Homemade Vanilla Granola with Cranberries

This easy Homemade Vanilla Granola with Cranberries makes the best breakfast or snack! Enjoy it with milk, yogurt, or add on top of smoothie bowls. You can even eat this by the handful as a snack or add into trail mix!

If you're looking for more homemade breakfast ideas, check out Everything Bagel Turkey Breakfast Sausages, Cinnamon Honey Cream Cheese Spread, or Blackberry Honey Butter Toast.

big glass bowl filled with big clusters of vanilla granola with cranberries on a marble counter with tiny pumpkins and a kitchen towel.

A Quick Look At The Recipe

Recipe Name: Homemade Vanilla Granola with Cranberries
Ready In: 1 hour
Makes: 16 servings
Main Ingredients: rolled oats, coconut oil, honey, cranberries
Flavor Profile: golden, toasty oats with sweet cranberries
Dietary Info: eggless, no seed oils, gluten free and vegan swaps available
Difficulty: Easy!
Why You’ll Love It: big crunchy granola clusters with the perfect texture

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

No Seed Oils: I love this granola because it's free of seed oils. While most store-bought granolas have seed oils such as canola oil, sunflower oil, or we're using organic coconut oil and honey here for beautiful clusters!
Anytime Snack: Granola is a sweet and healthy snack that you can enjoy any time of day! Grab a handful, sprinkle it over yogurt, add to smoothie bowls, or enjoy in a bowl with milk.
Simple to Make: This recipe is incredibly simple and easy to make. This is a great recipe to make ahead of a brunch or family gathering as you can easily make it the night before and have fresh granola the following day.
Flexible: Easily make this vegan by swapping out honey for another sweetener like agave or corn syrup. I also provide additional mix in ideas below!

Jump to:

A Quick Look At The Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Flavor Variations
Baker’s Tips
How to Make Homemade Vanilla Granola with Cranberries
What to Serve With Homemade Vanilla Granola with Cranberries
Recipe FAQ’s
More Breakfast Recipe Ideas
Homemade Vanilla Granola with Cranberries
The Bake Shop

Ingredients

Rolled Oats: I use organic rolled oats, also known as old-fashioned oats. If you are gluten-free, just be sure to use gluten free oats.
Coconut Oil: I use organic melted coconut oil for flavor and it helps this homemade granola cluster.
Honey: I use organic raw honey which provides natural sweetness and it helps form the granola clusters.
Vanilla Bean: I use organic ground vanilla bean, which really gives this granola the ultimate vanilla flavor.
Walnuts: I use organic raw walnuts, you don't want to use toasted nuts as they will roast in the oven. But, if you want to use another kind of nut, such as pecans, almonds, or even cashews, you can swap them out for your pick.
Sunflower Seeds: I use sunflower seeds here, but you can easily swap them out for pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds or chia seeds too if you prefer.

*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.

Flavor Variations

Try some of my other favorite ways to make this granola! With pure maple syrup, this granola recipe is naturally sweet and so delicious with different mix ins to create other delicious flavors! You can honestly use any dried fruit in place of cranberries to create different flavor.

Classic Raisin: Add in raisins instead of cranberries.
Blueberry Almond: Add in raw almonds in place of walnuts and use dried blueberries in place of cranberries.
Vanilla Strawberry: Add in freeze dried (or dried) strawberries in place of cranberries.
Coconut Chocolate Chip: Add in chocolate chips in place of cranberries and mix in 85 grams unsweetened coconut, I think the wide flake is best.
Cherry Almond: Use almonds in place of walnuts and add in dried cherries in place of cranberries.
Cinnamon Apricot: Use cinnamon in place of ground vanilla bean and add in dried apricots in place of cranberries.

Baker's Tips

Always use a digital food scale for the best results. It's also quick and easy when you use a scale!
You can use agave or corn syrup in place of honey if you want to make this vegan.
Use certified gluten-free oats if you are gluten free.
Stirring the granola half way through baking is essential to ensure it bakes evenly and doesn't burn. Moving the outer granola in an the inner granola out will ensure everything is uniform and you have crispy granola throughout.
Make sure to bake granola until it's golden brown. Don't be afraid to bake a few extra minutes if needed as all ovens are a bit different.
Allow granola to cool completely before storing, this will ensure it's not soft.
Store in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 1 month.
Vegan — You can use agave or corn syrup in place of honey if you want to make this vegan.
Gluten Free — Make sure to use gluten free oats.

How to Make Homemade Vanilla Granola with Cranberries

dry ingredients for vanilla granola in a glass mixing bowl on a marble counter with tiny pumpkins and a kitchen towel.

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, add the oats, sunflower seeds, walnuts and ground vanilla bean. Set aside.

wet ingredients for vanilla granola in a small pot on a marble counter with a kitchen towel and tiny pumpkins.

In a small saucepan, add the coconut oil, honey, cane sugar, maple syrup, and salt.

small pot on a stovetop being heated with wet ingredients for vanilla granola.

Cook on medium/high heat until everything is combined. Remove from heat and add in the sea salt. Stir to combine completely.

glass mixing bowl with vanilla granola mixed together with a spatula on a marble counter.

Pour the sugar mixture over the oats and stir to combine completely until the oat mixture is completely coated.

baking sheet with vanilla granola spread out evenly on a marble counter with a kitchen towel and tiny pumpkin.

Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and spread out as evenly as possible.

baking sheet with homemade vanilla granola cooling on top of an oven.

Bake for 20 minutes, remove from the oven and stir to rotate granola. Bake again for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely on the baking sheet.

glass bowl of homemade vanilla granola with cranberries on a white marble counter with tiny pumpkins and a kitchen towel.

Once cool, break up into your desired size clusters and add granola and cranberries to a large bowl. Mix to combine completely. Store in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 1 month. Or you can also store in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months for longer storage.

What to Serve With Homemade Vanilla Granola with Cranberries

Enjoy as cereal with your favorite milk.
Make a yogurt bowl with fresh fruit and granola. Berries, bananas, or apples would all be delicious with this homemade vanilla granola!
Add on top of smoothie bowls like Rainbow Smoothie Bowl With Greek Yogurt.
Enjoy with protein packed sides like Maple Turkey Breakfast Sausages, Bone Broth Sausage Mushroom Frittata, or Homemade Pork Breakfast Sausage Patties.
Enjoy as an afternoon snack with an Iced Blueberry Latte or Strawberry Watermelon Smoothie With Collagen.
Eat with milk and enjoy as a side to Fluffy Scrambled Eggs With Sour Cream.
Enjoy as a cereal with Creamy Vegan Chocolate Smoothie With Almond Butter for breakfast.

Recipe FAQ's

Is making granola cheaper than buying it?

Usually everything is cheaper if you make it yourself! Homemade granola can be much more cost effective, plus you get to choose your ingredients so you can easily make sure everything is organic!

What is a good binder for granola?

Organic honey, agave, corn syrup, and organic maple syrup are all great binders for granola. You can use whichever one you prefer in granola recipes. But, keep in mind that if you use honey or maple syrup, then your granola will have that flavor shining through. It woks great if you want that, but if you don’t want a honey or maple granola, then organic agave or light corn syrup is your best option.

Can I use vanilla extract instead of ground vanilla bean?

You can, but it honestly won't have the same flavor. It's really best if you use ground vanilla bean here!

Can I use a different oil instead of coconut oil?

You can use olive oil, sunflower oil or even canola oil if you prefer. But, if you want to keep it free of seed oils, then coconut oil or olive oil are best.

Can I make this granola nut free?

Yes, you can omit the walnuts if you are nut free.

When should I add the dried cranberries to granola?

The dried cranberries are added into this granola after it bakes. This is essential because baking dried fruits for too long can cause them to be harden too much.

Can I use fresh cranberries instead of dried cranberries?

No, don't use fresh cranberries as they are not shelf stable. If you want to just add fresh cranberries into a bowl of granola, that works. But, you can't mix them in because cranberries need to be refrigerated. So, you can just add a few on top of your cereal or yogurt bowl if you like!

Why does my granola seem soft when it comes out of the oven?

The granola will look wet when it comes out of the oven, that's okay! Just let it cool completely on the baking sheet, it will harden, trust me.

How do I get big clusters in homemade granola?

To get those big clusters of granola, make sure you bake it until golden brown. Underbaking granola can make it soft and it won't cluster as well. Also, you need to let the granola cool completely before breaking it up. This will allow it to bind together, then you can break it into big clusters. If you don't let it cool completely and stir it after it comes out of the oven, then it won't have the opportunity to bind, so don't stir it after it's done baking.

Why is my homemade granola not crunchy?

If you didn't spread the granola mixture into an even layer on the baking sheet this can prevent it from getting crispy as it isn't spread out evenly enough to crisp up. Be sure to spread into an even layer. Then, ensure granola is baked until golden brown, go a few extra minutes if needed. Let granola cool completely before breaking up as this will prevent clusters from forming. Last, ensure granola is cooled completely before storing, if it's stored when when it's warm it will soften.

What is the best way to store homemade granola?

First, let the granola cool completely and come to room temperature. Once it has cooled, you can store granola in an airtight container. This can be a Tupperware, a big Ziploc bag, or even a jar with a sealed lid. I actually will store my homemade granola in a Pyrex bowl with a lid. Store in the pantry for 1 month. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.

Can I freeze homemade granola?

Yes, you can freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

glass bowl of vanilla granola with cranberries on a marble kitchen counter with tiny pumpkins and a vase of flowers.

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Meyer Lemon Pancakes

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