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This healthy granola tastes just as delicious as the kind made with refined sugar, but it’s even better because it’s oil-free! It’s the perfect make-ahead breakfast, or crunchy snack.

healthy granola served with yogurt and fruit

Healthy Granola Ingredients

How do you make healthy granola from scratch?

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Rolled oats
  • Nuts or seeds (I’m partial to pecans or pepitas)
  • Unsweetened shredded coconut
  • Maple syrup
  • Cinnamon

Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats, if you need a gluten-free granola recipe.

healthy granola ingredients in glass bowl

Variations

Because this granola recipe is so simple to prepare, feel free to change the ingredients you add in, depending on what you have on hand. Here are some ideas to get you started:

  • Hulled seeds, like sunflower or sesame
  • Dried fruit, like raisins or cranberries (add in after baking)
  • Mini chocolate chips (add in after baking)
  • Other nuts or seeds (chia seeds, flax seeds, pepitas, etc.)

This healthy granola is perfect for busy mornings when you need something that’s quick to prepare, and because it’s shelf-stable, you can also keep a bag of it stashed in your purse or car for an easy snack on the go.

granola mixed and pressed into sheet pan

As written, this recipe makes about 3 cups of granola, which is about 6 servings. This amount is great for one or two people, but if you have a larger family of granola-eaters, feel free to double or triple the recipe!

It should keep well for up to a week stored at room temperature, or up to a month or more when stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

baked granola in glass jar

gluten free granola on pan

Healthy Granola (Oil-free!)

4.92 from 24 votes
This healthy granola is the perfect make-ahead breakfast or crunchy snack. I love that it's oil-free and naturally sweetened! This recipe makes roughly
prep10 mins cook20 mins total30 mins
Servings:12

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (242 grams; gluten-free, if needed)
  • 1 cup shredded coconut (105 grams; unsweetened)
  • 1 cup pecans (119 grams; or walnuts or pepitas)
  • 3/4 cup maple syrup (255 grams)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (10 grams; or pumpkin pie spice)
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (5 grams)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, coconut, pumpkin seeds, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. 
    healthy granola ingredients in glass bowl
  • Transfer the mixture to the lined baking sheet and spread it out for even baking. Bake at 350ºF until lightly golden, about 20 minutes. Stir the granola, so it will crisp evenly, then return to the oven for 5 to 8 more minutes, until it's slightly more golden. Don't bake more than 30 minutes, or it may start to burn.
    granola mixed and pressed into sheet pan
  • Allow the granola to cool on the pan completely before removing it. If you'd like to add any dried fruit, now is the time to stir it in. Use your hands to break the granola into smaller pieces and store it in an airtight container until ready to eat.
    baked granola looking lightly golden in pan
  • Granola can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or in the fridge for up to a month. Serve with your favorite milk or yogurt, or on its own for a crunchy snack.
    finished granola in glass jar and served with yogurt and fruit

Notes

This recipe makes roughly 6 cups of granola. Nutrition information is for roughly 1/2 cup of granola, or 1/12th of this recipe. This is automatically calculated, and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.

Nutrition

Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 102mg | Potassium: 171mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1.4mg
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: healthy granola
Per serving: Calories: 178, Carbohydrates: 23, Protein: 3, Fat: 8

Recipe Notes:

As always, if you make any modifications to this recipe, please leave a comment below letting us know how it worked for you. We can all benefit from your experience!

Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite fast breakfast option? 

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Megan Gilmore leaning on her white countertop.

Megan Gilmore

Hi, I’m Megan. A former fast food junkie turned best-selling cookbook author. I create healthy recipes made with simple ingredients to make your life easier.

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Comments

  1. Thank you Megan for making store brought granola obsolete for this family! I have made this 6 times since finding it via your weekly meal plan inspo emails! Your chocolate granola recipe led me to this one and I have made it as gifts for our Kindergarten teachers and we have eaten numerous tablespoons on granola and by the handful! I follow your recipe to a T and the flavor and texture is consistently amazing! I have tried it adding dried cranberries (the toddler favorite) raisins (the Kindergartners fav) and dried cherries (my Fav). It’s never dry and they’ve never hardened.
    Thank you!!

  2. I love the taste of this granola and how easy it is to make-but the macros are deceiving. I’ve made it several times and today I finally tracked the entire batch and the macros are WAY off. They are much higher than what it listed. I know using different products can change macros-but these are pretty simple ingredients and shouldn’t be this ‘off’-they are very skewed.

  3. Tastes amazing even before baking it! Then after baking, comes out crunchy, just the way I like it. The flavor reminds me of candied nuts.

  4. I didn’t know that granola could be made without oil until I tried this recipe. I had two home made recipes for my kids to choose from, one with oil and this being the other….this was the winner! I love this. Thanks Megan!

  5. This is such a winner! So simple and fun for the kids to make. We buy a large box of oats at Costco, so we always have the ingredients on hand. I ordered a 2nd baking pan just so that I can double this recipe.

  6. This is really good. I do have another go to granola recipe that I adore, but I was looking for something oil free. First of all usually I don’t like pepitas in granola and also I don’t like pumpkin spice anything but Knowing that Megan recipes are almost ALWAYS a hit, I decide to trust her…… and I was amazed. This flavor is delicious, sweet enough and perfectly season. I love the small batch. Definitely this is a keeper. Thanks Megan