Is Maple Syrup Healthy?

There are positive and negative aspects to this type of natural sweetener. On the positive side, maple syrup is high in antioxidants and also offers many nutrients such as riboflavin, zinc, magnesium, calcium, and potassium. Can you believe it has fewer calories per tablespoon than honey, as well?

We chose maple syrup for this recipe because it’s a wonderful substitute (both in sweetness and texture) for honey, which is not vegan. Maple syrup comes from sugar maple trees and, although it is a processed food, it is purely plant-based and does not exploit any living creatures.

On the negative side, it is almost identical to table sugar for the amount of sucrose that it contains and should not be consumed in large quantities. Although you can’t truly call maple syrup a “healthy” food, it does have a slower rate of raising the blood sugar and a number of important minerals to boot. Keep in mind that this recipe only calls for a small amount compared to the large quantity of maple granola that it makes in the end.

How To Serve Up Your Maple Granola

Inspired by the Homemade Granola recipe in The Friendly Vegan Cookbook by Michelle Cehn and Toni Okamoto, this adaptation was created to give you simple foundation to fill up with your own delightful and delicious ingredients. Allow your creativity to run free!

The Neverending Nuts-tory – Do you have to limit the amount of nuts in this granola? No way! Add as many as you wish. Just keep in mind that you’ll have to pour in more maple syrup to keep your mixture moist. Cashews, peanuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, etc. are all equally welcome.

Don’t Forget the Fruit – Dried fruit is the berry best! Although raisins are the reasonable choice, don’t be held back by our recipe recommendation. Let your brain bust out with outrageous options like apricots, figs, dates, strawberries, mango, pineapple, guava, or even prunes to help you poop!

I Feel The Need, the Need For Seeds – Flaxseeds and chia seeds are incredible for omega-3s, but you can also incorporate other healthy seeds into your granola to make it more gratifying. How about a heap of hearty hemp seeds, a spoonful of sesame seeds, or a portion of pumpkin seeds?

Amp Up the Antioxidants – Goji berries gives you an extra boost of vitamins A and C and you don’t have to stop there. You can step it up with other star superfoods such as freeze-dried wild blueberries and chunks of deeply dark chocolate. You might even want to add a modest sprinkle of matcha green tea for extra vitamins, minerals, and protein.

Baking tray with vegan homeamde granola with a large wooden spoon on a white surface

Simple Storage

Any leftover maple 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.

Equipment You’ll Need

If you try this Maple Brown Sugar Granola recipe, let us know what you think by leaving a comment and rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for even more vegan recipe inspiration.