This recipe for homemade granola is one that I am particularly proud of. It took me a long time to get around to making homemade granola because it seems so easy to buy granola at the grocery store. That’s until I got hooked on a particular brand of granola that I could only find at farmer’s markets and select grocery stores. It was a simple granola made with oats, pumpkin seeds, maple syrup and butter (which you could definitely taste). Thing is, a small 250g bag of this granola would set me back $10 and as much as I liked it, I couldn’t always find it or wasn’t willing to travel to the select grocery stores that carried it.

So I finally started testing out various granola recipes until I found one that I liked. I can’t believe it took me this long to try to make because it is so easy ! I am not a huge fan of raisins so I use dried cranberries instead but you can use whatever dried fruit you prefer (dried cherries, dried apricots, coconut, etc) or just leave it out altogether. Aside from it being able to customize it the way you want, it tastes so much better than any granola you can buy in stores and costs just a fraction of the price. For anyone who hasn’t tried making their own granola, I highly encourage you to try making it at least once. Chances are, you won’t go back.

The recipe below is the granola recipe I use for sprinkling on top of my yogurt in the morning or for making fruit and yogurt parfaits if I’m feeling particularly fancy.

Print Recipe

Homemade Granola | Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits

Servings: cups

Calories:

Ingredients

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups whole rolled oats
1/3 cup unsalted butter
2 Tbsp honey
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup dried cranberries

For the yogurt parfaits (makes 4)

1/2 cup granola
2 cups vanilla yogurt
1 cup blueberries, raspberries,blackberries or strawberries

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F(175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oats then cook and stir until they start to brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and place in a bowl.
Using the same pan, toast the pumpkin seeds and almonds until fragrant. Add to the bowl with the oats.
Melt the butter in the same pan over low to medium heat. Stir in the honey and brown sugar; cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly. Add salt and cinnamon.
Return the oats, almonds and pumpkin seeds to the pan. Stir to make sure everything is evenly coated. Pour onto the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden-brown.
Once cool, stir in the dried cranberries.
Set some aside (1/2 cup) for making the fruit and yogurt parfaits. Store the rest in an airtight container at room temperature. It will keep for 3 to 4 weeks. It can also be stored in the freezer for 6 to 8 months.

To assemble the yogurt parfaits:

Arrange the ingredients into four glasses or mason jars in the following order:
Yogurt layer: Place 1 to 2 Tbsp of yogurt in a glass or jar covering the bottom.
Fruit layer: Place 1 to 2 Tbsp of fruit on top of the yogurt.
Yogurt layer: Pour 2 to 3 Tbsp of yogurt over the fruit.
Fruit layer: Place 1 to 2 Tbsp of fruit on top of the yogurt.
Yogurt layer: Pour 2 to 3 Tbsp of yogurt over the fruit.
Sprinkle the top with 1 to 2 Tbsp of granola.

Notes

Tips: Make this recipe your own by using different seed like sunflower seeds and different nuts like walnuts, cashews, pecans or hazelnuts. You can use different dried fruit such as dried cherries, apricots, mango, pineapple, raisins or currants.