This classic gluten free granola is crispy, full of satisfying and heart-healthy nuts and fully customizable. Add any of your favorite mix-ins to make this easy vegan granola your go-to breakfast!
There are a ton of gluten-free granola recipes out there. But this recipe is the best for its crunch, satisfying nut content and versatility. The best part is that you likely already have most, if not all, the ingredients in your pantry. And if not, we strongly recommend Thrive Market. This online marketplace for natural foods will keep your pantry stocked at a much lower price than grocery stores. Plus, use this link to enjoy 25% off your first order and a free month!
We found that the key to the crunchiest, clumpiest granola texture is to mix the wet and dry ingredients separately. We start this recipe by combining melted coconut oil, creamy almond butter, pure maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon. Almond butter is a great secret granola ingredient. It offers that amaretto taste and satisfying heft without a ton of added oils. You’ll toss the nuts in just a bit of the wet mixture to make sure they form those sought-after clumps.
We don’t add the nuts to the oven right away in order to avoid burning. We recommend toasting the oats for a half hour in the oven before adding the coated nuts. Then, after adding the nuts the granola only needs another 10 minutes of baking. This way the nuts will fully incorporate into the rest of the granola but avoid any burning.
Skip the processed sugars
As if we needed reason beyond the taste to make homemade gluten-free granola regularly, all the unnecessary refined sugars that haunt most store-bought granolas are enough to send us straight to the kitchen. Maple syrup has a lower glycemic index than more processed sugars. It therefore doesn’t cause the same blood sugar spikes. And a measured amount adds the perfect hit of sweetness to make this the best gluten-free granola recipe yet.
We always recommend using pure maple syrup. We’ve been purists when it comes to syrup forever (blame our northern roots). But especially so since we visited the Coombs maple syrup facility in New Hampshire. Read more about why we will always stick to the real stuff over “pancake syrup” and what goes into creating each drop of sweet liquid gold in our recap of our trip.
What makes this granola the best? Making it your own!
The final, and maybe best, step in this granola recipe is customization. The almond butter-maple flavors offer a delicious base to almost any mix-ins. Choose your favorite chopped nuts, dried fruits, chocolate chips, whatever your breakfast-eating heart desires. To keep things at their clumpy best, let the granola cool completely on the baking sheets before disturbing it. The oats need this time to chill and adhere to each other. In my experience, this is also usually a good time to get out of the kitchen. There’s nothing like two trays of cooling, freshly baked granola to wear down your willpower!
Once everything is fully cooled, toss in your favorite chopped mix-ins and store this best gluten-free granola in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks (though we’d be impressed if it lasts that long).
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This classic gluten free granola is crispy, full of satisfying and heart-healthy nuts and is fully customizable–add any of your favorite mix-ins to make this vegan granola your go-to breakfast!
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1 cup maple syrup, divided
- 1/2 cup almond butter
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts of choice
- 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup hemp seeds
- Optional: chocolate chips, cacao nibs, dehydrated or dried fruit
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 F. Prepare two baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.
- Melt coconut oil in the microwave. Add to a medium bowl, along with ¾ cup maple syrup, almond butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until well combined. Set 3 tablespoons of the wet ingredient mixture aside.
- Add pumpkin seeds, chopped nuts, and coconut flakes to a separate bowl. Stir in the reserved 3 tablespoons of wet ingredients and toss to coat the nuts well.
- In a separate large bowl, combine oats and hemp seeds. Add the remaining wet ingredient mixture and stir until oats are well coated.
- Divide the oat mixture between the two prepared baking sheets and spread into a single layer. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. After 30 minutes, remove the granola from oven and divide the nut and seed mixture between each pan. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of maple syrup over each pan, tossing the nuts and maple syrup well to combine.
- Bake for another 10 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before breaking the granola up into clumps. If you wish to add chocolate chips or dried fruit, wait for the granola to cool completely and stir in. Store in airtight container in pantry for up to 2 weeks.
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