This vegan granola recipe is healthy, gluten-free and can be used in so many ways. Perfect to have on hand and so easy to make!
I love texture in my food along with loads of flavor. This healthy granola hits all the marks. Plus its super customizable so everyone will be happy!
Ingredients
The key with homemade granola is to have a great base recipe. From there, you can add all the flavors you want through mix ins, seasoning, etc!
Here is how I make my base so that it is healthy and easy:
- Rolled oats
- Maple syrup
- Almond butter
- Vanilla
- Sea salt
In order to make sure this is gluten-free you need to get certified gluten-free oats. While oats actually don't contain gluten themselves, they are grown with other gluten containing grains so there is a lot of cross contamination. Gluten-free oats are grown with extra caution.
This recipe is made without oil. I found that with the whole food fat from the almond butter, oil is not needed at all. I still get an amazing crunchy result!
If you need this nut free, just use sunflower seed butter. Or another nut free butter of choice!
How to Make Granola
Here are the easy steps to make your granola at home:
- Mix the almond butter and maple syrup to make a thick caramel like base.
- Add in the oats, seasoning and any add ins.
- Spread on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake, break apart and eat!
Mix in ideas
You can easily customize your granola in any way you want! Here are some of our favorite things to add:
- Any dried fruit (blueberries, pineapple, cherries, etc)
- Any types of nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, etc)
- Any types of seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, etc)
- Shredded coconut
- Seasonings to match flavor (cinnamon, pumpkin spice, ginger, etc)
- Chocolate chips
- Peanut butter chips
- Butterscotch chips
- Yogurt chips
- Fresh citrus zest
Flavor combo ideas
Here are a few yummy combinations we've tried and loved!
- Coconut, pineapple
- Blueberries, raspberries, cherries
- Blueberries, pecans
- Coconut, apricots (chopped), cherries
- Chocolate chips, pecans, cherries
- Pumpkin spice, pecans
- Dried banana slices, chocolate chips, pecans
Ways to use granola
We love using this healthy granola in SO many ways! Here are a few ideas:
- Yogurt, try this homemade vegan yogurt
- Oatmeal, this easy creamy oatmeal is the best
- Ice cream topper, this vegan chocolate ice cream is so good
- Over pudding, try this delicious vegan cheesecake pudding
- As a pancake topper, we put it over these vegan buttermilk pancakes all the time
- As a topper for these frozen banana popsicles
- Top healthy baked apples
Tips and Tricks
This is a pretty full proof recipe, but here is some info to help you along the way!
- Using parchment will help the granola get crispy.
- You want to spread it out enough so it gets crispy but not too far apart because if the mixture doesn't touch it won't stick together to make clumps.
- You can easily double this recipe to batch make it for the week, just make sure to use a big enough sheet or put it on two sheets.
- Make sure it cools completely before breaking into pieces
- Store in an air tight container on the counter so it doesn't get stale.
Common Questions
As long as it doesn't contain animal products you are good to go! Watch for honey as well.
The longer you keep it, the less crispy it will be. But it will last for a while and still be safe to eat. Ideally you want to store it in an air tight container no longer than a month.
While granola has gotten a bad rap from some sources, it's actually a great snack. The oats are full of fiber and great for filling out up. Also, the almond butter brings in great whole food fat.
Along with all the ideas given above, you can also sub the maple syrup for honey if you prefer. To make this even healthier, add some dried fruit (just watched for the added sugars in them because this has plenty of sweetness).
Healthy Vegan Gluten-Free Granola Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup almond butter (see note)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cups oats , gluten-free if needed
- 1-3 teaspoon cinnamon , optional
- ½ cup sliced almonds , optional
- ½ cup chopped pecans , optional
- ½ cup sunflower seeds , optional
Other add in ideas:
- ¼- ½ cup dried fruit , like blueberries cherries or pineapple
- ¼- ½ cup shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F/ 175 C.
- Put the maple syrup, almond butter, vanilla, salt and cinnamon (if using) into a bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Add in the oats, nuts and seeds and toss to coat well.
- Spread onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes so it hardens.
- Break apart and use as preferred!
Notes
- The almond butter needs to be smooth and runny. If it isn’t add some oil to smooth it out.
- You can sub any nuts, fruit, seeds or spices you prefer. Just keep the total amounts about the same. See the post for flavor combinations and more ideas.
- This makes about 6 cups. Serving size is ½ cup.
- Nutrition facts include all ingredients in the base recipe even the optional ones.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Chelsee Lee
I love granola in yogurt and was so happy to find a gf alternative!