You are going to love this 4 ingredient vegan granola recipe! This homemade granola is so easy to make, naturally sweetened with maple syrup, gluten free, dairy free and perfect for breakfast, a snack or dessert!
Why this recipe works
- Simple ingredients! Made with just 4 ingredients in under 30 minutes, this healthy granola is the perfect homemade snack and is perfect for a weekly meal prep!
- Versatile! Vegan granola is perfect for adding to parfaits, serving on smoothie bowls, on oatmeal or eaten as a snack right out of your hand! And it’s so simple to make!
- Budget friendly! Making homemade granola is inexpensive and you get to control the quality of the ingredients! No high fructose corn syrup or granulated sugar here! And you can easily make this gluten free granola by using certified gluten free oats.
- Customizable! This crunchy vegan granola recipe is easily customizable! Add your favorite nuts, seeds or even chocolate to change the flavor based on your mood!
Table of Contents
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Ingredients
- Gluten free rolled oats (or old fashioned oats) – rolled oats are perfect for making gluten free granola at home. I don’t recommend quick cooking oats or steel cut oats as they will not produce the same texture. The quick oats may get clumpy and the steel cut oats will be hard and tough to chew. If you had to make a substitution, quick oats would be better than steel cut in this case.
- Maple syrup – for sweetness and to help the granola form into clusters.
- Avocado oil – Avocado oil is used because it doesn’t have a strong flavor.
- Cinnamon – cinnamon provides extra sweetness and makes the house smell amazing when cooking.
How to make vegan granola
- Preheat the oven to 350F
- In a large bowl combine the gluten free oats, maple syrup, avocado oil and cinnamon. Stir well. Let sit at least 2 minutes. Stir again.
- Add parchment paper or a silicone liner to an extra large half-sheet pan (which is the size of your oven). If you don’t have a large sheet pan, you will want to prepare 2 sheet pans.
- Add the granola mixture to the sheet pan and use the back of your spoon to even it out, spreading it into one uniform layer (that is not too thick).
- Use the back of a spoon or a large spatula, press down on the granola mixture, really packing it down. This will help the clusters to form during cooking.
- Place the granola in a 350F oven for 21 minutes. Take out immediately.
- Let the granola cool completely (about 15-20 minutes) before you try to break it into clusters.
- Once cooled completely, add to a glass container and store in the fridge.
Other add in’s to change the flavor
- Coconut flakes (buy toasted coconut flakes and add them after cooking or add them half way through baking so they don’t burn)
- Chocolate chips (add at the end after granola is completely cooled off)
- Cacao nibs (add at the end after granola is completely cooled off)
- Dried fruit (add after cooking)
- Nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, slivered almonds, pistachios, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds)
- Change the flavor with pumpkin spice instead of cinnamon!
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Common Questions for Healthy Granola
How long can you store granola?
You can store this easy vegan granola for up to 1 week in the fridge (for best texture and taste). You can also store it in individual portions in the freezer for a longer storage life (up to 3 months).
Can I cut back on the maple syrup?
This recipe can be cut down to 1/3 of a cup of maple syrup and it still form clusters. However, anything lower than 1/3 cup and the granola will not form the yummy granola clusters very well.
What if the granola doesn’t form clusters?
Be sure to really press down with a spoon or a spatula when the granola is raw. Also make sure that you give the granola time to cool completely before breaking it apart. Use a large spatula and go slowly.
What are some ways to use granola?
- With fresh fruit
- On pancakes with almond butter or dairy free yogurt on top
- On smoothies
- On yogurt parfaits
- As cereal with some fresh berries and milk of choice
- On oatmeal or cauliflower oatmeal (for crunch) with some peanut butter or almond butter to make it extra delicious
- On top of protein pudding for crunch and added carbs
- As a snack right out of your hand (my personal favorite)
Substitutes
- Avocado oil – you can also use melted coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil if needed (the flavor will be slightly different with the coconut oil and olive oil).
- Maple Syrup – If you do not have maple syrup on hand but still want to make this a vegan granola recipe, you can use date syrup or brown rice syrup. If you are not concerned about making an this a vegan recipe, you can use honey in place of the maple syrup. I have not tried this with a low carb substitute but you could try it with low carb maple syrup to lower the carbs.
- Cinnamon – You can use pumpkin spice to change up this granola depending on the season or omit the cinnamon and have a very simple and easy vegan granola recipe that tastes like maple syrup.
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4 Ingredient Vegan Granola
$5.76 Total/$0.36 ServingThis 4 ingredient vegan granola is going to become your new favorite granola recipe! It's easy to make, bakes in under 30 minutes, is packed with flavor and can easily be customizable! Gluten free, naturally sweetened, dairy free and full of crunchy clusters!
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Servings: 16 servings
Guided Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 4 cups rolled oats - $1.60
- 1/2 cup maple syrup (see notes) - $2.50
- 1/4 cup avocado oil (see notes) - $1.41
- 1 tbsp cinnamon - $0.25
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F
- In a large bowl combine the oats, maple syrup, cinnamon and avocado oil. Stir well. Let sit at least 2 minutes and stir again, giving the oats a minute to soak up the liquid.
- Line a large baking sheet (or 2 smaller baking sheets) with parchment paper or silicone liners. Spray with non-stick spray.
- Pour the granola onto the pan (or divide it between 2 pans evenly). Use the back of a spoon or a spatula to evenly distribute the granola into one layer on the baking sheet.
- Once the granola is in one layer, use the back of a spoon or spatula and press down firmly on the granola. This will help make the clusters form.
- Bake in the 350F oven for 21 minutes.
- Take out of the oven and allow the granola to cool completely for 15-20 minutes.
- Carefully break up the granola. Store in an airtight container after fully cooling.
Notes
Serving size is 1/4 cup.
You can store this homemade vegan granola for up to 1 week in the fridge (for best texture and taste). You can also store it in individual portions in the freezer for a longer storage life.
Maple syrup is used for sweetness and to help the granola form into clusters. If you don’t have maple syrup you can also try brown rice syrup or honey (not vegan)
Avocado oil is used because it doesn’t have a strong flavor. You can also use unrefined coconut oil (melted) or extra virgin olive oil.
Can you cut back on the maple syrup?
Yes, this recipe can be cut down to 1/3 of a cup of maple syrup and it still form clusters. However, anything lower than 1/3 cup and the granola doesn’t form clusters very well.
Other add in’s to change the flavor of this vegan granola
- Coconut flakes (buy toasted coconut flakes and add them after cooking or add them half way through baking so they don’t burn)
- Chocolate chips (add at the end after granola is completely cooled off)
- Cacao nibs (add at the end after granola is completely cooled off)
- Dried fruit (add after cooking)
- Nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, pistachios, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds)
- Change the flavor with pumpkin spice instead of cinnamon!
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Calories
135
Fat
5
g
Carbohydrates
21
g
Fiber
2
g
Sugar
6
g
Protein
3
g
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
DID YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE?Let others know by rating and leaving a comment below!
Debora Pershin
Thursday 4th of November 2021
Perfect! Entire family enjoys it and super easy!
Isis
Sunday 24th of October 2021
Just pulled this out of the oven. It smells amazing Thank you for such a simple and inexpensive recipe
Lynn
Wednesday 11th of August 2021
This is so easy and tasty! Last batch I added pumpkin pie spice and raisins. Great with yogurt or oat milk. I do cook mine for only 18 minutes as 21 produced a batch a little on the burnt side.
Samantha Rowland
Monday 11th of October 2021
Good to know - each oven is different, glad you found a time that works in your oven!
Lynn
Wednesday 11th of August 2021
Last time I used Pumpkin Pie Spice and added raisins post cooking. This is so easy and tasty! And so much cheaper than store bought granola!
Christina
Tuesday 23rd of March 2021
Made this granola this morning and it was absolutely delicious. Not overly sweet and followed the directions exactly and it came out perfect!!! Put it on top of an açaí bowl and I was in heaven! Thank you Sam!