The Very Best Homemade Granola - Sweet, Crunchy, and Nutty

A jar of homemade granola with a striped dish towel.

4.84 from 6 votes

The Very Best Homemade Granola - Sweet, Crunchy, and Nutty

This Homemade Granola is crunchy, nutty, sweet, and SO delicious. It is a filling, nutritious, and addicting way to start your morning - and it is even an amazing afternoon snack!

Prep Time5

Cook Time35

Total Time40

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: crunchy granola, granola recipe, homemade granola, the best granola

Servings:

Calories: 216kcal

Author: Kari

Equipment

a mixing bowl
a baking sheet
a rubber spatula
measuring cups
measuring spoons

Ingredients

3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup pecan halves
⅔ cup sunflower seeds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup white sesame seeds
½ cup whole flax seeds
½ cup honey
½ cup brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice

Optional

½ cup water

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 275°F.
In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, honey, vanilla extract, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and water if using it.
½ cup honey, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon allspice
Bring this mixture to a rolling boil over low heat, stirring as needed to prevent burning and until the brown sugar is mixed in. (Do not let this cool once it has started bubbling a little - the sugar will harden and be very hard to work with.)
While the mixture is coming to a boil, combine oats, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, pecans, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl. Toss to mix together.
3 cups old-fashioned oats, 1 cup pecan halves, ⅔ cup sunflower seeds, 1 cup pumpkin seeds, ½ cup white sesame seeds, ½ cup whole flax seeds
Once the sugar mixture is bubbling, immediately pour this over the oat mixture and mix until it the oats are fully coated.
Spread the oats out onto a baking sheet with edges, then bake for 20 minutes at 275°F.
After 20 minutes, stir the granola and spread it back out on the sheet. Place back in the oven for 15 more minutes, watching carefully for the last 5 minutes to be sure that nothing burns.
Remove granola from the oven and let it cool (it will be soft at first so don't worry!)
Break up the granola into pieces and store it in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

Tips

Add any of your favorite nuts and seeds. This recipe is easy to customize.
If you want to mix in dried fruit or coconut, you can mix it in after the granola comes out of the oven and is still warm. (Or add it when serving. I like to serve this granola with fresh berries.)
Try not to burn the granola - I know the low temperature seems crazy, but the goal is to lightly toast the oats and let the sugar sink into everything - if it gets cooked too long or the oven gets too hot, the oats will burn and the burnt taste can be overpowering.

Nutrition