How to Make Homemade Granola
This isn’t an Italian or French recipe, as you might expect from Plinius, but it is one I make often and love to share with friends, so I thought it was time to share it here too.
It’s a recipe by Dutch chef Samuel Levie, and with autumn slowly settling in, it feels like the perfect moment to make your own granola. Simple, generous and very easy to adapt to whatever you have in the cupboard.
Making your own granola is incredibly easy. This is my favourite granola recipe, but you can easily adapt it to suit your taste and whatever ingredients you have on hand.
Try using maple or agave syrup instead of honey. You can also vary the nuts, add different dried fruits, or include pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or desiccated coconut.
And these are just a few ideas! Making your own granola gives you endless possibilities to experiment with, so feel free to make it your own.
Ingredients
200 g rolled oats
75 g blanched almonds, roughly chopped
75 g pecans, roughly chopped
50 g pumpkin seeds
½–1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
60 ml honey/ agave syrup
60 g coconut oil
100 g raisins
100 g dried apricots, cut into small pieces
The Best Granola Recipe | Step by Step
1. Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 170°C / 340°F and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
2. Mix the dry ingredients
Place the oats, chopped almonds and pecans, pumpkin seeds and, if using, cinnamon in a large bowl. Mix well.
3. Add the honey and coconut oil
Place the honey and coconut oil in a small saucepan and gently heat, stirring, until the coconut oil has melted and the mixture is smooth.
Pour the honey mixture over the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly, making sure everything is evenly coated.
Spread the granola evenly over the prepared baking tray.
4. Bake the granola
Bake for 20–30 minutes, until golden brown. Stir the granola every 10 minutes to ensure it browns evenly.
5. Add the dried fruit
Remove the tray from the oven and stir in the raisins and dried apricots.
Allow the granola to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container or jar.
Homemade granola keeps well as long as it is stored in an airtight container.
How do I make granola crunchy?
For crunchy granola, coat the dry ingredients with a little melted honey and coconut oil before baking, then bake until golden brown. Stir the granola every 10 minutes so that it toasts evenly.
There are endless ingredients you can use to make your own granola. Rolled oats, almonds, pecans, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, raisins, apricots, cranberries and coconut all work beautifully. Spices such as cinnamon or cardamom are also delicious additions.
If you are using dried fruit, however, make sure to add it after baking. This prevents it from becoming too hard or burning in the oven.
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Recipe: Samuel Levie
Photography: Saskia Lelieveld
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