Say goodbye to those overpriced bags at the store. All you need for delicious, Homemade Chunky Granola is pantry staples like oats, syrup, and about 20 minutes in the oven!
Prepackaged granola is so expensive. This recipe for homemade chunky granola saves you tons of money, you can customize to your taste, plus you know exactly what is going inside! Use this as a base recipe and stir in whatever add-ins you like!
The Coined Breakdown
- Total Cost per serving (6 meatballs): $0.98
- Total Cost (about 28 meatballs): $4.87
- Those Other Guys: $14.99 per serving
Ingredients
- Oats - I prefer to use quick oats, but I've tested this recipe with rolled oats as well with great results!
- Maple Syrup & Honey - For sweeteners, grab a 1:1 ratio of maple syrup and honey or agave.
- Vegetable Oil - A bit of veggie oil (or coconut oil if you have it!) helps get the crunchy granola texture after we bake everything up.
- Vanilla Extract - We don't need a lot for that beautiful vanilla flavor to shine through.
- Salt - Just a pinch of salt helps balance the sweetness in this recipe.
- Cinnamon - A hint of cinnamon flavor pairs fantastically with the other ingredients.
- Mix-Ins - This is up to you! The recipe photos have pecans, dried cranberries, and pepitas. But you can use anything from mini chocolate chips to peanuts to freeze dried berries.
Variations and Substitutions
Dark Chocolate & Berry Granola: Use dark chocolate chunks, raspberries, blackberries, chia seeds, and almonds as your mix-ins.
No-Bake Granola Bars: Want a handheld version for on the go? Try these No-Bake Granola Bars made with mini chocolate chips!
S'mores Granola: Stir in Golden Grahams cereal, mini marshmallows, and chocolate chips.
Fruit & Yogurt Parfait: Assemble some Greek Yogurt Parfaits and sprinkle homemade maple-vanilla granola in layers.
How to Make Homemade Chunky Granola
Step 1: To begin, mix together your oil, sweeteners, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon to a large mixing bowl. Whisk this well using a silicone spatula.
Step 2: Pour in the oats, pecans, pepitas, and dried cranberries. Stir until well combined.
Step 3: Flatten the oat mixture into an even layer on a parchment-lined tray using a silicone spatula.
Step 4: Bake for 10 minutes, then stir up the granola. Pat it down into one layer again, and finish baking.
Let everything cool completely, then break up the granola into clumps. That's it!
Recipe Pro Tips
- Mix together the liquids first. I like to whisk together all of the liquids before adding in the oats and mix-ins, so everything is evenly covered.
- Have a little patience. You want the granola to cool completely to get that crunchy texture. This also helps get the perfect amount of clumps!
Recipe FAQs
Store this in a storage bag (try and remove as much air as possible) or an airtight glass container with a lid. You can keep it at room temperature for up to 1 month.
Most likely, it didn't cool down enough after baking. You can also add another 2-4 minutes of baking time, then let cool completely and break it up into clusters.
Other Snack Recipes You'll Crave!
If you tried this Maple-Vanilla Chunky Granola Recipe, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you! Thanks for visiting!
Maple-Vanilla Chunky Granola
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Silicone Spatula
- Sheet Pan
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ⅛ cup honey
- ⅛ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 cups oats
- ⅓ cup crushed pecans
- ⅓ cup roasted pepitas
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the oil, sweeteners, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon to a large mixing bowl. Whisk well using a silicone spatula.
- Pour in the oats, pecans, pepitas, and dried cranberries. Stir until well combined.
- Add the mixture to the parchment-lined tray, using the silicone spatula to press it down into an even layer.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then stir around the granola. Pat it back down into an even layer, then bake for another 10-12 minutes.
- Remove your pan and let the granola cool completely, for at least 20 minutes.
- Using your hands and/or a spoon, break up the granola into clumps.
- Store at room temperature in a storage bag or airtight mason jar. Enjoy!
Sandra says
I make this weekly for my meal prep.. as a USPS worker it is important to keep my energy up with healthy foods - and it never gets old. I love this recipe!
Shani W. says
I'm so glad to hear that Sandra! And thank you for what you do 🙂