Oil-Free Granola: Homemade and Healthy

I love really good granola to go with my yogurt. But have you seen the prices these days? When I started seeing $10 for a bag of high-quality, oil-free granola, I thought, I can’t be doing this anymore.

And so I went back to some of the cheaper store brands that I used to use. But you know what? Yeah, they are gross. The flavor just isn’t there. Some are too oily, some are too sweet, and some have the texture of puffed air. All filler.

Recently I was reminded of a very basic, oil-free granola recipe I used to make back in the day. In fact, the archives tell me I blogged about this very recipe way back in 2014! So I’m pulling it into 2025 … because it’s time, and I think we all need recipes that are cheap but also super tasty during uncertain economic times.

Why oil-free granola? Well honestly, this is a variation of a recipe a friend taught to me in my early 20’s, and it just happens to not use oil. And because it’s so incredibly delicious, I’ve stuck with it.

All you need for this oil-free granola (it’s gluten-free, too, fyi), are a few simple ingredients. Oats, nuts, dried fruit, and a syrupy sweetener such as maple syrup or honey.

Now oats are pretty cheap, but the other ingredients vary, so consider shopping at places like Grocery Outlet or other similar discount markets for good deals. Also remember, the quantity you make with this recipe is like three or more bags of regular store-brought granola, so it’s definitely good value for money.

Another hot tip. This oil-free granola makes a GREAT gift idea! One year I put this granola in fun little Christmas bags and handed out to friends and neighbors.

So if you are ready, warm up the oven and get started! Morning you will be so pleased.

How to Make Oil-Free Granola

This recipe really couldn’t be easier. First, you are going to put oats, nuts and a syrupy sweetener in a bowl to mix. I prefer to use either maple syrup or honey, but agave or another type of sweetener would probably work as well. Just make sure it’s the syrupy type because you need it for proper mixing and baking.

Have your fruit diced and ready but set aside for now. Personally, I love to use a mixture of dried fruits. My current favorite is dried apricots and raisins, but I also love simple dried apples and cranberries.

But back to the main event. First, we are going to bake the oat mixture so it’s nice and toasty. Take that wet mixture and spread it out on a lined baking tray. I usually use a silicone mat for easy cleaning.

Now is the fun or annoying part, depending on how much you love baking. Once your mixture is in the oven, you need to take it out ideally every 5 minutes and give it a little stir. You can probably get away with 10 minutes, but I think it toasts more evenly if you stir more often.

After about 30 minutes or so of this in and out oven action, your nuts and oats should be reaching optimal toastiness. When you feel it’s looking good, take out to cool.

After it’s cooled, mix the toasty oats with the dried fruit in a bowl. And there you go, simple oil-free granola. Store in a fun container so everyone can see your beautiful creation.

You can mix in more things after baking of course, like flax seed, chia seeds, hemp hearts, pumpkin seeds, etc, but personally I love to add those later when I’m making my yogurt bowl. But the options are endless, have fun with it!

Health Benefits of Oil-Free Granola

Real quick, because you are reading a dietitian’s blog, I should mention the incredible health benefits of this simple granola. While it does have a sweetener, this is still a healthy and whole-foods choice.

–> Oats: High in fiber and antioxidants, especially beta glucans. I wrote a whole article on beta glucans! If you want to nerd out for a minute, you can find it here.

–> Nuts: Great source of healthy fats, fiber and minerals!

–> Dried fruits: While these can be a concentrated source of sugar, there’s really only a small amount in each serving. Dried fruits provide a little fiber and a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. Many even offer a good dose of iron. If you want to get really creative with this recipe and have a dehydrator, you could even make your own dried fruit! It just keeps getting better.