ingredients and lots of ways to use it.

Ideas for homemade granola:

  • Top your morning yogurt with some fruit and granola for an easy parfait.
  • Pack some for school lunch or in a small container to have at the office for a mid-day snack.
  • Take it on road trips, to kids sports events or to the pool. It travels great!
  • Make healthy granola muffins – so tasty!
  • Add it to some frozen yogurt or ice cream for a crunchy dessert topping!

An easy, light homemade granola with just 5 basic ingredients (and no oil needed)! Perfect for breakfast or snacking and great for on-the-go! #granola #breakfast #glutenfree #easyrecipe

Tips on how to make homemade granola:

* You’ll need to watch your oven, as granola can go from golden brown to burnt pretty quickly. I’ve lowered the temp on this recipe over the years and that helps, but I recommend you check it at 25 minutes and keep a close eye on it. (Particularly the first time you make this. You’ll get a feel for it after that.)

* You can get big granola clusters if you flip the granola carefully halfway through the cook time. The more of it that stays stuck together, the more clusters you’ll get.

* The granola is still soft when it comes out of the oven. It hardens up as it cools.

* You can store granola in a covered container in the pantry for 2-3 weeks.

5-ingredient homemade granola baked on a baking sheet

My kids love this granola too! I waited until about age 2 to introduce it to M since it’s so crunchy.

It took her a full 30 minutes to eat the very small bowl I gave her, but she was determined. 😂

We started taking it with us when we’d go out to brunch because we knew she’d be well occupied. I call that a #momwin!

As for my husband and I, we use this easy peanut butter granola for a little yogurt parfait in the morning. Spoon up your Greek yogurt, drizzle with honey if desired, top with blueberries (or fruit of choice) and sprinkle with granola.

Close up of 5-ingredient homemade granola on a baking sheet

And by sprinkle, I mean I add fistful after fistful of granola, sneaking side bites along the way.

There’s usually more granola than yogurt in my parfaits. 😂

Of course, you can also use this as a basic granola recipe and tailor it to your tastes.

Granola add-in ideas:

  • Dried fruit, such as raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries, dried blueberries or chopped dried apricots
  • Chopped nuts, such as peanuts, walnuts or pecans.
  • Unsweetened shredded coconut
  • Chocolate chips (mini or regular) or peanut butter chips

It’s all about you. Make it your way. ❤️

But do try this healthy homemade granola. It’s so easy to make and so much more budget-friendly and wholesome than what you can buy.

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn

P.S. Check out these other great granola recipes:

Healthy citrus granola

Chocolate pumpkin granola

Cranberry white chocolate granola

5-minute granola bites

Yield: about 3 cups

5-ingredient homemade granola

5-ingredient homemade granola | FamilyFoodontheTable.com

An easy, light homemade granola with just 5 basic ingredients (and no oil needed)!

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1 heaping teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 1/2 cups oats (I use old-fashioned)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Mix together peanut butter and honey in a medium bowl, until smooth. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon until well-incorporated. Add oats and stir until they are well coated.
  3. Spread mixture onto parchment paper in an even layer.
  4. Bake at 300 for 25-30 minutes, flipping the pieces over halfway through. This helps it get crunchy all over. If you flip carefully and leave lots of it stuck together, you'll get really huge clusters.
  5. Let cool completely to firm up. (It can be soft out of the oven but it does get hard and crunchy. Just wait for it.) Store in an airtight container and enjoy!

Notes

Be sure to watch the granola near the end of the cooking time to make sure it doesn't burn. I've reduced the oven temperature for this recipe over the years to help prevent that but you'll need to keep an eye on it in your oven the first time you make it.

This granola keeps in the pantry for 2-3 weeks.

Recipe adapted from Peanut Butter Fingers.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size:

1/4 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 199Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 4gSugar: 9gProtein: 7g
© Kathryn Doherty
Cuisine: American / Category: Breakfast & Brunch

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Comments

  3. Esther M. says

    I just put this in the oven and can’t wait to add my fruit and yogurt for a nice little snack while I meal prep!! I used almond butter instead of peanut (not a huge fan of PB) and added 1/2 cub cacao nibs as well. I hope it turns out ok. Will toss in some dried apricots too once it’s done.
    Thanks for a great and easy recipe … looking forward to making some of your other creations!

    In good health,
    Esther

    Reply

  4. Ev says

    Hi, I’m wondering if I can omit the peanut butter? If yes, do I need to add anything to make up for the omission?

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      Hi Ev! Yes, you can make a substitution for the peanut butter. I’d suggest almond butter or cashew butter, as those are similar in flavor profiles and still bring the healthy fats and binding qualities to the recipe. Let me know what you think!

      Reply

  5. Andrea Gross says

    My 13 yrs old daughter & I are trying to eat healthier. So no more store brought snacks. We just made this granola. It was super easy! The next time we are going to add nuts. Thanks!
    🚴New Beginnings🚵

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the granola Andrea – it’s one of my favorites! And good for you on working on eating healthier! 😊

      Reply

  6. Tracy says

    Can quick oats be used? Any modifications to cooking temperature or time? I’m trying to use what I have on hand.

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      Hi Tracy! I haven’t tried it with quick oats but I’m sure they would work just fine! Keep an eye on them as they cook but I don’t think you’d need much adjusting, time-wise. Hope you try it!

      Reply

    • Kathryn says

      Hi Kimberly! Yes, that was for the whole recipe. (The nutritional info on my site got added after I posted this recipe so I didn’t see that.) I updated it to reflect a serving of about 1/4 cup. I hope that helps!

      Reply

  8. Anamaria says

    I have this granola in the oven and my house smells amazing for this brisk fall morning! Can’t wait for my boyfriend and stepson to try it. I’ll feel so much better about feeding this to my boys in the morning than store-bought stuff! Thanks!

    Reply

  9. Kristen says

    Followed this recipe exactly and my granola is completely charred/burnt. I went to flip it at 20 minutes and I noticed it was browning a lot so checked it 5 minutes later instead of at the 30 minutes mark and it’s completely ruined. I’m so sad, I used organic oats and honey so it was expensive to just have to throw away. I make another granola recipe all the time and have never had it burn. My oven has never been off in temperature so I don’t understand. 🙁 either 315 is too hot or 25-30 minutes is too long I guess

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      Oh Kristen, I’m so sorry to hear that! I have always been OK with this recipe as is, but I’m sure there are things that can affect the timing, beyond just oven temperature. (I’m thinking the type of peanut butter used may influence things as well. I’ve made it with two different types and they did seem to cook differently.) I’ll add a note to the recipe card but I’d suggest, if you want to try it again, baking at 300 for 20-25 minutes and seeing if that does better.

      Reply

    • Kathryn says

      Hi! Yes, you can substitute maple syrup for the honey. The oats get coated in the liquid mixture and everything binds together as it cooks. Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply

  11. Rhian says

    Made this twice now and is delicious. Substituted a proportion of the oats for some nuts for crunch, and I love it.

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it Rhian – thanks for sharing! My 4-year-old son is currently obsessed with this granola so I’ve been making it on repeat. They are usually not a huge fan of nuts in things but I love that idea so I may have to try and sneak some in 😊

      Reply

  12. James says

    I also had an issue with it burning, but not as bad as someone else has mentioned (it was just slightly burnt). Not all of it was burnt and what wasn’t was really good, about to make another batch now! I’m going to add a little more vanilla and a little more cinnamon to try and get some stronger flavors in there.

    Reply

  13. Stephanie says

    Tried this recipe out over the rainy weekend, and it was super easy to make and came out absolutely delicious. My mom that suggested I just bought granola instead of making it was munching on it all weekend. Thank you for this incredible recipe.

    Reply

  14. Sue Murray says

    I just made this and it came out fantastic! I did add some sweetened coconut because I had it!! Thank you for the recipe

    Reply

  15. Amanda says

    We made 2 batches and we love it!!! The first batch just as written and it was amazing. The second one we added about a tbls of cocoa powder and a tsp of chia seeds. Ty for sharing this!🤩

    Reply

  18. Judy says

    This my second go as round. Loved it so much the first time I doubled the batch this time however no cluster 🙁 what did I do wrong ? And can I fix it ?

    Thanks !
    Judy

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      Hi Judy! If you had too much loaded on the pan, that might have been the problem. It needs to be in an even layer to cook through well. And to get the best clusters, I have to carefully flip it and try to keep it as stuck together as possible mid-way through the baking. Then it also helps to really let it cool down before you scoop it. I think it sets back up into clusters as it cools. I hope that helps!

      Reply

  19. ashley says

    I am excited to make this recipe! I’ve never made granola before so excuse the potentially silly question, but- if I am adding dried fruits/nuts/chocolate, should I bake it all together or add the extras after it’s cooked? I was thinking maybe nuts and dried fruits could be baked in but chocolate chips should be added after? Let me know what you think! Thank you!

    Reply

    • Kathryn says

      I’m excited for you to try homemade granola Ashley! I hope you love it! And not a silly question at all… I add dried fruits and any type of chocolate chips after the granola has baked. (If you sprinkle the chocolate chips on the granola right after it comes out of the oven, it’ll get all melted into it. Yum!) As for nuts… you can add them in the last 5 or so minutes of baking. You don’t want them to burn. But that way they’ll toast up a bit (and continue to toast a bit as the granola cools down). You can also add small nuts after the granola comes out. I do that with things like slivered almonds. I hope that helps!

      Reply

    • Kathryn Doherty says

      I think you could but it will change the flavor a bit. You’ll also want to use less almond extract than the amount of vanilla called for since it’s a bit stronger. Would love to hear how it turns out!

      Reply

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