This is the Best Granola Recipe to make if you love a healthy granola loaded with nuts (cashews, pecans, almonds and sunflower seeds). And it’s a low sugar granola recipe that we sweeten with pure maple syrup rather than granulated sugar.

Three white bowls filled with yogurt, healthy granola and mixed berries.

Serve this healthy low sugar granola for breakfast with plain yogurt and berries, or serve it as a dessert with ice cream or frozen yogurt and berries.  It’s delicate and crispy and completely addictive!! 
Two white bowls filled with yogurt, nuts and mixed berries

Healthy Granola Recipe 

  • Oats: We use gluten free rolled oats (don’t use steel cut or quick cooking).
  • Nuts: We use an assortment of cashews, almonds, and walnuts, but use whatever nuts you like.
  • Seeds: We also sprinkle in sunflower seeds to the mix.
  • Coconut Flakes: Dried unsweetened and shredded coconut flakes adds a nice flavor to our granola.
  • Maple Syrup: We sweeten this granola with pure maple syrup to keep things on the healthy side.
  • Oil: We use coconut oil which makes the granola flavorful and light and crispy.
  • Spices: We just sprinkle in a little cinnamon to the mix.

Variations

  • Use your favorite nuts (instead of the cashews, pecans and almonds we use for this recipe)
  • Stir in chia seeds or hemp seeds at the very end
  • Stir in raisins or other dried fruit at the very end
  • Substitute coconut oil with safflower oil or another oil if you don’t have or like coconut oil
  • Add more cinnamon and other spices if you like 
  • Use agave instead of pure maple syrup 

How To Make Granola

  • Low heat and slow baking is key.  You don’t want to rush the baking here. Low heat and slow baking will give your granola a delicate golden crispy texture.
  • Stirring every 10 minutes – also key.  You’ll want to set your timer in 10 minute increments reminding you to stir the granola every 10-12 minutes so it bakes evenly.
  • Line your cookie sheet – line your cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper for easy clean up.

A white plate filled with homemade healthy granola. A spoon rests on the plate.

Is Granola Gluten Free

Granola is made with rolled oats and rolled oats are naturally gluten-free so as long as you’ve picked a package of oats that has a certified gluten-free label on it. If the package does not have the certified gluten-free label on it, then the oats that you are using may have come in contact with gluten (wheat, rye and barley).

More Easy Oatmeal Recipes

Two white bowls filled with yogurt, granola and mixed berries.
Yield: 8 servings

Best Granola Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

This is the Best Granola Recipe to make if you love a healthy granola loaded with nuts (cashews, pecans, almonds and sunflower seeds). And it's a low sugar granola recipe that we sweeten with pure maple syrup rather than granulated sugar.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (don't use instant oats)
  • 2-1/2 cups mixed nuts, coarsely chopped (I use cashews, almonds, and pecans)
  • 1 cup raw sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup dried unsweetened coconut flakes, shredded (I like the larger flakes)
  • 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
  2. Use 1 tablespoon canola oil to coat a large cookie sheet.
  3. In a large bowl, mix the oats, nuts, sunflower seeds, coconut and mix well.
  4. In a separate medium size bowl, add the maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon and canola oil and mix well until the sugar is dissolved.
  5. Pour over the oats mixture and blend very well (using your fingers if necessary) so the mixture is completely moistened. Evenly spread the mixture onto the cookie sheet.
  6. While baking - toss and stir the granola and scrape away from the sides and bottom of the sheet every 10 minutes.
  7. Bake for approximately 45-50 minutes or until the granola is nice and crispy.

Notes

Variations

  • Use your favorite nuts (instead of the cashews, pecans and almonds we use for this recipe)
  • Stir in chia seeds or hemp seeds at the very end
  • Stir in raisins or other dried fruit at the very end
  • Substitute coconut oil with safflower oil or another oil if you don't have or like coconut oil
  • Add more cinnamon and other spices if you like 
  • Use agave instead of pure maple syrup 

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 538Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1087mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 9gSugar: 21gProtein: 13g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.