The best thing about this Homemade Vanilla Granola is that you can control the sugar and carb details- especially if you’re going low carb! Instead of regular brown sugar, you can swap it out for a sugar alternative- I like using Swerve because it is a 1:1 substitution and there is no change in the flavor.
The self-isolation order in Montana got me going a little stir-crazy. I’ve binged watch Supernatural (for the second time now) and while lately I have been trying to avoid the couch and tv until at least 4 pm, it’s hard! Last week I spent two days blowing through the house: cleaning the kitchen, reorganizing the cabinets, the fridge, the pantry, the linen closet, and baking like crazy! I made oatmeal bars, homemade granola, chocolate chip cookies and banana bread. All within FIVE HOURS! Thank God for my Kitchen Aid mixer!!!
I already shared my favorite banana bread recipe with you guys, so here’s my homemade granola recipe. Later I will share my oatmeal bar recipe- a perfect late night snack that really kicks your sugar craving to the curb!

Recipe for Homemade Vanilla Granola
Ingredients
- 4 cups of dry oats
- 1/2 cup brown sugar- or Swerve substitute
- 3/4 cup melted butter
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon (or pumpkin spice!)
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg (omit if you use pumpkin spice- I used pumpkin spice because I didn’t have nutmeg in my pantry)

Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 250 Degrees
- Stir melted butter and brown sugar in your mixer (or large bowl)
- Add oats and mix until brown sugar/butter is all over the oats
- Pour onto a large baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat on bottom (this helps get the toasted oats off later! and makes cleaning so easy!)
- Press oats down into the pan with the back of a spoon- make sure its all one layer of oats!
- Bake for 1 hour DO NOT STIR OR MIX AT ANY POINT OF BAKING
- After baking, set baking sheet aside (and away from the heat of the stove/oven top). Let completely cool before breaking the oats into smaller chunks.
- Store in tightly sealed container or ziplock baggie.


Homemade Vanilla Granola
Equipment
- Kitchen Aid Mixer
- Mixer Whisk Attachment
Ingredients
- 4 cups of dry oats
- 1/2 cup brown sugar- or sugar substitute
- 3/4 cup melted butter
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin spice!
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg omit if you use pumpkin spice- I used pumpkin spice because I didn’t have nutmeg in my pantry
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 250 Degrees
- Stir melted butter and brown sugar in your mixer (or large bowl)
- Add oats and mix until brown sugar/butter is all over the oats
- Pour onto a large baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat on bottom (this helps get the toasted oats off later! and makes cleaning so easy!)
- Press oats down into the pan with the back of a spoon- make sure its all one layer of oats!
- Bake for 1 hour DO NOT STIR OR MIX AT ANY POINT OF BAKING
- After baking, set baking sheet aside (and away from the heat of the stove/oven top). Let completely cool before breaking the oats into smaller chunks.
- Store in tightly sealed container or ziplock baggie.