EASY Vegan Granola (gf)

There's a lot to love about this homemade vegan granola recipe. Not only wholesome and EASY to make, but also super delicious on its own or served with almond milk or dairy free yogurt. We're obsessed with the flavor and crunch!

Forget store-bought granola, healthy granola is easy and inexpensive to make at home. This version is vegan, gluten-free, and packed with classic granola ingredients like rolled oats, healthy nuts/seeds, and dried fruit.

Skip the refined sugar and sweeten the granola naturally with maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and a pinch of salt to balance the flavors.

My kids love a big bowl of granola cereal with almond milk and fresh berries for breakfast. My favorite is granola with yogurt and fresh fruit in the morning or in a smoothie bowl after my workout. And the best part, it takes only 10 minutes of hands on time and then just pop it into the oven to bake!

Vegan Granola Ingredients

The full recipe for this crunchy, vegan granola is below; but here's a few notes about the ingredients for my go-to combination:

• Old-fashioned oats: Aka rolled oats. Check for certified gluten free as needed.
• Nuts/seeds: I almost always use a mixture of almonds (raw chopped or sliced) and sunflower seeds in my granola for tons of crunch and flavor.
• Chia, flax or hemp seeds: I like a sprinkling for extra nutrients, healthy fats, and plant protein.
• Melted coconut oil: Use any neutral flavored oil or melted vegan butter/margarine.
• Brown sugar & maple syrup: For refined sugar free version, use all maple syrup. Reduce or increase the level of sweetness to taste.
• Cinnamon, vanilla, and salt: I like a hefty dose of cinnamon and vanilla. If you are using fine table salt, use about half the amount of sea salt. Taste as you go (you can always add more salt).
• Unsweetened coconut: Your choice! Use large coconut flakes, shredded coconut or if you don't like coconut, skip it altogether.

Easy Ingredient Variations

Each time I make this epic granola, it turns out a bit different depending what ingredients I have on hand. That's the beauty of homemade granola recipes, they are totally customizable to whatever add-ins you enjoy or have in the pantry. Here's a few options:

• Dried fruit: Any dried fruit you love will work like cranberries, blueberries, cherries, apples or chopped dates. Choose dried fruit that is naturally sweet whenever possible.
• Nuts & seeds: Choose a variety of your favorite nuts eg. almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts or cashews. Or skip the nuts and use seeds like pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds for a tasty nut-free granola.
• Chocolate lovers: Stir in chocolate chips or chopped chocolate after the granola has cooled completely.
• Oil: Oil helps bind the granola, adds flavor, and helps to crisp it up: swap for vegan butter or oil of your choice. Reduce the oil by ½ for a low fat granola (no clusters).
• Play with flavors: Add ginger, cardamom, all spice, apple pie or pumpkin pie spice or nutmeg in place of or along with cinnamon. Sub almond extract for vanilla extract.
• Gluten-free option: For gluten free granola, check to be sure the rolled oats you choose are certified gluten free.
• Holiday spiced granola: For a festive and delicious holiday granola add in pistachios or pumpkins seeds, cranberries or apples, and orange zest. Jars of granola make a great hostess or holiday gift too!

How to Make The Very Best Vegan Granola

This maple granola recipe is practically effortless yet it makes a BIG batch of crunchy, golden clusters of oats and nuts. It's easy to make from scratch - let's get into the details:

1. Dry Ingredients: Measure all the dry ingredients into a large bowl.
2. Wet Ingredients: Heat all the ingredients in a saucepan until the coconut oil is melted(2-3 minutes). OR put all the ingredients into a large glass measuring cup and heat them in the microwave then whisk together.

3. Combine the ingredients: Pour the coconut-maple mixture over the dry ingredients and stir to coat ALL the pieces for an extra crispy granola.
4. Bake: Spread the granola mixture on the baking sheet and press down with a spatula or measuring cup to flatten and compress the dry and wet ingredients together. Bake without stirring until lightly golden with crisp edges.
5. Cool completely: Remove from the oven and let cool completely before breaking into clumps.
6. Add the dried fruit: After the granola is cool, add any dried fruit or chocolate.
7. Store: This makes a large batch of granola that lasts for several weeks in an airtight container.
8. Time to Dig In: Serve granola with dairy-free yogurt and berries; sprinkle it over a smoothie bowl or vegan ice cream; enjoy it as a breakfast cereal with plant based milk.

Tips for Making Epic Granola

I've made A LOT of granola in my life and there's one thing I know for sure, it's always slightly different and it never disappoints. Here's a few of my secrets for making this gluten-free granola (clusters too) without using eggs or honey:

• Compact the granola: If your goal is granola clusters, pack the oatmeal mixture by pressing with a spatula or a measuring cup before baking. I don't recommend stirring the granola if you're after clusters.
• Cool the granola: It's important to let the granola cool completely (~45 minutes) without disturbing for the best clusters. Once cool, lift an edge of the parchment so the whole sheet of granola comes up together. Break into any size granola clusters, bites or chunks. There will naturally be smaller pieces as well.
• Granola tastes better over time: I'm always surprised how much the granola flavor changes and improves in the days after it's made. If you're making granola for a brunch or hostess gift, I recommend making it a day or two in advance for the best flavor!

More Vegan Breakfast Ideas

If you love this breakfast granola, here's some more delicious sweet and savory vegan breakfasts to try next:

• The BEST Vegan Scrambled Eggs
• Vegan Banana Bread
• Vegan Pancakes with maple bacon
• Savory Vegan Pancakes
• Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
• Vegan Breakfast Hash