How to Make Granola & Granola Clusters with Fruit

We hikers eat a lot of granola, so learning how to make granola makes a lot of sense. This article presents my best recipes for granola and granola clusters. Sweetened with maple syrup or honey, fortified with ground flax and sesame seeds, you will love the crunch of healthy homemade granola.

Learn how to make granola and granola clusters

Why Make Your Own Granola?

Homemade granola saves you a lot of money.
Real maple syrup and honey contain vitamins and minerals.
Ground flax seeds and sesame seeds are very nutritious.

Homemade Granola Ingredients

How to Make Granola in the Oven

Granola Recipe with Maple Syrup

Granola Recipe with Honey

Honey-Sesame Granola Recipe

Peanut Butter Granola Recipe

How to Make Granola Clusters

DIY Granola Ideas

Homemade Granola Ingredients

Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats

Use old-fashioned rolled oats (right) for making granola. They are not as finely-milled as quick-cook or instant oats (left). Old-fashioned oats form better granola clusters.

Photo: Use old-fashioned rolled oats, shown on right, for making granola.

Is eating granola healthy? According to Healthline, “The soluble fiber in oats helps reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels, promotes healthy gut bacteria, and increases feelings of fullness. Oats contain minerals, vitamins, and antioxidant plant compounds such as manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, folate, vitamin B1 (thiamin), and vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid).” Oats are gluten-free if not processed in a factory that also processes wheat.

Ground Flax Seeds

Flax seeds are nutritious and full of both soluble and insoluble fiber. They are high in thiamine, a B vitamin important for energy metabolism, and they contain numerous minerals. I grind the seeds to unleash their full nutritional benefits, because whole seeds pass through the digestive tract largely undigested. Ground flax seeds have a natural ability to bind other ingredients, which makes them perfect for forming granola clusters.

Flax seeds and sesame seeds before grinding. Add these to make granola more nutritious.

Photo: Flax seeds (left) and sesame seeds (right) are nutritious additions to granola recipes. Toast and grind them first.

Ground Sesame Seeds

Sesame seeds are also packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to compliment the nutrients found in flax seeds. According to Healthline, “Sesame seeds are low in carbohydrates and high in protein and healthy fats, which may support blood sugar control.” Lightly toasting sesame seeds before grinding them increases the bioavailability of the nutrients in them, and also enhances the nutty flavor.

Real Maple Syrup

My first basic granola recipe is sweetened with real maple syrup, not the fake kind. Unlike refined sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, real maple syrup actually contains vitamins and minerals. I use just enough so that the granola is sweet but not sticky after baking it.

Honey

My second basic granola recipe is sweetened with honey, which also has advantages over refined sugar. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Honey contains mostly sugar, as well as a mix of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, iron, zinc and antioxidants.” I thin the honey with a splash of apple juice to make it easier to mix it with the oats and ground seeds.

The liquid nature of maple syrup and honey help bind the oats into perfectly sweetened clusters—sometimes 5 or 6 oats stuck together, sometimes 2 or 3, always delicious. Of the two sweeteners, honey is slightly better at forming the largest granola clusters.

Cooking Oil

I use just enough sunflower oil to toast the granola to a light-brown color in the oven, and far less than is used to make oatmeal cookies. Any neutral-flavored cooking oil may be used in place of sunflower oil, including coconut oil. If using coconut oil, warm it above room temperature to a liquid state. A little fat in the form of oil is a source of energy for hikers on the go.

Finishing Touches

Salt, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. I use cinnamon in the maple syrup granola recipe and vanilla extract in the honey granola recipe.

What about Nuts, Pumpkin Seeds, Dried Fruits & Coconut Flakes?

There is no need to roast these healthy ingredients in the oven with the granola. Add them to the granola after it has cooled. Change up the combinations in granola trail mixes so you don’t get bored eating the same thing day after day.

Homemade granola with nuts, seeds, and dried fruits.

Photo: Homemade granola with added nuts, pumpkin seeds, coconut flakes, and dried fruit in a trail mix.

How to Make Granola in the Oven

Cookware for Making Granola:

Half sheet baking pan, approximately 18” x 13” x 1”.
Parchment paper, aka baking paper.
Nonstick frying pan.
Mixing bowl.

Preparing the Granola

It takes about 15 minutes to prepare the ingredients for making homemade granola.

Start by lightly toasting the flax and sesame seeds with a few tablespoons of the oats in a pan, which enhances the taste of the seeds and improves the bioavailability of nutrients.

Toast and grind flax seeds and sesame seeds.

Photos: (L) Toasting the seeds with some of the oats. (R) Seeds after grinding.

Once cooled, grind the toasted seeds and oats to a meal consistency. A few pulses in a blender will do the trick. The small portion of oats included in this step makes it easier for the blades of the blender to engage with the seeds. The ground seeds also act as a binder for the oats.

Combine the ground seeds with the rolled oats and dry seasonings.

Photo: Mixing dry granola ingredients with wet ingredients. Toss like a salad with two spoons.

Add about ⅔ of the honey or maple syrup and mix until the oats are well-coated. I use two spoons and toss the oats like a salad. Note that about a third of the honey or maple syrup is held back and added halfway through the baking process. Heating the honey or maple syrup for a shorter time reduces caramelization and improves binding.

Lastly, stir in the oil.

How to Bake the Granola

What is the best temperature to bake granola?

I tested baking granola at 350°F (176°C) and 325°F (160°C). Either temperature works, but at the higher temperature, the granola turns out darker and crispier, with a hint of bitter flavor due to caramelization of the sugars in the maple syrup or honey. At the lower temperature, the granola will have a golden-brown color, perfect crunch, excellent flavor and sweetness, and optimal clustering of the oats.

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).

The total time to bake granola is 25 minutes.

I use a stopwatch to keep track of the time the granola is in the oven—stopping the clock during the time that the granola is taken out of the oven for stirring at 12 minutes and 20 minutes.

Spread granola mixture on a half-sheet baking pan using parchment paper. Place in preheated oven and bake for 12 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and stir in the remaining honey or maple syrup. Mix well until there is no visible sweetener on the parchment paper. My method of stirring the granola is to hold the parchment paper in place with a spoon while scraping the granola to the center with a spatula. Then spread it around evenly again.

Return pan to oven and continue baking for 8 minutes. Remove pan from oven and stir the granola.

Return pan to oven and continue baking for the last 5 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and let granola sit undisturbed for 15 minutes.

Once cool enough to handle, gently crumble the granola into small clusters.

Allow granola to completely cool before placing it in an airtight container for storage.

Photo: Homemade granola sweetened with maple syrup.

Granola Recipe with Maple Syrup

Makes 6 cups (635 g).

Ingredients:

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (400 g)
¼ cup sunflower oil (60 ml)
½ cup maple syrup (175 ml) + ¼ cup (60 ml)
¼ cup flax seeds (40 g)
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds (16 g)
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt

How to Make Granola with Maple Syrup

Place 4 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats in bowl.

Transfer ¼ cup of the oats to a nonstick frying pan and add the flax seeds and sesame seeds. Toast over medium heat, stirring continuously for about 10 minutes. When seeds start to pop, or when the sesame seeds turn lightly golden brown, take the pan off the heat. Allow to cool, then place the toasted oats and seeds in a blender or grinder.

Pulse toasted oats and seeds a few times to reduce them to a coarsely ground texture.

Add ground oats and seeds back to the bowl with the rolled oats, and add cinnamon and salt.

Measure maple syrup into two portions of a ½ cup and a ¼ cup. The ¼ cup portion will be added later in the baking process.

Add ½ cup of maple syrup to the oats and stir with two spoons until well combined.

Lastly, stir in sunflower oil until well combined with oats.

Photo: Baked granola with maple syrup.

Bake the Granola

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).

Total baking time is 25 minutes.

Spread granola mixture evenly on parchment paper in a half sheet baking pan.

Tip: Use a stopwatch to precisely measure the time the granola is in the oven, not counting the two times that you take the granola out to stir it.

Bake granola in oven for 12 minutes. Hit your stopwatch, and take the granola out of the oven.

Drizzle the ¼ cup of retained maple syrup over the granola and stir thoroughly. You will know you have stirred enough when there is no liquid maple syrup visible on the parchment paper.

Return pan to oven. Start stopwatch again and bake until the 20-minute mark. (8 minutes). Hit your stopwatch, take the granola out of the oven, and stir again.

Return pan to oven. Start stopwatch again and bake until the 25-minute mark. (5 minutes).

At the 25-minute mark, remove pan from oven and lightly press down on the granola with a spatula. Let cool for 15 minutes.

Once granola is cool enough to touch, crumble it into smaller clumps.

Cool granola completely before placing it in an airtight container.

Photo: Homemade granola sweetened with honey.

Granola Recipe with Honey

Makes 6 cups (680 g)

Ingredients:

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (400 g)
¼ cup sunflower oil (60 ml)
¾ cup honey (175 ml)
1 Tbsp. apple juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup sesame seeds (32 g)
2 Tbsp. flax seeds (20 g)
½ tsp. salt

How to Make Granola with Honey

Place 4 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats in bowl.

Transfer ¼ cup of the oats to a nonstick frying pan and add the sesame seeds and flax seeds. Toast over medium heat, stirring continuously for about 10 minutes. When seeds start to pop, or when the sesame seeds turn lightly golden brown, take the pan off the heat. Allow to cool, then place the toasted oats and seeds in a blender or grinder.

Pulse toasted oats and seeds a few times to reduce them to a coarsely ground texture.

Add ground oats and seeds back to the bowl with the rolled oats, and add salt.

In a separate bowl, combine honey with vanilla extract and apple juice, and stir until honey is thin.

Set aside ¼ cup of the honey/juice mixture; it will be added later in the baking process.

Add remaining honey/juice mixture (½ cup) to the oats and stir with two spoons until well combined.

Lastly, stir in sunflower oil until well combined with the oats.

Bake the Granola

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).

Total baking time is 25 minutes.

Spread granola mixture evenly on parchment paper in a half sheet baking pan.

Tip: Use a stopwatch to precisely measure the time the granola is in the oven, not counting the two times that you take the granola out to stir it.

Bake granola in oven for 12 minutes. Hit your stopwatch, and take the granola out of the oven.

Drizzle the ¼ cup of retained honey/juice mixture over the granola and stir thoroughly. You will know you have stirred enough when there is no liquid honey visible on the parchment paper.

Return pan to oven. Start stopwatch again and bake until the 20-minute mark. (8 minutes). Hit your stopwatch, take the granola out of the oven, and stir again.

Return pan to oven. Start stopwatch again and bake until the 25-minute mark. (5 minutes).

At the 25-minute mark, remove pan from oven and lightly press down on the granola with a spatula. Let cool for 15 minutes.

Once granola is cool enough to touch, crumble it into smaller clumps.

Cool granola completely before placing it in an airtight container.

Honey-Sesame Granola Recipe

Extra Ingredient: 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds.

Follow the basic granola recipe with honey. Toast, but do not grind an extra 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds. Combine with oats and other dry ingredients before adding the wet ingredients.

Honey sweetened granola with sesame seeds.

Photo: Honey-sweetened granola with extra sesame seeds.

Peanut Butter Granola Recipe

Photo: Homemade peanut butter granola.

Extra Ingredient: ⅓ cup (25 g) peanut butter powder.

Follow either of the basic granola recipes above using maple syrup or honey as the sweetener. Add the peanut butter powder to the rolled oats at the same time as the ground seeds and dry ingredients.

Peanut butter powder has most of the fat removed, so it won’t add any greasiness to the granola.

Shop peanut butter powder on Amazon (affiliate link).

How to Make Granola Clusters

Of the two granola sweeteners, honey forms larger granola clusters than maple syrup. But if you combine either type of granola with blended fruit, and dry it in a dehydrator, you’ll be amazed at the delicious, fruity granola clusters you will create.

Photo: Granola clusters dried in a dehydrator.

Making granola clusters is easy:

Blend or mash fruit into a sauce.
Combine with homemade granola.
Dehydrate at 135°F (57°C) for approx. 11 hours.

Granola Clusters Recipes

Apple-Granola Clusters

Pineapple-Granola Clusters

Banana-Granola Clusters

Orange-Granola Clusters

Chocolate-Covered Granola Clusters

Apple-Granola Clusters Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups granola (maple syrup sweetened) (200 g)
2 apples
3 Tbsp. apple juice or cranberry juice
1 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. maple syrup
¼ tsp. cinnamon

How to Make Granola Clusters with Apples

Make the Applesauce:

Target yield is 1 cup of applesauce.

Dice apples and place in blender with apple/cranberry juice, and lemon juice. Blend into sauce.

Stir in maple syrup and cinnamon.

Photo: Homemade granola and applesauce before combining.

Combine 1 cup of applesauce with 2 cups of homemade granola.

Apple granola clusters drying on dehydrator tray with and without nonstick sheet.

Photos: (L) Applesauce/granola mixture spread on dehydrator tray over nonstick sheet. (R) Granola clusters drying on tray after nonstick sheet removed.

Dehydrating Apple-Granola Clusters

Spread apple-granola mixture on dehydrator tray over a nonstick sheet.

Dehydrate at 135°F (57°C) for approximately 11 hours.

After about 6 hours, flip tray over onto another tray and remove the nonstick sheet.

Continue drying until clusters are firm and snappy.

Allow to cool, and break into granola clusters of desired sizes.

Store in an airtight container. Best when used within 1 month.

Photo: Apple-Granola Clusters. Delicious!

Pineapple-Granola Clusters Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups granola (honey sweetened) (200 g)
1½ cups pineapple chunks*
3 Tbsp. pineapple juice

* Easiest to use canned pineapple packed in its own juice, no extra sugar.

How to Make Granola Clusters with Pineapple

Combining blended pineapple with granola to make clusters.

Photo: Combining blended pineapple with granola.

Run pineapple chunks and juice through a blender until smooth.

Combine blended pineapple with granola.

Dehydrate the same way as the other granola clusters.

Banana-Granola Clusters Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups granola (honey sweetened) (200 g)
2 bananas
1 lemon
1 tsp. honey

How to Make Granola Clusters with Bananas

Photo: Homemade granola and banana purée before combining.

Make the Banana Purée:

Target yield is 1 cup of banana purée.

Dice bananas and place in a flat-bottom pot. Grate the peel of 1 lemon and add to bananas with 2 Tbsp. of lemon juice and 1 tsp. of honey.

Mash into a purée with a potato masher.

Combine 1 cup of banana purée with 2 cups of homemade granola.

Dehydrating Banana-Granola Clusters

Banana-granola mix on dehydrator tray with nonstick sheet.

Photo: Banana-granola mixture on dehydrator tray over nonstick sheet.

Spread banana-granola mixture on dehydrator tray over a nonstick sheet.

Dehydrate at 135°F (57°C) for approximately 11 hours.

After about 6 hours, flip tray over onto another tray and remove the nonstick sheet.

Continue drying until clusters are firm and snappy.

Photo: Banana-granola mixture near end of drying directly on mesh sheet.

Allow to cool, and break into granola clusters of desired sizes.

Store in an airtight container. Best when used within 1 month.

Photo: Banana-granola clusters. Delicious!

Orange-Granola Clusters Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups granola (honey-sesame recipe) (200 g)
2 oranges (300 g), plus the peels
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. orange juice

How to Make Orange-Granola Clusters

Peel 2 oranges and remove as much pith as possible. Retain the peels.

Scrape pith off underside of peels with a spoon.

Chop peels into bits with a knife and place in a bowl.

Combine peels with 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of orange juice. Let sit for a few minutes. The peels don’t go in the blender.

Run orange chunks through a blender until smooth.

Combine blended oranges with granola and sweetened orange peel bits.

Dehydrating Orange-Granola Clusters

Drying orange granola clusters on a silicone tray.

Spread mixture on dehydrator tray using a nonstick sheet or silicone tray.

Dehydrate at 135°F (57°C) for approximately 11 hours total.

When the granola is mostly dry, flip the tray over onto another tray and remove the nonstick sheet. Continue drying until frim and snappy.

Break the dried sheet into granola clusters.

Chocolate covered orange granola clusters

Orange-Granola clusters are amazing topped with chocolate. Try Lindt Intense Orange Chocolate.

Chocolate Covered Granola Clusters

Take your homemade granola clusters to the next level with a chocolate topping.

The best chocolate for melting is dark chocolate. Use plain chocolate with a high cocoa percentage or dark chocolate infused with intense flavors. The Lindt brand is delicious and is available with intense flavor options such as caramel, orange, pear, and berries.

Photo: Lindt chocolate chopped into smaller pieces.

Melt chocolate in a microwave using a microwave-safe container (30% power in 30 second intervals), or melt chocolate using the double-boiler method as follows:

Add an inch of water to a saucepan. Place a heat-safe bowl inside the saucepan. Use a bowl that is slightly smaller than the pan with its top resting on the top rim of the pan. To reduce direct heat transfer, put a couple of spoons in the pan to elevate the bowl off the bottom of the pan. You want to melt the chocolate, not cook it.

Melting chocolate with double boiler method.

Cut the chocolate into smaller pieces and place it inside the bowl. Turn the heat up to about medium. It’s not necessary to heat the water all the way to a boil.

Stir the chocolate while it melts until it has a smooth viscosity.

Photo: Apple-granola clusters topped with chocolate. Lindt chocolate with infused caramel goes great on top of the apple granola, but any dark chocolate will do.

Place granola clusters on a tray covered with parchment paper or a nonstick sheet.

Apply chocolate over clusters with a teaspoon.

Place tray in refrigerator for 10–15 minutes until chocolate hardens, then you can pack them more closely together in a container with a lid.