Homemade Vegan Granola

If you’re looking for a healthy and easy homemade granola recipe, you’ve found it! This easy Homemade Vegan Granola is refined-sugar-free, oil-free, gluten-free, and full of protein! Seriously, I could eat this every day. It is delicious, super easy to make, and it can easily be customized.

No need for store-bought granola anymore. This plant-based granola will satisfy all of your high-protein, gluten-free granola needs!

For a tree nut-free granola recipe, try this Pumpkin Flax Granola. 

Looking for more delicious vegan breakfast options? Try these recipes: Blueberry Banana Baked Oatmeal, and Vegan Blueberry Muffins.

Why You’ll Love This Granola

• Easy prep – This recipe comes together in ONE bowl in under 5 minutes – even less if you use pre-chopped nuts.
•  Customizable – Change up which nuts you use or add seeds or dried fruit – the possibilities are endless!
• Sweet but not too sweet – The real maple syrup adds the right amount of sweetness without adding refined sugar.
• Easy storage – Store it in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks. Or toss some into the freezer for up to 6 months.

Ingredients

• Rolled Oats – Make sure to select a certified gluten-free option if needed.
• Chopped Almonds – You can buy pre-chopped or sliced almonds to save time.
• Chopped Pecans – Same as with the almonds, you can buy them chopped or chop them yourself.
• Ground flaxseed – This helps the granola stick together in clumps and makes it crunchy.
• Maple syrup – Real maple syrup is best for this recipe. The maple-flavored syrups tend to burn.
• Salt – I like kosher salt for this recipe. You can reduce it to ½ tsp if you are concerned about salt content.
• Cinnamon – You can reduce it to ½ tsp or omit it entirely if you aren’t a big cinnamon fan.

How to Make Homemade Granola

Prep the Nuts

If you are starting with whole nuts, use a sharp chef’s knife to chop them to your desired size.  Add them to a large mixing bowl with the remaining ingredients

Mix the Granola

If you bought your nuts pre-chopped, all you’ll have to do is dump all of the ingredients into a bowl and stir. Otherwise, make sure to chop the nuts before mixing. How small you chop them is totally up to you.

Tip: If you will be serving this granola to kids, make sure to chop the nuts much smaller to avoid a choking hazard!

Bake the Granola

Once the ingredients are mixed, spread the granola evenly onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and pop it onto the middle rack in the oven. I prefer to use parchment paper here for easier clean-up, but you can spread it directly on the cooking sheet as well – just make sure to watch it closely in the oven, as it may cook faster.

After the granola has been in the oven for 15 minutes, check it and give it a light mix.

Let Cool and Serve

Once the granola has reached a perfect golden brown, remove it from the oven and let it cool for about 15-20 minutes. It will continue to crisp up as it cools.

Serve atop your favorite plant-based yogurt, in a bowl with plant-based milk, or just on its own! Enjoy!

How to Store Granola

• Pantry: Once fully cool, store this granola in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.
• Freezer: Make a double batch and store some in the freezer for up to 6 months so you’ll never run out! Just make sure to thaw fully before eating.

Optional Add-ins:

The possibilities are endless here, really, go wild. Here are a few of my favorites:

• ¼ cup chia seeds
• 2 Tbsp hemp seeds
• 1 cup pumpkin seeds
• ½ cup dried fruit

More Tips for Making Homemade Granola

• Not Vegan? Use one egg, beaten instead of the ground flaxseed.
• Nut allergy? Substitute the nuts for any whole seed – like pumpkin or sunflower. 
• Gluten-Free? Choose a certified gluten-free brand of oats to make this recipe gluten-free.