Maple Pecan Vegan Granola Recipe
If you’ve been hoping to find fantastic vegan breakfast recipes, then this is for you! Who doesn’t love the smell of freshly baked granola? Well, what if I told you that you could make it with very few ingredients and with almost zero effort?
Why do the words maple brown sugar bring the most cozy images to mind? Perhaps you picture a warm, bright kitchen with red and white gingham curtains and a lazy, lounging calico cat on the windowsill. Or maybe a well-worn wooden table with cool, ceramic bowls filled to the brim with fresh fruit and maple granola?
If you’re on the same page, you’re going to love our classic take on this sweet and crunchy vegan cereal. Who doesn’t love the crumbly, chewy texture of a golden-baked granola? We think you’ll love this simple sheet pan bake because it’s effortless, versatile, and has a truly excellent flavor.
Grab your favorite wooden spoon, a big bowl, and all of your ingredients. Let’s get this granola party started!
Ingredient Notes
Unlock the secrets to perfectly clumped vegan granola! Here are the essentials and substitutions we recommend to get started making your own homemade granola easily.
- Rolled oats: Opt for old-fashioned rolled oats for the perfect texture and crunch.
- Chopped pecans: Use a mix of finely chopped and slightly larger pieces for varied texture in every bite.
- Ground flaxseed meal: A great source of omega-3 fatty acids and adds a nutty flavor. It also helps bind the granola together.
- Chia seeds (optional): Boost the nutritional profile with extra fiber, protein, and omega-3s if desired.
- Brown sugar: Provides a subtle sweetness and helps create those coveted clusters in the granola.
- Vegetable oil: Use a neutral-flavored oil like canola to ensure the other flavors shine through.
- Maple syrup: Adds a rich, natural sweetness and that signature maple flavor that pairs so well with brown sugar!
- Raisins: Bring natural sweetness and chewiness to the mix.
- Goji berries: Adds pops of color, sweetness, and additional nutrients. Or try mulberries or more raisins! Choose your favorite or use a combination for variety.
See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact measurements.
Customizable Granola Flavors
We already agreed that one of the coolest parts of making your granola at home is that you can add all your favorite goodies, but if you need a little inspiration, we can give you a few ideas. The general idea is to play with different spices, fruits, nuts, or seeds. So many yummy ingredients to choose from!
- Apple Pie Granola: Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and dried apples!
- Tropical Vibe Granola: Add some sweet dried mango (and/or dried pineapple) and coconut flakes (beware of those, you should add them 5 minutes before the baking is done because of they toast quickly).
- Salted Caramel Granola: Add some dates (or a drizzle of this decadent vegan caramel sauce), chopped or flaked almonds, and extra sea salt.
They all sound delicious, right? This granola also makes a great addition to kids’ snacks or packed lunches. I love to make big batches and use them throughout the week. Don’t forget to store it in an airtight container, or you’ll lose the crunch. Give it a try!
How To Make Homemade Vegan Granola
Ready to make this super easy vegan granola recipe? Grab a large mixing bowl and let’s get started!
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, chopped pecans, ground flaxseed meal, optional chia seeds, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt, ensuring thorough mixing. Drizzle with vegetable oil and maple syrup, then mix until the oats are evenly coated.
Step 2: Spread the mixture evenly on a lined baking sheet, pressing it down with a spatula or spoon. Bake in a preheated oven for 22 minutes.
Step 3: Sprinkle raisins and goji berries over the top without stirring, and allow the granola to cool for 1 hour. Although initially soft, the granola will firm up as it cools. Store in a sealed container in your pantry until ready to enjoy.
Tip
Have a few sealable containers on hand (or just some mason jars with lids) and, when the vegan granola is completely cool, start scooping it in! You’ll be so happy to have a quick, grab-and-go vegan snack or breakfast topping on days when you’re rushing around like a maniac. Already made maple granola is great because it only takes a little over an hour to bake and will stay fresh for at least a week or more.
Ways To Serve This Vegan Granola
It’s no secret that granola is to die for, but homemade granola is a whole different story! Most of the store-bought brands have a lot of added sugars, and they never taste as heavenly as a freshly baked granola. You can eat this crunchy goodness on anything! Like:
- atop smoothie bowls or banana nice cream—try this healthy beet smoothie bowl or dragonfruit smoothie bowl for starters
- as a vegan yogurt topping
- with plant milk (my favorite is chilled cashew milk!)
- as a topping for oatmeal (or overnight oats!)
- on fresh berries
- plain, as a snack
Those are just a few ideas, but the list could go on and on! When a recipe is this good, you can eat straight from the jar and still be an amazing experience.
If you have any other favorite add-ons like nuts or dried mango, you can add them as you please.
How To Store
Any leftover vegan granola can be stored in a covered container in the pantry until you’ve gotten another craving for it. You can also freeze any amounts that you don’t think you’ll use up within a week or two. Just make sure that the sealed container (or bag) has as little air in it as possible. It will keep up to 3 months frozen and you can leave it on the counter overnight to thaw.
Recipe FAQ’s
Granola can be vegan, but it depends on the specific ingredients used in the recipe. Traditional granola recipes often include honey, which is not considered vegan, but many vegan-friendly alternatives use ingredients like maple syrup or other plant-based sweeteners.
The ingredients that typically make granola clump together are sugars and fats. Sugars like brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey (though not vegan-friendly) help create stickiness, while fats like vegetable oil or coconut oil coat the dry ingredients, allowing them to bind together during baking. Also, ingredients like ground flaxseed meal or chia seeds can act as natural binders when mixed with liquids, contributing to clumping in the finished granola.
More Vegan Breakfast Recipes
If you make this vegan granola recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know what you think in the comments below! I love reading your comments!
Maple Pecan Vegan Granola
Ingredients
- 3½ cups rolled oats
- ½ cup chopped pecans, finely chopped, it’s okay if bigger chunks remain
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds, optional
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup vegetable oil, neutral flavored oil—I use canola
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup raisins
- ¼ cup goji berries or mulberries or more raisins
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350° F
- In a large mixing bowl, add the oats, pecan pieces, ground flaxseed meal, chia seeds, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until well-combined.
- Drizzle on the vegetable oil and maple syrup and mix again very thoroughly until the oats are evenly coated.
- Line a full-sized baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper and spread the oat mixture evenly on top. Pat it down with a spatula or spoon to create an even layer.
- Bake for 22 minutes, remove from the oven, sprinkle with raisins and goji berries evenly over the top (without stirring) and allow to cool for 1 hour. Note: the granola may still seem a little soft when you pull it out of the oven but it should harden and become crunchy as it cools.
- Store granola in a sealed container (or two) and store in your pantry until you’re ready to eat it.
Nutrition
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Leave a Comment
Hi,
I am interested in making this recipe. My son cannot have any oil. Would peanut butter or cashew butter be a good substitute?
Hi Karen! I haven’t tried that personally but I bet it could work really well! I’d love to hear how it goes. I’ve also seen people use applesauce in place of oil, and/or add more maple syrup.
Really good!
This was a super simple and tasty recipe. I love granola just as a snack, but I put this on my cereal too. I mix in some nuts and take it on the go.
Amazingly easy to make and even easier to enjoy! It’s so nice to find a recipe that isn’t overcomplicated with tons of ingredients that you don’t have on hand or is unnecessarily difficult to make. This granola is super simple with ingredients you most likely already have in the kitchen and it tastes delicious! I love that you can add extras if you want to…like dried fruit (dates or golden raisins for me!), nuts (chopped walnuts, almonds or baruka nuts would be delish) and even some vegan chocolate chips! Endless possibilities for flavor profiles – I want to make a jar of every kind! lol. I like this granola best on top of chia pudding or overnight oats (for extra oaty goodness!) 😀
This granola is so ideal for batch cooking on Sunday! Store it in a glass container and use it for vegan packed lunches throughout the week 🙂
One of those things that I bought at the store for WAY TOO LONG. So silly when it’s so easy to make my own vegan granola at home! Plus, then I don’t have to worry about honey which so often finds its way into granola.
This was delicious and so easy to make…so much better than anything I could buy!