Vegan granola – a simple, flexible recipe you can tailor to your taste. Add nuts, seeds, dried fruit, spices, chocolate chips, coconut flakes and more. Use this base as a blueprint for endless flavour combinations.
This vegan granola is quick to prepare and makes an excellent base you can adapt however you like. I kept this version straightforward, adding just a few seeds and a pinch of mixed spice, but you can omit those for a completely plain granola or mix in whatever you prefer.
Common additions include nuts, seeds, dried fruit, coconut flakes, chocolate chips, cacao nibs and warming spices. The important thing is to keep the base ratio of oats to sweetener and oil: rolled oats, maple syrup (or another liquid sweetener) and a neutral-flavoured oil such as refined coconut oil.
Making granola at home is more economical than buying it ready-made, and it’s easy to make a vegan-friendly version by swapping honey for maple syrup. This recipe yields crunchy granola that’s perfect with plant milk, stirred into yogurt, or eaten straight from the jar as a snack.
Try it — if you can mix ingredients in a bowl and spread them on a tray, you can make this granola.
How To Make Vegan Granola:
(Ingredients and full instructions are shown in the recipe card below)
1. In a large bowl combine rolled oats and salt. If using spices, seeds or chopped nuts, add them now and mix well.
2. Pour in the oil (refined coconut oil is great) and maple syrup, then stir thoroughly so the oats and mix-ins are evenly coated.
3. Spread the mixture evenly on a large roasting tray lined with baking parchment. For larger clusters, press the mixture down firmly with a spatula.
4. Bake at a moderate temperature, checking and stirring once partway through if you prefer looser pieces. If you want big clusters, avoid stirring during baking.
5. Partway through or toward the end of baking, stir in items that toast quickly—flaked coconut or cacao nibs—and return to the oven until pale golden. The granola will crisp up as it cools.
6. Remove from the oven and allow the granola to cool on the tray. Once completely cool, fold in dried fruit or chocolate chips if using, then store in an airtight container. Properly stored, it will keep for at least a month.
Optional Mix-Ins:
You can add any combination of the following:
Before cooking:
- 150g mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, flax/linseed, hemp, chia, sesame)
- 150g roughly chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, brazils, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, cashews)
- 1 ¼ tsp mixed spice or cinnamon
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Partway through cooking:
- A couple of handfuls of flaked coconut
- 35g cacao nibs
After cooking:
- 150g dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, apricots, dates, figs, goji berries, chopped larger fruits)
- 100g chocolate chips (add only after the granola has cooled)
Top Tips For The Best Vegan Granola:
- Use jumbo or regular rolled oats for the best texture; avoid quick-cooking oats.
- For large clusters, press the mixture firmly into the tray and do not stir while baking or immediately after. Let it cool and break it into chunks by hand.
- For flakier granola, leave it loosely spread and stir gently a couple of times during baking.
- Bake at a moderate temperature so the granola toasts evenly without burning.
- Add mix-ins at the right time: spices, nuts and seeds before baking; coconut and cacao nibs partway through; dried fruit and chocolate chips after cooling.
- If you add lots of extras, you may need a little more maple syrup and oil to ensure an even coating.
- Swap refined coconut oil for canola, grapeseed or light olive oil if preferred. Maple syrup can be substituted with agave.
- Do not reduce the syrup or oil too much—these are essential for crisp, tasty granola.
- Baking times vary by oven. The granola is ready when it looks pale golden and smells toasty; it will crisp as it cools.
More Vegan Breakfast Recipes:
Pumpkin spice granola
Vegan waffles
PB&J porridge
Fluffy vegan vanilla pancakes
Fluffy vegan banana pancakes
Banana porridge with blueberry compote
Vegan pumpkin pancakes
Vegan chocolate pancakes
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Vegan Granola
Ingredients
Granola:
- 300g (3 cups) rolled oats (jumbo or regular)
- ½ tsp salt
- 120ml (½ cup) maple syrup
- 80ml (⅓ cup) melted refined coconut oil (or another neutral oil)
Optional Mix-Ins:
- 1 ½ tsp mixed spice (pumpkin spice)
- 150g (1 cup) mixed seeds
- 150g (1 cup) roughly chopped nuts
- a couple of handfuls of coconut flakes
- 35g (¼ cup) cacao nibs
- 150g (1 cup) dried fruit, chopped if large
- 100g (⅔ cup) chocolate chips (add after cooling)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160°C / 140°C fan / 320°F / gas mark 3. Line a large roasting tin with baking parchment.
- Place the oats in a large bowl and add the salt. If using spices, nuts or seeds, add them now and mix well.
- Add the maple syrup and melted coconut oil, stirring until everything is evenly coated.
- Spread the mixture onto the prepared tray. For larger clusters, press down firmly with a spatula.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then remove and give it a stir unless you want big clumps.
- Return to the oven for another 20 minutes. Watch the edges and stir gently if they start to darken.
- If adding coconut flakes or cacao nibs, stir them in after this stage and bake a further 5–10 minutes until pale golden. The granola will firm as it cools.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on the tray. Once completely cool, fold in dried fruit or chocolate chips if using, then store in an airtight container.
Notes
- Use jumbo or regular rolled oats for the best texture.
- For large clusters, press the mixture into the tray and do not stir while baking. Break into chunks after cooling.
- For flakier granola, leave it loose and stir a couple of times during baking.
- Keep the oven temperature moderate to avoid burning.
- Add mix-ins at the recommended times: nuts/seeds/spices before baking, coconut/nibs partway through, dried fruit/chocolate after cooling.
- If you add many mix-ins, increase syrup and oil slightly for even coating.
- Swap oils or sweeteners if desired, but do not drastically reduce syrup or oil or the granola will not crisp.
- Baking times vary—look for a pale golden colour and a toasty aroma.
