Homemade granola beats the store-bought kind for one simple reason: you control the sweetness and the amount of nuts instead of guessing what’s hiding behind a long ingredient list. Here the nuts aren’t a garnish — there’s enough of them to make the granola genuinely filling and crunchy, not just fragrant oats with a few pieces scattered through.

The real secret to that crunch is not stirring too often while it bakes, and letting the granola cool completely on the tray instead of jarring it while it’s still warm. That’s the stage where the honey and oil set and glue the oats and nuts into the clumpy, crunchy clusters that make good granola so satisfying.

The nut and seed mix is easy to adjust to whatever’s on hand — swap in cashews, hazelnuts, or sunflower seeds for some of the almonds and walnuts, keeping the total amount roughly the same. Dried fruit is best stirred in after baking rather than before, so it doesn’t scorch and stays soft against the crunchy oat base.

Stored in a well-sealed jar at room temperature, this granola keeps its crunch for one to two weeks. Serve it with yogurt, milk, or kefir, use it to top a smoothie bowl, or just eat it by the handful as a snack.