This easy homemade Berry Granola is a family favorite. Made with toasted oats and nuts, honey (or maple syrup) and dried berries. Keep as chunky granola clusters or crumble them up. Enjoy with milk, yogurt or straight from the jar! (Vegan option, Gluten Free).
Swap the sugary store-bought granola for this homemade Berry Granola! Honey-toasted oats and nuts bring ample flavor without being too sweet. Dried berries (and optional coconut) add a pop of color. It’s a make-ahead breakfast I feel great serving my family. I hope yours enjoys it too!
For more healthy make-ahead breakfast recipes, try: Coconut Milk Overnight Oats, Vegan Granola with Almond Butter, and Savory Zucchini Muffins.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Easy: This homemade granola recipe is ridiculously simple to make! It only takes 5 minutes of active prep time.
- Customizable: You can choose whether you want big chunky granola clusters—or finely crumbled granola. Choose your favorite mix of nuts. Go all-in on one type of berry...or use a few, as I've done here!
- Better Than Store Bought: Most store-bought granola is too sweet, too expensive, or lacking flavor. This recipe allows you to make a healthier homemade granola that tastes better too!
- No Maple Syrup Needed: Many granola recipes call for maple syrup. But maple syrup can be an expensive and hard-to-find ingredient. This recipe uses honey and brown sugar instead. But, there's also recipe notes for substituting maple syrup, if you prefer.
- Keeps for Weeks: Dried berries have most of their moisture removed, so this berry granola will keep for weeks at room temperature. So, it's great for gifting, camping or at-home meal prep!
Ingredients (and substitutes)
There's only 10 ingredients in this yummy berry granola recipe. Here's what you need:
- Oats: Use regular rolled oats (sometimes called Old Fashioned Oats). Don't use Quick or Steel Cut oats because they have different cook times.
- Nuts: Mix in your favorite nuts, like almonds, walnuts, or cashews. You can use pecans too, but they burn quickly, so don't add too many and watch them closely when baking. Use raw nuts for homemade granola because they'll get toasted in the oven.
- Pumpkin Seeds: A delicious source of extra protein, iron and magnesium (source). You'll want to use the green, shelled seeds. These are more accurately called "Pepitas" (see Ingredients photo above). Or, leave them out and substitute more nuts instead.
- Have extra pumpkin seeds? Make these easy Chili Lime Pepitas!
- Honey: Naturally sweetens the granola. You can substitute maple syrup instead.
- Have extra honey to use up? Make Simple Infused Honey (3 Ways)!
- Brown Sugar: A bit of brown sugar adds subtle molasses flavor. It also reduces the honey or maple syrup needed. This way, your granola is just sweet enough—but not too wet. And it's more budget friendly too!
- Coconut Oil: Melted coconut oil helps your granola stick together. Virgin coconut oil will have more coconut flavor. Whereas refined coconut oil will have more neutral taste. You can substitute grapeseed oil or another neutral vegetable oil instead.
- Dried Berries: I use freeze-dried berries like blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries. Feel free to use just one kind! Freeze-dried berries can be substituted with other dried berries (like dried cranberries or blueberries). You can even dehydrate your own.
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
How to make (step-by-step photos)
It's so easy to make homemade granola with berries. Just 5 minutes of active prep time—then the oven does the rest!
Here's how to make this recipe:
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
Tips
- If doubling the recipe: Divide the mixture onto two baking sheets, to avoid overcrowding.
- How to make clumpy granola: This recipe is designed to make clumpy granola OR small pieces, whichever you prefer. For clumpier granola, make sure you flip the granola halfway (rather than stirring). Let the granola cool undisturbed, then use your hands to break the granola into big clumps (rather than crumble).
- Let the granola fully cool: It's important to let the granola cool completely, before adding the berries.
- If using coconut flakes, add at the end: Flaked coconut has a tendency to burn easily. So add it at the end, if using. The bright white color looks very pretty mixed into the granola!
- Serving suggestions: Enjoy this berry granola with milk, yogurt, or straight out of the jar. Feel free to serve with other fresh fruit (like banana), nut butter, etc.
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Recipe FAQ's
Can I substitute fresh berries?
You can certainly enjoy fresh berries with your granola! But add it to your bowl just before eating.
Don't mix fresh berries into your jar of granola. Fresh berries have too much moisture and will cause your granola to spoil if stored at room temperature. Freeze-dried and dehydrated berries have very little moisture so are much better for mixing into your granola in advance.
Do I have to use brown sugar?
It's your granola, so ultimately, it's up to you! The brown sugar adds depth of flavor to the honey. Honey has a milder flavor than maple syrup.
If you don't want to use any brown sugar, I'd recommend substituting maple syrup for the honey. And then adding a bit more maple syrup to taste, to compensate for no brown sugar. See the Notes in the Recipe Card for details.
Can I substitute the pumpkin seeds (pepitas)?
For this recipe, you can simply with replace the pumpkin seeds with more nuts.
How long does this homemade berry granola last?
Usually lasts up to 2 weeks. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
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📖 Recipe
Best Berry Granola
This easy homemade Berry Granola is a family favorite. Made with toasted oats and nuts, honey (or maple syrup) and dried berries. Keep as chunky granola clusters or crumble them up. Enjoy with milk, yogurt or straight from the jar! (Vegan option, Gluten Free).
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats (old-fashioned, see note 1)
- ¾ cup raw unsalted nuts (see note 2)
- ¼ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds) (untoasted, unsalted, hulled)
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil (see note 3)
- ¼ cup honey (see note 4)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar (see note 4)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup freeze dried berries (see note 5)
- ½ cup coconut flakes (optional, see note 6)
Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat oven to 300℉ (150℃).
- Dry ingredients: In a large bowl, combine 2 cups rolled oats, ¾ cup raw unsalted nuts, and ¼ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds).
- Combine: In a medium bowl, mix ¼ cup melted coconut oil, ¼ cup honey, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¾ teaspoon cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon fine sea salt. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients. Stir to mix well.
- Bake: Line a large baking sheet with parchment. Spread granola mixture on top. Bake for 25 minutes. Use a spatula to gently flip over the granola. Bake until brown and toasty, about another 15 to 20 minutes (total time: approx 40 to 45 minutes). [Tip: You want the granola to be deeply toasted and brown, but not burnt, so keep an eye on it near the end]. Let the granola completely cool, undisturbed (it'll firm up as it cools).
- Finish: Once fully cooled, use your fingers to break the granola into large clumps—or crumble into smaller pieces. Scatter over 1 cup freeze dried berries and ½ cup coconut flakes (if using). Toss gently to combine. Transfer to a resealable container.
Notes
- Oats: Use regular rolled oats (also called Old Fashioned). Don't use Quick or Steel Cut oats because they have different texture and bake times.
- Nuts: Use a mix of your favorite nuts such as almonds, walnuts, cashews. You can use pecans but they burn more easily, so don't use too many and keep an eye on them in the oven. You can keep the nuts whole or roughly break them in half.
- Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds): Use raw, unsalted pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds). You can omit the pepitas and replace them with more nuts instead.
- Sweeteners: This recipe was developed to use a combination of honey and brown sugar. You can replace both with maple syrup instead (vegan option). If substituting maple syrup, use 5 tablespoons maple syrup instead of the ¼ cup honey + 2 tablespoons brown sugar.
- Dried Berries: It's important to use dried berries (freeze-dried, dehydrated, etc.), so that your granola keeps for weeks. Fresh berries are better added to your bowl right before eating. 1 cup freeze-dried berries weighs ~20 grams. 1 cup dried berries (like cranberries) weighs ~160 grams.
- Coconut Flakes: Optional but add nice flavor and color to your granola. Use unsweetened coconut flakes. Add at the end, along with the dried berries.
- Storage: Keeps for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature.
Nutrition
Calories: 313kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.004g | Sodium: 150mg | Potassium: 261mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 2mg
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