Homemade Vegan Granola

Do you love granola? Here a simple granola recipe for your own homemade Granola

This granola makes a wonderful snack or breakfast (add your plant-based milk of choice and maybe some fresh fruit). It also stores beautifully, so it makes a great homemade gift.

Once you try homemade granola, you won’t go back to store-bought granola. It’s so much better! Plus, homemade granola is super easy to make. You’ll only need one bowl and some basic pantry ingredients. Ready to make some? This granola recipe is also a far more healthy granola option since it’s made with whole grains, unrefined oil, and naturally sweetened. You just can’t beat freshly baked granola packed with delicious and good-for-you ingredients. Now that you have my base recipe, you can play around with the mix-ins and spices to make it your favorite granola.

By the way, you can preserve that freshly baked flavor by storing this granola in the freezer. Just let it warm to room temperature for a few minutes, and enjoy. Healthy Granola Ingredients

Oats Heart-healthy, hearty, whole-grain old-fashioned oats keep their shape during baking. Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats if you need gluten-free granola.

Nuts and/or Seeds I used seeds (green pumpkin seeds) to make this batch. Other options include walnuts, which are rich in Omega-3s, whole or slivered almonds, cashews, peanuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.

Unrefined Oil Oil helps make this granola crisp and irresistible. Neutral oils like canola or grapeseed are a safe bet, but here's a better idea: use good extra-virgin olive oil. It gives the granola a slightly bitter and very excellent complexity. Melted coconut oil is also a fun way to add flavor.

Natural Sweetener I love using real maple syrup in my granola. Honey works great, too. As a bonus, these natural sweeteners infuse your granola extra-delicious flavor that sugar would not. You can also use ( agave, date nectar and or just peanut butter)

Salt and Spice For flavorful granola, don’t skip the salt! Too little and your flavors won’t sing. I prefer using fine-grain sea salt in this one (I always cook with fine-grain sea salt), but regular salt will do, too (just use a little less).

I added cinnamon to this batch for some subtle warming spice. Ground ginger (use half as much) and pumpkin spice blends are other options.

Dried Fruit Dried fruit lends some extra sweetness, chewy texture, and irresistible fruity flavor. I used dried cranberries for this batch. I also love tart dried cherries, raisins, and chopped dried apricots.

Optional Mix-Ins For fresh citrus flavor, stir fresh citrus zest (up to 2 teaspoons) into the mixture before baking. I love adding orange zest, lemon zest, lime even dehydrated blueberries, or any berry in particular.

You can add vegan chocolate chips after the granola has completely cooled (otherwise, they’ll melt).

If you’d like to add unsweetened coconut flakes, you can add it halfway through baking for perfectly toasted results (.

Chunky Granola Tips Some of you, like me, love big clumps in your granola. Here are my tips to achieving the best clumps:

• Your oats need to be a little crowded in the pan so they can stick together, but not so crowded that they don’t toast evenly. I recommend using a basic half sheet pan for this granola recipe. It’s a perfect size and the rimmed edges make sure no granola falls overboard.

• Be sure to line the pan with parchment paper so the sweetener sticks to your oats rather than the pan.

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• Don’t bake the granola too long just until it’s lightly golden on top, as described. It might not seem like it’s done yet, but it will continue to crisp up as it cools. Over-baking the granola seems to break the sugar bonds.

• Lastly, let the granola cool completely before breaking it up. I’ve even left it on the pan overnight, covered.

Even with all those techniques in place, I occasionally end up with a batch of granola that isn’t as clumpy as my others, for reasons that I can’t explain. It’s always delicious, though!

Ingredients

• 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (use certified gluten-free oats for gluten-free granola)

• 1 ½ cup raw nuts and/or seeds

• 1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt (if you’re using standard table salt, scale back to ¾ teaspoon)

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ cup melted coconut oil or olive oil

• ½ cup maple syrup or agave or date nectar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ⅔ cup dried fruit, chopped if large (I used dried cranberries)

• Totally optional additional mix-ins: ½ cup chocolate chips*

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, nuts and/or seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Stir to blend.

3. Pour in the oil, maple syrup and/or honey and vanilla. Mix well, until every oat and nut is lightly coated. Pour the granola onto your prepared pan and use a large spoon to spread it in an even layer.

4. Bake until lightly golden, about 21 to 24 minutes, stirring halfway (for extra-clumpy granola, press the stirred granola down with your spatula to create a more even layer). The granola will further crisp up as it cools.

5. Let the granola cool completely, undisturbed (at least 45 minutes). Top with the dried fruit (and optional chocolate chips, if using). Break the granola into pieces with your hands if you want to retain big chunks, or stir it around with a spoon if you don’t want extra-clumpy granola.

6. Store the granola in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks, or in a sealed freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. The dried fruit can freeze solid, so let it warm to room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.