If you are looking for a fool-proof, customizable formula to make any kind of granola from your pantry items, this recipe will show you how! Granola really isn’t a complicated recipe, and it’s quite adaptable. You can usually use whatever shelf-stable items you have lying around in your pantry to turn them into a phenomenal granola.
Not only will this help you use up some pantry items, it will give you a delicious, filling, nutritious breakfast that will last for days. This recipe makes about 12 servings of granola, meaning that it will last you a bit of time, all while being low-waste!
I developed a “Granola Formula” when I realized I was making it all the time. This “formula” is a list of ingredients that will give you a framework on how to make granola with whatever you have.
For a long time, I was just eyeballing my granola measurements. But then I realized my granola came out so much better when I followed this simple formula. No matter what ingredients I use, this granola comes out crispy, golden and sweet, plus it has big chunks throughout. And let’s be honest, big chunks are my favorite part of granola.
Read on for how to make the best granola using whatever pantry items you have. From there, you can riff on the recipe with different nuts, seeds, spices, sweeteners and add-ins. This is the only granola recipe you’ll ever need again! Don’t skip the tips on how to perfectly roast your granola and you’ll be good to go.
In the recipe box at the bottom I’ll have my recommendation on how to make Pistachio Cardamom Cherry Granola, which is the variety of granola I chose to make, but is by no means a mandate! Just a starting point for inspiration.
Table of contents
The Granola Formula
I won’t bury the lead! Let’s start with the exact ratios you need to make granola. Here is exactly what you will need:
For the wet ingredients
- 1/2 cup of a meltable fat – this means butter, coconut oil, browned butter, ghee, etc. You could also use a liquid fat like olive oil, but I find that can start to taste a bit burnt after roasting.
- 3 tablespoons of a nut butter or seed butter – this could be almond butter, peanut butter, sunflower butter, or even tahini! The more drizzly it is, the easier it will be to use.
- 1/2 cup of a liquid sugar – liquid sugar means honey, agave, maple syrup, etc. Anything you can pour!
- 1/4 cup of a granulated sugar – this means sugars like white sugar, brown sugar, turbinado sugar, powdered sugar, etc.
- 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of spices or flavorings – I like to add spices like cinnamon, cardamom, clove, all-spice, nutmeg, or any baking spices to make the granola a little fancy!
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt – salt is flavor, so you can’t skip this!
For the dry ingredients
- 1 cup of any kind of nut – whole or chopped. I love walnuts, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts, cashews, really anything! A blend of nuts is also nice. If you are allergic, you can swap this for seeds or more oats.
- 1 cup flax meal – I find flax meal is very helpful to make big clumps of granola, however if you don’t have any, chia seeds, flax seeds or swapping this for oat flour or almond flour will also work!
- 1 cup of something sweet but dry – What this means is have one cup of something like coconut chips, freeze-dried apple pieces, or anything flaky that can add a little textural interest. If you are drawing a blank, feel free to just use another cup of oats here.
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats – Oats feel like a granola must, but if you are gluten-free, you can use gluten free oats or another grain like buckwheat groats!
- 1 cup of any kind of dried fruit – Think raisins, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, goji berries, cherries, pineapple, mango chunks, really anything! A mix is also great here.
- 1 cup of any kind of seeds – I love hemp seeds, but sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, or flax seeds are all delicious. And so good for you!
What do the wet ingredients do?
I confidently say that this is the best customizable granola recipe on the internet because the wet ingredients are designed to give you big granola chunks. Which are the best part of granola!
The wet ingredients in this granola recipe melt into a thick paste. This gets paste-like because of the nut butter and two kinds of sugar. These thick wet ingredients then cling to the dry ingredients and clump them into big, sticky pieces, making it so that even as you stir your granola, big, sweet clumps of granola will bake up in the oven.
The wet ingredients are the perfect texture and sweetness to hold together your granola without overpowering all the good stuff inside!
What do the dry ingredients do in a granola?
The dry ingredients are your bulk and your crunch. Since this recipe is customizable, these ingredients are much more mix-and-match friendly than the wet ingredients.
Don’t like nuts? No problem, just add in more seeds. Gluten-free? Feel free to swap the oats for something gluten-friendly like buckwheat groats or toasted quinoa.
The main point of the dry ingredients is to add nutrition, bulk, and textural interest. So make them your own!
How to mix your granola
The mixing process of this formula is very simple.
PRE-STEP: Preheat the oven to 300°F convection.
STEP 1: Combine all of the wet ingredients in a heat-proof bowl. Use either the double-boiler method on the stovetop to gently melt the ingredients together, or microwave on high for one minute. (The double-boiler method is when you fill a pot with an inch or two of water and bring that water to a simmer. Place a heat-proof bowl over the simmering water and use the heat to melt whatever is inside the bowl.)
Mix everything vigorously to combine.
STEP 2: In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
STEP 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until everything is the texture of wet sand.
STEP 4: On a light-colored, parchment-lined half sheet pan, evenly pour and spread out the granola.
STEP 5: Bake at 300°F convection for 15 minutes, then stir the granola well on the sheet pan. This will prevent any bits from burning and ensure an even, toasty flavor. Continue to bake the granola for 20-30 more minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. I like to take mine out around the 35 minute mark when everything is looking nicely golden.
STEP 6: Let it cool completely undisturbed so that the clumps can form. When it is cool it will be fully crisp and ready to store!
How to bake your granola perfectly every time (an important step!)
There are three things that are so important when baking granola:
- If you can, bake the granola on a light aluminum baking sheet. While I love my darker pans, they conduct more heat and run the risk of you over-toasting the bottom of your granola!
- Go low and slow, but not too slow. Many recipes say to bake for upwards of 40-45 minutes, but I find 35 is plenty. Resist the urge to over-roast your granola!
- After the 15-minute mark, start stirring the granola every ten minutes. Don’t worry, this won’t get rid of your granola clumps! Granola clumps happen while the granola cools, which is why we leave it undisturbed then. While your granola is baking, it can easily scorch on the bottom, so we continue to stir it to make sure that all the pieces evenly cook.
Why it is important to let granola fully cool
If your granola is crisp right out of the oven, it will most likely be a bit burnt. You want your granola to still look a bit sticky when you remove it from the oven. But don’t fear! Once it full cools it will be nice, crunchy and crisp,
Just make sure to let it cool full undisturbed, that way it will cool into clumps, so you will get big bites of granola hunks and small bites in between.
How to store your granola
I like to store granola in an air-tight container in a cool, dry place. This granola will keep for about two weeks in your pantry.
My preferred storage vessel is a glass container like a mason jar. This recipe will fill two 32-ounce mason jars like these. And I find glass preserves the flavor and aroma the best!
And that is the entire Granola Formula! If you are looking for how to make granola with whatever you have, I hope this helps.
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Equipment
- 1 heat-safe bowl
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup refined coconut oil, 100 grams / 3.5 ounces
- 3 tablespoons pistachio butter, tahini, or any nut butter, 37 grams / 1.2 ounces
- 1/2 cup honey, 150 grams / 5.3 ounces
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, light or dark, 50 grams / 1.75 ounces
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 cup shelled raw pistachios, 113 grams / 4 ounces
- 1 cup flax meal, 90 grams / 3.2 ounces
- 1 cup unsweetened untoasted coconut chips, 50 grams / 1.8 ounces
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats, 90 grams / 3.2 ounces
- 1 cup dried cherries, 150 grams / 5.3 ounces
- 1 cup hemp seeds, 120 grams / 4.25 ounces
Instructions
- Position a rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 300°F convection.
- In a large heat-proof bowl, combine 1/2 cup of coconut oil, 3 tablespoons of nut butter, 1/2 cup honey, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cardamom, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Use a spatula to lightly mix everything together.
- Melt the mixture, either using the double-boiler method on the stove top (see Note) or microwave on high for one minute. Mix everything vigorously to combine.
- In another large bowl, add the 1 cup of pistachios, 1 cup of flax meal, 1 cup of coconut chips, 1 cup of oats, 1 cup dried cherries, and 1 cup of hemp seeds. Mix together.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. It might feel like you don’t have enough wet ingredients to coat the dry, but keep mixing! Soon everything will feel coated and a bit damp, and then we’ll be mixing even more in the oven.
- Transfer the granola to a parchment-lined half sheet pan and spread it out evenly.
- Bake at 300°F convection for 15 minutes, then stir the granola well on the sheet pan. This will prevent any bits from burning and ensure an even, toasty flavor.
- Continue to bake the granola for 20-30 more minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. I like to take mine out around the 35 minute mark when everything is looking nicely golden. It will still feel a bit soft, but don’t worry, granola crisps up as it cools.
- Let the granola cool before eating or storing it, then enjoy!
Comments
This post is absolutely perfect!
A few months ago, I baked a coconut cake, so I had some leftover coconut flakes and coconut oil in my cupboard—too little for another cake but just the right amount for this recipe!
I didn’t have flax meal, but I used cornmeal instead. The granola is in the oven now, and I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Thanks again for sharing this!
Salut Justice, j’aimerais faire cette recette parce que moi aussi j’ai des fonds d’armoires à n’en plus finir. Ey j’adore votre série de vidéos là-dessus ! Mais trop de sucre me donne des migraines (sadness), donc si je mets disons 1/4 tasse de miel (de mes ruches) et 1/4 tasse de cassonade à base de Stevia pour l’ensemble du granola, est-ce que ce serait assez pour que la recette se tienne et soit bonne?
Could you add a bit more stevia? Then I think it will work!
This turned out great even with substitutions for dietary restrictions and what I had on hand. I used butter, almonds and cashews, peanut butter, agave syrup, stevia blend brown sugar, almond protein powder instead of flax seeds, unsweetened coconut and cranberries, oats, pumpkin and chia seeds, vanilla extract, extra cardamom and cinnamon, and the zest and juice of one orange. So so good!
So happy you liked it!
Nut allergy girlie checking in to give two thumbs up! I have been looking for a ratio recipient for granola for the longestttt, because where I live nearly every granola or muesli has nuts in it or is just honey and oats. I did use a dark pan at 140 Celcius for 35 minutes total and everything is still tasty!
Using date syrup does make it a bit harder to tell if it is done, so I just spooned some out when I stirred it to taste if it had burned and it worked great! ✨
So so happy to hear it all worked out!
Wow! Perfect granola recipe. Made this as a last minute bday gift for a friend. Adhered to the recipe for the most part, but made a few minor adjustments based on what I had on hand. Didn’t have coconut flakes so I added some additional nuts and oats. Came out perfect. Big clusters, crunchy, but still a little chewy – and not too sweet. Threw some festive sprinkles on after I pulled it out of the oven to turn it into the cutest bday celebration granola.
My new granola recipe! Can’t stop eating it! I made the “sauce” as written but had to sub some of the nuts and grains for what I had in the pantry, so used a bit more oatmeal, some almonds along with the pistachios and crunched up some left over rice Chex cereal from the holiday mix( don’t judge me). I was worried it would be too sweet but, no, it is perfect. Oh, no coconut, just not a fan. The coconut oil, can’t even taste it in the final product! Thanks for a great recipe Justine!
Yay! I’m so glad it worked out!
My oven doesn’t have a convection setting How would you suggest adjusting the time and temp for a regular oven?
Convection just bakes faster and more evenly. Common advice is to increase the temperature by 25 degrees for a regular oven, but since all ovens are quite variable I would suggest actually baking 25% longer, while keeping an eye on it!
Loved this! I used sliced almonds, oats, chia seeds, flax meal, peanut butter, honey, turbinado sugar and flavored with cardamom, cinnamon and ginger. Delicious! Although I didn’t have a ‘sweet but dry’ ingredient so I used extra oats. I’ll probably use something different here next time for the textural difference. I can’t wait to try different combos and make more!
This is the best granola I have ever made! I love how there are still chunks. I used almond butter and dried cranberries. I gifted some to my aunt for her birthday and she loved it.
I just threw my first batch of homemade granola into the oven. I was beyond excited to use up the last bit of my tahini, honey, flax meal, hemp hearts, coconut sugar, and the tiniest little bit of toasted coconut that was wasting away in my pantry. I was a little shy on nearly everything, but your formula was extremely helpful and easy to follow! Also added additions of sesame seeds, chia seeds, and ground cocoa beans. I hope it turns out tasty! Thank you!
So happy you liked it!!
This granola is incredible! The flavors are so rich and perfectly balanced.
Thank you for sharing!
I’m so thrilled you liked it!
Justine! I am so obsessed with cleaning out my pantry. This is going to use up so many odds and ends I have. Thank you
The instructions (at the bottom, the Jump to Recipe instructions) don’t say where or when to put in the salt or spices, so I must say they were forgotten… I love the versatility of this recipe and will be making it often.
Yum! Did a tahini cashew cinnamon blueberry thing. Perfect. My husband is unfortunately eating it all right now? It’s supposed to be for the whole week!
I make granola weekly and follow different recipes, however, I always customize. For example, I hate dried fruit in my granola, but like to experiment with different spices and nut butters. I love this formula. And thank you, thank you, for including weights. It’s so much easier and fewer dishes to wash!
This recipe is bomb. I love how nut/seed heavy it is! I made mine with tahini, pistachios, coconut flakes, and dried pineapple and it is delicious. Can’t wait to try some other combos next. I can’t help but grab a bite every time I walk by the jar!
I tried this and it turned out better than expected! I really loved the simple ratio, so I can use up what I have in my pantry! I did have some questions though. I used coconut oil as my meltable fat, and it seemed like too much when I was stirring during baking. It did set-up when it cooled, but feels oily. Also, when mixing the dry with the wet at no point did it feel too dry. Thoughts on using less oil? Also I thought maybe I crowded my pan, should this be a pretty thin layer on my baking sheet?
It did turn out well, this was my first time making homemade granola! Thanks for the recipe Justine! Love your videos on YouTube.
Hmmm that sounds like some measurement issues, for sure! It should definitely feel like the oat mixture is getting coated lightly, it should not feel wet! Coconut oil is typically my go-to fat for this, so could you measure by weight next time (in the Jump to Recipe box)? That should solve any issues!
This is ridiculously good! I worked from the ratios and it has made such a perfect granola. Thank you Justine
I’m so thrilled you liked it!
Absolutely amazing recipe! I didn’t use any of the mixings listed but it was easy to sub and even with leaving it in the oven too long it’s a hit! Had it with yogurt and stewed apples, this will definitely stay in the rotation!
Needless to say, 5/5
I love having the ratios and inspo to customize a batch of granola! Made a delicious cherry almond granola following the ratios. Perfect over yogurt with fresh fruit, yum!
I’m so happy to know the ratios are helpful! That batch sounds delicious!
This is delicious! I’d love to do a chocolate version, do you have any suggestions for how to incorporate cocoa powder or chocolate chips into the recipe? Would they fit into the “sweet but dry” category, or should they be added after the granola is cooled?
Hi Anna, for the cocoa powder, I’d recommend mixing in 1/4 cup with the dry ingredients like nuts and flax and then for the chocolate chips, added after! Let me know how it turns out 🙂
I am super excited to make this recipe, however I had two questions:
If I am not able to find dried cherries, do you had any other suggestions for dried fruits that would provide the same tartness to balance the sweet? Also, how much would it affect the texture of the granola to cut out the dry sugar?
Hi! Really any dried fruit you like is suitable, just chop it into the same pieces as cherries, if needed (like on bigger dried fruits like mango). Since we are melting the sugar, it won’t effect the texture if you want to add more honey to make up for it, or just omit it overall!
I tried it and followed the recipe with no changes or substitutions and whilst it is delicious and addictive, I am not 100% on board with the oats to add ins ratio. In future batches I would like to increase the amount of oats. Would I have to increase the wet ingredients for that or can I just add more oats and therefore less seeds or nuts and keep the wet ingredients as is?
I’m so glad you liked it! Your best option would definitely be to increase the amount of oats and reduce the add ins. Please let me know how it turns out if you try it 🙂
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