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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!
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.
And it can have some funky, less than wholesome stuff in it. Check those labels, y’all.
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!
My kids love granola too! I waited until about age 2 to introduce it to M since it’s so crunchy. Took her a full 30 minutes to eat the very small bowl I gave her, but she was determined. Loves the stuff!
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 it for a little yogurt parfait in the morning. Just spoon up your Greek yogurt, drizzle with honey if desired, top with blueberries (or fruit of choice) and sprinkle with granola.
And by sprinkle, I mean I tried to restrain myself for the purposes of this picture but as soon as I put the camera down, I added another fistful.
There’s usually more granola than yogurt in my parfaits. 😉
Of course, you can use this as a base recipe and tailor it to your tastes. Add some chopped nuts or chopped fruit if you want after it’s cooked. It’s all about you. Make it your way.
But do try this homemade granola. It’s so easy, so much more budget-friendly and lots healthier.
Enjoy!
5-ingredient granola
An easy, light homemade granola with just 5 ingredients!
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 rolled oats)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- 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.
- Spread mixture onto parchment paper in an even layer.
- Bake at 300 for 30 minutes total, flipping the pieces over after 15-20 minutes. This helps it get crunchy all over. If you flip carefully and leave lots of it stuck together, you'll get really huge clusters.
- Let cool completely to firm up. (It can be soft out of the oven but it does get hard and crunchy as it cools.) Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Baking times for this granola may vary depending on your oven and the type of peanut butter you use. Make sure to watch it closely and flip at 15 minutes the first time you make it and then check at the 20 minute mark. If it goes too long, it can quickly burn.
Adapted from Peanut Butter Fingers.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving Size | 1/4 cup |
| Amount Per Serving | As Served |
| Calories 199kcal Calories from fat 53 | |
| % Daily Value | |
| Total Fat 6g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat 1g | 5% |
| Transfat 0g | |
| Sodium 2mg | 0% |
| Carbohydrate 31g | 10% |
| Dietary Fiber 4g | 16% |
| Sugars 9g | |
| Protein 7g | |
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:
| Calories | 2000 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Fat | Less than | 65g |
| Sat Fat | Less than | 25g |
| Cholesterol | Less than | 300mg |
| Sodium | Less than | 2,400mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 300g | |
| Dietary Fiber | 25g | |
Be sure to check out my 5-minute granola bites too – great for snacking!
This was amazing! So simple & so good.
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it Haley!! It’s a staple in our house!
Just made this, I love it! Perfect ratio of peanut butter and sweetness from the honey.
Yay, so glad you love it Kiki! It’s one of my breakfast favorites 🙂
I may add mini chocolate chips next time to make it dessert 😀
Great idea! I’d still eat it for breakfast though – I love a little chocolate in the morning! 😉
How long will it last in a mason jar or sealed?
Hi Zana! This granola should last up to 10 days in a sealed container.
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
Those sound like some delicious additions! I hope you love it Esther 🙂
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?
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!
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🚵
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! 😊
Can quick oats be used? Any modifications to cooking temperature or time? I’m trying to use what I have on hand.
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!
I’m curious about the nutritional information. Is the 798 calories for the entire batch?
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!
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!
I’m so happy to hear that Anamaria! I hope you all love it!
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
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.
Can de change honey for maple syrup? What makes the granola stick together?
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!
Made this twice now and is delicious. Substituted a proportion of the oats for some nuts for crunch, and I love it.
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 😊