Make your own healthy granola breakfast from scratch! Crunchy and nutty with a hint of winter spices, this cinnamon-nutmeg oats granola is great for a healthy breakfast, for simply snacking, or as thoughtful gifts for friends and family.
Making granola at home is like child’s play — super easy and fun. I make a small batch every Sunday to try out different combinations :-). Imagine an ice-cream shop with a wall of topping to choose from, that’s exactly how I feel when I set out to choose what toppings I will be adding to my next batch! As we were coming to visit our sisters in the US on Wednesday, I thought of making a big batch of the oats granola with winter spices like cinnamon and nutmeg for gifting. It turned out beautiful. The hint of spicy notes with the nutty crunchiness was perfect.
We finished a good part of it just snacking on them around the breakfast table. So one more big batch is going to made soon again. The best things about granola is that it is so versatile! I love to eat it cold with a plant-based milk, topped with fresh or frozen fruits and honey. Often I would layer it with yogurt to make parfaits. They are also great for baking, you can add them to cookies, breads, and also to pancake mixes for an added crunch!
Until almost 4 months ago, I used to buy a pack of healthy granola every week. A 500gm pack would last me just about a week, if I used it only for breakfast. While there are healthy granola options in the market, they are expensive, limited in choice, and also result in unnecessary packaging. I thought to myself, “it shouldn’t be too difficult to make granola from scratch”. I mean, in the end it is just about toasting oats. But it did take time to get to the perfect recipe for homemade granola that was easy enough to be done every week!
To be precise, it took me 6 attempts, to figure out the process. The correct oven temperature and the timings to have the perfectly toasted granola. Now I have a “formula” for the homemade granola combination that works every time! I use a 3:1 ratio of oats to add-ons. 3 cups of oats to 1 cup of add-ons which can be a mix of nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and spices etc.
Healthy homemade granola recipe
Ingredients for homemade oats granola
- Oats: Use old fashioned rolled oats. Oats are naturally gluten-free but cross contamination with other gluten-containing crops is highly likely so choose certified gluten-free oats in case you are making for someone who is gluten-sensitive or allergic.
- Nuts: almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts, whatever you fancy.
- Superfoods!: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia, hemp, flaxseeds… (again anything you fancy)
- Dried fruits: Dried fruits like cranberries, goji berries, raisins add natural sweetness to the granola. But they should be mixed after the granola mix is roasted and cooled down. In this recipe, I have not added any dried fruit as I often add them directly in my cereal.
- Other: You can add additional flavours like coconut flakes, or desiccated coconut, or cocoa powder and also spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg etc.
How to make your own granola mix
- Mix the oats, nuts, seeds, and spices in a large mixing bowl.
- Spread evenly on a lined baking tray.
- Bake at 200ºC for 20 mins. Turn them over at around 10 mins.
- Cool and mix in other add ons and store.
If you like this recipe, please take a moment to rate it and/or leave your feedback in comments. It will really encourage me to keep exploring, learning and improving.
How to make granola from scratch
Ingredients (1cup = 240ml; 1tbsp = 15ml; 1tsp = 5ml)
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ¾ cup mixed nuts , chopped [I used almonds, pecans, and hazelnuts]
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- ½ tsp ginger powder
- 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
- 2 tbsp coconut flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180ºC [356ºF] and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- This step is optional, but while you are chopping the nuts, you can spread the oats on the baking tray and toast the oats alone for 5 mins in the oven. Bring them out after 5 mins and proceed with the next step.
- In a big mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients (except for coconut flakes) for the granola together.
- Spread on the prepared baking tray and bake in the middle of the oven for 10 mins. Take out, turn over, and return to the oven.
- After 15 mins, take out from the oven again, mix in the coconut flakes and bake for another 5 mins.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Notes
- This homemade granola will stay good for up to 3-4 weeks (even longer) as it only has toasted oats and nuts. Store the granola in an air-tight container in a cool place. If you in a hot place with room temperatures higher than 25ºC, it might be better to keep it in the fridge.
- I do not add any processed sugar or syrups or honey in my homemade granola recipe. I had initially tried a few batches with honey and also with maple syrup, but I felt, it was better to make unsweetened granola. The natural sugars from the ingredients bring in light sweetness which is enough for snacking and while making my cereal bowl, I add honey on top.
- Some granola recipes also add natural oils like coconut oil. Those are useful for making granola clusters.
Why should you make your own granola?
There are many reasons why I love making my own granola, but here are the top 3:
- True & Honest: I am sure of 100% of everything that goes into my daily granola. This is probably the number 1 reason for why we all cook and why you are on the internet looking for how to make granola at home.
- Choice: I have the freedom to choose and actually experiment with different flavor combinations. The basic granola recipe can be expanded to make smaller batches of different flavors. Want more almonds? Go for it. What less walnut? No problem. Want to experiment with some cinnamon? It is all yours!
- Economical and environmental friendly: Making granola at home is just outright cheaper than buying one in the market. If you want to go for organic, no fructose, no processed stuff granola, my bet is you wouldn’t find anything cheaper than $10 for 500gms. It is also reduced packaging.
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Would love to start a conversation, share recipes, cooking experiences and food stories from India and around the world.
Not yet tried it but what you gifted was mind blowing and this will become a “must have” breakfast or snack in my pantry from now on. Thank you for sharing such an excellent healthy yummy recipe.
I am so happy! And thank you so much for sharing the pictures from the breakfast! <3
I m sure the amount that I got must be over by now and it is time to make your own batch! 🙂 Let me know how it went!
Thanks for the awesome recipe. I am a new cook, starting to learn at the age of 40 (aargh, I know but it’s never too late to start). I am wondering how to get the ginger flavor in this ginger-cinnamon oats granola. Do you use ginger powder or something else? I love the simple ingredients – I have been looking for a granola recipe online but found most to be complex or with too many ingredients. Your recipe seems simple and something that I can give a shot at. Thank you, again, for sharing it online.
Hello Gagan,
Thank you for pointing this out! I make granola so often and I keep playing with different spices that I forgot to mention the ginger powder in the recipe. I have modified the recipe to reflect the same. 🙂
I am so glad you are planning to make your own granola! It is not only tastier and healthier but also environmentally sustainable! Please do let me know if you have any other questions.
Thank you for the recipe, was looking at others and like the simplicity. Wanted to use organic oats for partner who has had lymphoma and want to reduce his exposure to glyphosphate. Have added a few sultanas, just a few. I can get all organic ingredients and buy just as much as I want from a local sustainable shop that sells everything loose. I am in the UK, Made up quality granola is so expensive.
Hey Jenny,
Than you so much for sharing your experience! Whether you are in UK or anywhere else in the world, made us quality granola is expensive everywhere!!! Which is why I love making my own. Not only is it cheaper, it is also better for the environment as there is less packaging. And I love that I can keep making different variations every time! Glad to know you added sultanas.. I love raisins in granola and often add them while eating the granola as they don’t need to be baked 🙂