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This homemade crunchy and sweet granola is worth the effort!
I’ve been on such a granola bar kick lately that I’ve wondered why on Earth I waited so long to make my own… Of course, in this house, one thing always leads to another, and that means I was ready to try my hand making a homemade granola recipe.
I adore granola cereal and the best I ever had was at a little bed and breakfast Mr. Juggling Act stayed at in Vermont. My favorite part? The toasted coconut – amazing! This is an easy base you can eat plain, or throw in some dried fruits for a little extra sweetness.
How do you make homemade granola crunchy?
To make crunchy granola, you have to bake it for about 50 minutes at 300-degrees F. Be sure to store your granola in an airtight container.
How do you toast coconut?
There are two ways to toast coconut. One method is to put the coconut into a skillet over medium heat stirring often. Cook it until the coconut starts to turn golden brown.
If you want to make a larger batch, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the coconut out. Bake at 300-degrees F until the coconut is toasted. Always watch carefully because coconut can go from perfectly toasted to burnt in a moment!
How can I make this recipe more healthy?
To make this homemade granola recipe more healthy, simply replace the vegetable oil with coconut oil instead. For less sweet granola, you can reduce the brown sugar by half.
Homemade Granola Shopping List
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- quick-cooking oats
- crispy rice cereal
- wheat germ
- Barlean’s Flax-Chia-Coconut Blend
- coconut
- chopped walnuts
- brown sugar
- vegetable oil
- honey
From the pantry: vanilla extract, salt, and cinnamon
For a list of some of my favorite items to use when cooking, please visit my Kitchen Resource page.
How to Make Homemade Granola
- Preheat the oven to 300-degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and toast the coconut stirring often. Add the coconut to a large bowl.
- Add the walnut to the skillet also over medium heat to toast. When you start to smell their nuttiness, they’re done.
- To the bowl, add the oats, rice cereal, wheat germ, Barlean’s Flax-Chia-Coconut Blend, walnuts, cinnamon and salt and mix well.
- In a second bowl, mix together the oil, honey, water, and vanilla.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients, then turn out onto the prepared parchment paper in a thin layer.
- Bake for 50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes until golden brown. If you want to add dried fruit, add it in the last ten minutes of cooking.
- Store in an airtight container once completely cooled.
Why do you toast the walnuts and coconut?
Toasting the walnuts and flaked coconut helps to bring out their flavors. While it’s not mandatory, it adds a rich nuttiness to this homemade granola recipe.
Recipe Variations
- Instead of walnuts, try other nuts such as cashews, pecans, or almonds.
- After baking, add dried fruit such as cranberries, raisins, apricots, or blueberries.
More Delicious Recipes:
- Our Blueberry Cranberry Granola Bars Recipe makes a great snack any time of the day!
- Our Chocolate Chip No Bake Energy Balls are the perfect on-the-go snack.
Homemade Granola Recipe
Not ready to make it yet? Don’t forget to pin this recipe for later.
When you do make it, please be sure to tag me on Instagram @jugglingactmama or #jugglingactmama – I’d love to see your pictures!
And finally, if you get a chance, please comment and leave me a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below!
Ingredients
- 3 cups quick cooking oats
- 1 cup crispy rice cereal
- 1/4 cup wheat germ
- 1/4 Barlean’s Flax-Chia-Coconut Blend
- 1/2 cup toasted coconut
- 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300-degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Heat a skillet over medium heat and toast the coconut stirring often. Add the coconut to a large bowl.
- Add the walnut to the skillet also over medium heat to toast. When you start to smell their nuttiness, they’re done.
- To the bowl, add the oats, rice cereal, wheat germ, Barlean’s Flax-Chia-Coconut Blend, walnuts, cinnamon and salt and mix well.
- In a second bowl, mix together the oil, honey, water and vanilla.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients, then turn out onto the prepared parchment paper in a thin layer.
- Bake for 50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes until golden brown. If you want to add dried fruit, add it in the last ten minutes of cooking.
- Store in an airtight container once completely cooled.
Love this recipe! If stored in an air-tight container, how long will this cereal typically stay fresh?
About a week or so Kelly 🙂
This looks super yummy!