Basic Granola Recipe (makes about 6 cups)

  • 3 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup mixed nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans — roughly chopped)
  • 1/2 cup seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame)
  • 1/3 cup neutral oil (coconut, vegetable or light olive oil)
  • 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup dried fruit — add after baking (raisins, cranberries, apricots)
  1. 1

    Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F)

    Low and slow is the key to granola that is golden and crispy without burning. Too high and it burns on the outside while staying raw inside.

  2. 2

    Mix dry ingredients

    Combine oats, nuts and seeds in a large bowl.

  3. 3

    Mix wet ingredients then combine

    Whisk together oil, honey, vanilla and salt. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly until everything is evenly coated.

  4. 4

    Spread thin on a lined baking tray

    Spread in a thin, even layer — about 1cm deep. A thin layer crisps up properly; a thick layer steams and stays soft in the middle.

  5. 5

    Bake 25–30 minutes, stir once at halfway

    Bake until golden. Stir once at 15 minutes to ensure even browning. The granola looks soft when it comes out of the oven — it crisps up dramatically as it cools.

  6. 6

    Do not touch it until completely cool

    This is the most important step for clusters. Leave completely undisturbed on the tray until fully cool — at least 30 minutes. Then break into your desired chunk size.

  7. 7

    Add dried fruit and store

    Stir in dried fruit once cool. Store in an airtight jar at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.

For bigger clustersPress the granola flat with a spatula before baking and do not stir it at all during cooking. The undisturbed layer bakes into a sheet that breaks into large clusters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Either it was not baked long enough, the layer was too thick, or you did not let it cool completely before judging. Granola is soft when it comes out of the oven — give it at least 30 minutes to cool before deciding it needs more time in the oven.
You can reduce the oil but removing it entirely makes granola that does not crisp up well and clumps poorly. Nut butter (almond or peanut) is a good partial substitute that adds flavour and helps binding.