This vegan, gluten-free granola recipe is full of irresistible nutty clusters. It’s made with gluten-free oats, nuts, seeds, spices, dried fruit, and maple syrup. Watch the video!
This is my absolute favorite granola recipe, and I’ve been making it since our restaurant days. It is vegan and gluten-free, made with wholesome ingredients, packed full of protein and fiber, and naturally sweetened with maple syrup.
Tip: Make this granola before bed and allow it to cool overnight on the counter, preserving its delicious nutty “clusters.” It will infuse your dreams with the most wonderful aromas, and in the morning, you’ll awake to the most glorious breakfast.
Why You’ll Love This Granola Recipe!
- Use what you have. Dig through your pantry and gather all the things that need using up. Or visit the bulk section of your grocery store and load up on nuts, seeds, gluten-free oats and optional dried fruit. Get creative! Chia seeds, flax, sesame seeds, coconut flakes, cocoa nibs!
- Adaptable. Once you have the basic recipe, you can adapt it to your own needs, preferences, and tastes. Play around and get creative with it!
- Great for meal prep and gifts. Double the recipe to make busy mornings easier, or give away a jar to someone you love!
Granola Recipe Ingredients
- Gluten-free rolled oats: Quick or thick, or use gluten-free oats, and organic if possible!
- Raw nuts: Almonds, pecans, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, or pistachios.
- Pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds (a combo of both is nice).
- Flaked coconut: Unsweetened, big flakes! Not grated. Optional.
- Seeds: Use a mix of chia seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds (all optional). These are great for supporting digestion.
- Spices: Ground cinnamon, cardamom or nutmeg, and salt.
- Coconut oil: Melted, or sub olive oil if watching cholesterol.
- Maple syrup: or honey (not vegan).
- Vanilla extract
- Orange zest: Optional, but yummy.
- Optional, add after baking. Dried fruit: dried cherries, craisins, figs, chopped mango, currants, chopped apricots, dried cranberries, or raisins, freeze-dried raspberries or freeze-dried strawberries. Or Cacao nibs!
How to Make Homemade Granola
Step 1: Preheat oven to 325F.
Step 2: Mix! Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl (everything except the dried fruit). Pour in melted coconut oil (or extra-virgin olive oil), maple syrup, and vanilla. Add optional orange zest. Give a good stir.
*TIP: A slightly wet mixture will help create the clumping effect. If the mixture seems dry, add just enough oil and maple syrup (in equal portions) to lightly coat all ingredients well.
Step 3: Spread. Place the granola on one or two large-rimmed, parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
Step 4: Bake. Place on the middle rack, in the oven, and bake for 10 minutes.
Step 5: Stir halfway! After 10 minutes, stir the granola, then flatten it out gently with the back of a spatula (flattening will help it clump) and rotate the pan. Bake for 10-15 more minutes or until golden and fragrant.
Step 6: Cool. Let this cool completely on the counter before breaking it apart to ensure good “clusters.” The clusters give this granola an unbelievable texture! (I often make this at night before bed, letting it cool overnight.)
Step 7: Add dried fruit. After it has completely cooled, break the granola apart, and add optional dried fruit.
How to Store Granola
Store cooled granola in an airtight canister or jar on your countertop with a handy scoop and this will keep for 2 months at room temperature.
How to serve Granola
- Serve homemade granola with fresh berries and Yogurt, Greek yogurt, or vegan yogurt.
- Pour warmed almond milk over top.
- Eat it like trail mix or as a snack, perfect for on the go!
- Make a yogurt parfait in a small lidded jar- with layers of granola, yogurt and berries- for breakfast on the go.
- Serve on top of smoothie bowls with peanut butter and sliced bananas.
Tasty Granola Variations:
- Cranberry Pecan Coconut
- Pistachio & Dried Apricot
- Almond, Dried Cherry & Cocoa Nibs
- Coconut Almond
- Hazelnut & Dried Currant, Orange zest
- Hazelnut, Dried Pear or Apple
- Pumpkin Seed, Sunflower Seed, Raisin
- Macadamia Nut, Dried Pineapple, Coconut
FAQs
Packed full of healthy plant protein like nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, flax seeds, and coconut flakes, it is very high in nutrients, fiber, and healthy plant-based fat. It is healthier than store-bought granola because you control what goes into it!
Instead of using butter, I use olive oil or coconut oil, keeping it totally vegan. Coconut oil adds a subtle sweetness and delicious flavor, but olive oil works great too!
Bake the Homemade Granola at 325 F until golden and fragrant, about 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through, and patting down, and rotating the pan.
Patting the granola down with a spatula halfway through baking allows it to form those glorious clusters we all dream of.
The maple syrup in this recipe offers the perfect amount of sweetness! But you could always sprinkle in a little brown sugar if you want extra sweetness. Or after the granola is done baking and has cooled completely, you could mix in chocolate chips.
Homemade Granola makes a Great Gift!
Package it up in jars for friends and family- such a sweet gift, especially for those who are short on time.
Homemade Granola… once you make it, you’ll never buy it again. It’s so much better fresh and personalized to your own tastes.
Plus, it just feels good making it. Seriously, try it and see… very gratifying!
More recipes you may like!
Homemade Granola Video!
Homemade Granola Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups 1x
- Category: Breakfast, vegan breakfast, gluten-free breakfast
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This granola recipe is vegan and gluten-free, made with wholesome ingredients and sweetened with maple syrup. Full of nuts, seeds, and delicious golden nutty clusters! Watch the video!
Ingredients
- 2 cups organic rolled oats- quick or thick, or gluten-free
- 1 1/2 cups raw nuts (almonds, pecans, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios)
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds (a combo of both is nice)
- 1 cup flaked coconut (optional) -unsweetened, big flakes! not grated
- 1/4– 1/2 cup mix of seeds- chia seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds and poppy seeds (all optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom or nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup coconut oil – melted or sub olive oil
- 1/3 cup maple syrup (or honey, not vegan)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon orange zest- optional
Optional, add after baking: 1 cup dried fruit cherries, craisins, figs, chopped mango, currants, chopped apricots, or raisins.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F
- Combine dry ingredients in a big bowl (all except dried fruit). Pour in melted coconut oil, maple syrup , and vanilla. Add optional orange zest.
- If the mixture seems dry add just enough oil and maple ( in equal portions) to lightly coat all ingredients well. A slightly wet mixture will create the clumping effect.
- Spread out on one or two large-rimmed, parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Place on the middle rack, in the oven and bake 10 minutes. Stir the granola, then flatten out gently with the back of a spatula, (flattening will help it clump) and rotate the pan. Bake 10-15 more minutes or until just golden and fragrant.
- Let this cool down completely on the counter before breaking it apart, to ensure good “clusters”. ( I often make this at night before bed, letting it cool overnight).
- After it has completely cooled, break the granola apart, and add optional dried fruit.
Notes
Storage: Store in an airtight container or jar on the counter or pantry. This granola will keep up to 6 weeks.
Ovens: All ovens are different. Just be sure to check the granola and stir it after 10-12 minutes, then press it down to create clumps. Baking on upper oven rack may scorch it, the middle rack is best!
Tip: If you want the dried fruit to clump too, then add when you stir the granola, at the halfway point. Adding it earlier will dry it out too much.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ½ cup
- Calories: 324
- Sugar: 14.2 g
- Sodium: 101.5 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 32.8 g
- Fiber: 5.6 g
- Protein: 7.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
My kitchen and house smells like vanilla honey goodness! I subbed honey instead of maple sugar because thats what I had on hand. This is the best granola I’ve had!
Great to hear Noor!
Omitted all seeds and added dried cherries and about 1/3 cup chocolate chips. Next time will leave out the dried fruit and the chocolate, maybe add sesame seeds.
Fantastic!!! Easily the best granola I’ve ever had and easy to adapt based on what’s in your pantry. I was looking for a granola that wasn’t incredibly sweet and was a little savory. And this totally hit the mark! I followed the recipe ratios exactly and did not add the optional coconut and dried fruit. The sesame seeds are a must! It also made my whole house smell amazing. I will definitely be making this regularly.
My family cannot get enough of this. You say it can last months but it lasts about a week in our house! Thank you for all of your deliciousness!!
Awwww thanks Joelle. Remember when you came over with your sis and we made it together?
Hi Sylvia,
I am going to try your recipe but I already know I am going to add in the raisins and currents early because one of the things I love most about homemade granola is the flavour of “burnt” raisins! Thanks again for your beautiful and inspiring recipes, photos and blogs! Your passion really shows 🙂
Love it! Thanks Marlene!
This is hands-down THE BEST granola recipe I’ve ever made (I’ve been making granola for over 25 years). I’ve never before been able to get the desired clumps as found in store-bought granola. It’s a very adaptable recipe for whatever nuts and seeds are on hand, and I appreciated the parenthetical comment about keeping the oil/sweetener ratios equal. I opted to omit the dried fruit in this batch and ate it straight for snack, added it to yogurt, and also made granola pumpkin pancakes that were fabulous.
Every recipe I’ve tried from Feasting at Home has been great, and I enjoy subscribing to your emails as encouragement to try new dishes.
Thanks so much Gina!
This granola is decadent. I made this the same day I tried the masala chai recipe and my house smelled like fall, no need to break out the Yankee candles 🤣
Absolutely love it. Thank you for sharing!
Awesome Anna!
If you are looking for a delicious granola recipe, look no further. This is a staple in our house. The only thing I do differently is I bake for the 12 mins, then stir in the coconut and continue baking for 15 more minutes.
my senior mom has yogurt and granola for breakfast 5 or 6 days a week. i have made this recipe 4 times for her now and she absolutely loves it. i tend to slightly over-measure the nuts and seeds, and i add coconut, so i usually add half a cup each of coconut oil and maple syrup to ensure some good granola clumps. i will keep coming back to this recipe! also, they’re not listed among the nuts but macadamia add a great crunch in the mixture (i usually do macadamia, sliver almonds, pecans, and cashews).
Love it! Thanks for sharing! 🙌
This has become my families go to granola recipe. The whole family loves it!
Great to hear Melanie!
Excellent granola recipe.
I had to bake it for about 35 min. and it was perfect.
Thank you
This is the best granola I’ve ever made. Thank you so much for sharing.
This sounds and looks delicious but I try to use only raw and fermented foods and no grains as well.
Have you tried to make this without cooking? Maybe less than 100 degrees dehydration would work to keep it alive.
I love this recipe- so nutty and seedy.
This granola is another standout recipe, super easy to make and goes so well with my home made yoghurt!! Thankyou….
So glad you like it!
I make batches and batches of this and give to friends. They always ask for more!
Made this last night before bed ( as you suggested) and woke up to the most delicious breakfast. Thanks- great for using up random bags of ingredients in my pantry drawers.
My new favorite granola! Whole family loves this- which surprised me with all the seeds. They add a nice crunch and you are right, good fiber to keep things “regular”. On repeat at our house. Liz
Oh No! Ok I adjusted the temp and put some notes about baking on middle rack. Sorry rack. Do you have an electric oven? I have a gas oven.
I literally adore this granola recipe. It’s just the right balance of oats to seeds, nuts plus low in sugar and includes wonderful coconut oil and flakes. I didn’t know I loved chia seeds either plus it turns out they’re very nutritious. I used the full 1/2 c combo of chia and sesame seeds. Our household highly recommends this recipe. Thus far, I use dried cranberry for a fruit. I love it too because it’s super easy to make than any other granola recipe I’ve used given there’s not stirring or use for parchment paper.
Thank you Sylvia, m.
I use this recipe for catering and at home, I love it! Dried pineapple chunks are the best fruit I’ve tried with it.
Sounds delicious! I will have to try that!!!
Hi there! Made this a night ago. It is really delish and I’d love to make it again!
I did, I forgot to change that! Sorry!!
I love how perfectly conscientious your writing in this post is–I’m a granola-and-yogurt addict, and I absolutely adore a good homemade granola recipe. I’ve been working up the nerve to tackle some homemade Greek yogurt to go with it, and your detailed instructions make me feel so much better about the task. Thanks for a great post!
Thanks so much!
Look at all those jars of amazing ingredients. No wonder you love this granola. It sounds fantastic!
This granola looks so good! I still haven’t tried to make my own yogurt, but your pictures are helpful. Your blog is stunning!