12 Tasty and Creative Granola Recipes

From bars to crumbles, eat crunchy and stay full

Vanilla Almond Crockpot Granola
Leah Maroney

Homemade granola is a cinch to make and oodles more wholesome than the processed, store-bought kind. In just 30 minutes, you can whip up a big batch of delicious, freshly-baked granola packed with good-for-you ingredients. Crispy and naturally-sweet, it makes a great breakfast cereal with milk, a work-from-home snack, or a delicious topping for yogurt, ice cream, and puddings.

Get creative with the basic granola recipe by tweaking it with your favorite add-ins from dried fruits and nuts to chocolate or carob chips. It freezes well and stores easy, making it a fabulous edible gift. So go on and get crunchy, with our best granola recipes. We've even included a couple of go-to granola bar recipes you can make at home for snacking.

  • 01 of 12

    Mix and Match Granola

    Mix and Match Granola

    The Spruce/Laurel Randolph

    Simple Granola is a perfect breakfast food, a delicious crunchy topping for yogurt, or a snack to eat by the handful. Packed with whole grains, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and natural sweeteners, this is the basic granola recipe you'll go back to time and again.

  • 02 of 12

    Crockpot Vanilla Almond Granola

    Crockpot Vanilla Almond Granola

    Leah Maroney

    Vanilla extract adds a gourmet flavor to this granola that rivals those fancy specialty granolas from the store. Lining your crockpot with parchment paper is an easy trick that lets you cook up a big batch of sweet, crunchy, nutty granola in a couple of hours, with minimal clean-up. Enjoy it solo, or as an inspired topping for bowls of vanilla ice cream.

  • 03 of 12

    Granola Bars

    Granola Bars

    The Spruce/Kristina Vanni

    Bake up a batch of homemade granola bars to conquer a mid-afternoon snack craving when you work from home or for the kids as an after-school snack. These are slightly sweet and chewy with a pleasantly nutty flavor from shredded coconut and sliced almonds. They keep up to a week on the counter stored in an airtight container.

  • 04 of 12

    Maple Almond Matzo Granola

    Maple Almond Matzo Granola

    Miri Rotkovitz

    If you're an everyday breakfast cereal eater, Passover can be tough. Skip the same-old, store-bought Passover cereals and make our addictive matzo granola mix at home. Not only will it get you through the week, it is quick and easy to bake up with scrumptious flavors and textures from toasted matzo bits, flaked coconut, almonds, maple syrup, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

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  • 05 of 12

    French Apple Pie Granola

    French Apple Pie Granola

    Leah Maroney

    With a homey flavor just like apple pie and a soft, chewy texture, this French apple pie granola is unique in a number of ways. It's made from oats, rice cereal, dried apples, and tropical coconut, plus high-fiber raisins to add chew and sweetness. Enjoy it in a bowl with milk for a special-tasting breakfast or sprinkle it over fresh whipped cream for dessert.

  • 06 of 12

    Oatmeal Granola Cookies With Dried Cranberries

    Oatmeal Granola Cookies With Dried Cranberries

    The Spruce/Diana Rattray

    If you are looking for a perfect fall cookie, this cranberry packed granola cookie recipe fits the bill. The easy drop-cookie dough includes oats and granola, colorful dried cranberries, cinnamon, and orange juice for an extra fruity lift. They make a great work-from-home snack with your afternoon cup of tea or coffee, or an after-school treat for kids.

  • 07 of 12

    Original Swiss Bircher Muesli

    Original Swiss Bircher Muesli

    The Spruce

    Swiss bircher muesli is the original overnight oats recipe. It can be eaten hot or cold, and is a close cousin to modern granola cereals. While granola is baked in the oven, however, muesli starts by soaking rolled oats overnight in water in the fridge. In the morning, you simply stir in flavorings (a classic mixture of grated apple, hazelnuts, and lemon juice is used here) and serve.

  • 08 of 12

    Tropical Acai Bowl

    Fresh and Light Tropical Acai Bowl

    The Spruce/Leah Maroney

    Acai bowls are like a refreshing, fruity smoothie in a bowl. Packed with healthy antioxidants, full of tropical flavor from pineapple juice, with an ice cream-like texture thanks to pureed frozen acai berries, and a crunchy granola topping, this cool and delicious breakfast bowl is an amazing way to start your healthy day.

    Continue to 9 of 12 below.
  • 09 of 12

    Low-Calorie Oat Granola Bars

    Low-Calorie Oat Granola Bars

    The Spruce/Loren Runion

    If you are watching your calorie intake, store-bought granola bars come at a cost with hidden sugars. Making your own granola treats is a better option that is simple to achieve with this go-to recipe. You can tweak them to taste with your favorite chopped nuts and dried fruits.

  • 10 of 12

    Vegan Granola Pie Crust

    Vegan Granola Pie Crust

    alejandrophotography/E+/Getty Images

    Crunchy, nutty, and entirely vegan-friendly, a vegan granola pie crust provides an outstanding base for vegan cheesecakes, pumpkin pie, and all kinds of fruit pies.​​ With only 3 simple ingredients, it may also be the easiest pie crust you have ever attempted, and is a snap to assemble for even beginner bakers.

  • 11 of 12

    British Oaty Apple Crumble

    British Oaty Apple Crumble

    The Spruce/Cara Cormack

    This British apple crumble is sure to become a new family favorite with a sweet and crispy, granola topping of oats, fruits, and nuts. It is miles easier to make than apple pie, bakes up in 30 minutes, and makes a lovely weeknight dessert. Serve topped with whipped cream or plate with vanilla ice cream.

  • 12 of 12

    Gluten-Free Granola

    Gluten-Free Granola

    Westend61/Getty Images

    Oats are naturally gluten-free — but packaged oats may be processed in facilities that also handle gluten-containing grains. That's why this delicious granola cereal recipe uses certified gluten-free rolled oats, for a truly gluten-free granola. It's also utterly delicious, infused with wonderful natural sweeteners, and plenty of nuts and seeds to bring the texture.