Healthy Homemade Honey Flax Granola

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This homemade Honey Flax Granola is a healthier version of granola that combines honey, flax, almonds and dried cranberries for a super tasty way to start your morning!

Granola with dried cranberries spilled out of a glass jar

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I've been a granola fan, for years. I eat it several days a week with fruit and yogurt for breakfast and often for afternoon snacks as well. When I first started making my own granola, I used a recipe I found in Cooking Light magazine. It had great flavor and was pretty easy to make. Then I found a honey flax granola at Whole Foods and was hooked on that, so I got out of the habit of making my own. That Whole Foods granola inspired this healthy granola recipe.

Granola with dried cranberries on a baking sheet

Contents:

Recipe Ingredients
Recommended Tools
How to make this recipe
Frequently asked questions
Serving Suggestions
More breakfast recipes
Homemade Honey Flax Granola

There really is nothing like fresh, homemade granola warm out of the oven and packed with good-for-you ingredients! One of the reasons I like to make my own granola is because when you do, you know exactly what's in it and you can control the fat and calories. Some store-bought granola can be really high in calories!

With this granola you have the option to make it really flaky - this works well if you like to sprinkle it on yogurt - or a little chunkier if you prefer it as cereal or maybe just a snack on its own. The key to getting it a little chunkier is to press it together a bit right when it comes out of the oven and then let it cool. It will stick together in larger chunks.

Close up of homemade Granola sprinkled with dried cranberries on a baking sheet

Recipe Ingredients

Once you've got a good base recipe you can experiment to create your own unique homemade granola. There are always a few key ingredients you find in any granola:

Old-fashioned oats: You want old-fashioned rolled oats, not instant oats.

Nuts + seeds: For this recipe, I used almonds and flax seeds, but pistachios, pepitas and sunflower seeds are always popular additions to granola.

Healthy fats: Oil is what makes granola crispy and tasty. I've switched to making coconut oil-based granola however you can substitute any vegetable oil although the flavor may vary slightly.

Sweetener: You need something to give your granola a bit of sweetness and also help it stick together. For this recipe, I use a combination of honey and brown sugar. You'll often see maple syrup in granola.

Salt + spice: You've got to have a little salt to achieve a flavorful granola! There is just no getting around it. I use sea salt, that's pretty much all I cook with, but you and substitute regular table salt if that's what you have on hand. I add vanilla to this recipe as I like what it does for the flavor. Cinnamon is another common spice in granola.

Dried fruit: The dried fruit gets added to the granola after it's done baking. You can toss it on top while it's cooling and then mix it up when you put it into a storage container. I added dried cranberries to this one. Dried cherries, apricots or even raisins are other good additions. Pretty much any dried fruit will work! I try to always use dried fruit from the bulk food section of the grocery store because it generally has less sugar than the pre-packaged versions.

Recommended Tools

Half sheet pan – I recommend having a couple of sheet pans in different sizes. A half sheet pan works for this granola, and also for baking cookies as well as for making sheet pan dinners.

Parchment paper – For messy things like this granola, I recommend using parchment paper to make cleanup a bit easier.

How to make this recipe

Homemade granola is very easy to make. It takes a bowl, a sheet pan and some fairly basic ingredients.

Step 1 | Mix the dry ingredients. You start by combining the oats, nuts, flaxseed and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

Step 2 | Melt the oil. Then you add the coconut oil, honey, water, and sugar to a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Keep stirring the mixture until the coconut oil is melted. Then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Step 3 | Mix the granola. Pour the oil mixture over the oat mixture and stir until everything is combined. Make sure all of the oats are coated with the oil mixture.

Step 4 | Bake the granola. Then spread the coated oat mixture onto the baking sheet and press down slightly with the back of a spoon before baking. Bake the granola for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and stir the granola, then bake it for an additional 20 minutes. Once cooked, remove the pan from the oven, press down again lightly with the back of a spoon and let the granola cool for at least 30 minutes. Add the dried cranberries to the granola and give it one last stir. Make sure the granola is completely cool before you store it.

Granola with dried cranberries on a baking sheet with a wooden spoon

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a different type of nuts?

Yes, you can substitute other nuts or add a second variety for some additional crunch. Some good options are pistachios or pecan halves.

Can I substitute agave for the honey?

While this substitution works in many recipes, I don't recommend it for granola. Agave is thinner than honey so it doesn't work as well when it comes to getting the oasts to stick together.

Serving Suggestions

If you're looking for a great option for an easy, protein-packed breakfast, give this granola a try on my Protein Peach Smoothie Bowl!

More breakfast recipes

If you are looking for other easy breakfast recipes check out these reader favorites:

Ricotta Avocado Toast or these Blueberry Protein Pancakes. Enjoy!

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Homemade Honey Flax Granola

Author: Kathryn | Urban Foodie Kitchen

This homemade Honey Flax Granola is a healthier version of granola that combines honey, flax, almonds and dried cranberries for a super tasty way to start the morning!

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1 25

Course Breakfast & Brunch

Servings servings

Calories 325 kcal

Ingredients

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
¾ cup roasted almonds
¼ cup flaxseed
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup coconut oil
⅓ cup dark brown sugar
⅓ cup honey
1 tablespoon water
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup dried cranberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix oats, nuts, flaxseed and salt in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
Combine oil, honey, water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in the vanilla.
Pour honey mixture over oat mixture and mix thoroughly, ensuring all the oats are well coated.
Spread the mixture onto a baking sheet and press down lightly with the back of a spoon. Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven and stir. Return to oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
Remove from oven, press the mixture down again lightly with the back of a spoon, and let cool on the baking sheet for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with dried cranberries while the granola is cooling. Cool completely before storing.

Notes

This granola can be stored in an airtight container for about two weeks.

Nutrition

Calories: 325kcal

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This post was originally published in February 2015. It was updated in September 2024 with some new information. No changes were made to the original recipe.

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