Cranberry Almond Granola with Maple

Seriously the BEST gluten free vegan granola recipe make with maple syrup, dried cranberries, and almonds. Easy to customize, you'll never buy store-bought granola again. It's a WHOLE LOTTA YUM!

 

Gluten Free Vegan Granola

I have to give credit where credit is due, this maple granola recipe is actually a recipe my husband perfected over the years that I just had to share with readers. While we can't make it every week even if we'd love to, I think health-wise going on a granola diet wouldn't be a good choice (since that's all I'd eat!)

And while our favorite combo uses dried cranberries and raw sliced almonds, we show you easy swaps below so you can customize the recipe.

Our gluten-free vegan granola with maple syrup is not only addicting, but it's also perfect for breakfast with plant-based milk, to use as a sprinkle over yogurt, to eat by the handful as a snack, or to sprinkle over fruit desserts or ice cream.

Serve the granola over our blueberry chia pudding, overnight oats, or 10-minute baked peaches if you need granola inspiration! Or use it as a mixin for frozen yogurt bark.

Maple Granola Ingredient Notes

While homemade vegan and dairy-free granola might sound intimidating to make, it's seriously so easy. Really! This is one of those mind-blowing recipes that'll make you question why you've been buying mediocre store-bought brands for years now. Even better? The maple granola recipe probably uses ingredients you already have in your pantry.

• gluten-free oats - While oats are naturally gluten-free, processing plants aren't and commonly have cross-contamination with wheat products. If it's critical your oats are 100% gluten-free, be sure to purchase gluten-free oats. Both Trader Joes and Bob's Red Mill are good options.
• raw sliced almonds - make sure to purchase raw almonds since they get cooked during the baking process. Large chopped almond pieces will also work. Other nuts and seeds can be used instead such as walnuts, pecans, or pumpkin seeds.
• fine sea salt
• ground cinnamon
• maple syrup - our favorite vegan sweetener, agave nectar is another good option.
• avocado oil - Instead of avocado oil, melted coconut oil, mild olive oil, or canola oil can be used instead.
• vanilla extract
• dried cranberries or dried berry blend - any dried fruit pieces will work here, Trader Joes makes a great dried fruit blend of cranberries, golden raisins, blueberries, and cherries.

** Please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the exact quantities **

Variations

Other mix-ins- Peanut butter or almond butter make great additions, add 1 tablespoon to the wet ingredients before baking. Once the gluten free vegan granola is cooked, we sometimes like to mix in chocolate chips.

To Make:

• Vegan granola recipe no nuts - use seeds instead such as raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• Vegan granola recipe no sugar- We use maple syrup as the sweetener, but you can use a sweetener of choice to taste. Some fried fruits have a touch of added sugar, so buy ones that come unsweetened.

How to Make Granola with Maple

An overview of the steps includes mixing the ingredients (minus the dried fruit), spreading it in a pan, stirring it halfway during cooking, letting it cool, and then adding in your mix-ins.

Mix

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper or foil for easy clean-up.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine the gluten-free oats, almonds, cinnamon, and salt. Mix in the maple syrup, avocado oil, and vanilla.
3. Spread the granola onto the baking pan in a single layer. A large spoon or spatula is helpful for spreading it out.

Bake

1. Bake the granola for 10 minutes, stir, then press it down into the pan again with the spoon and cook it for 12-14 more minutes until it's light golden brown in color.

Cool

1. Set the baking pan on a cooling rack. Let it completely cool.
2. Sprinkle the dried fruit over the granola once it's cooled down and break it up into pieces. Enjoy! Best eaten within a week.

Vegan Granola Recipe Tips

• The gluten-free vegan granola recipe makes a large batch, feel free to cut it in half for a smaller portion and bake it on a half size sheet.

• Make sure to purchase gluten-free oats to ensure this is a gluten-free recipe.

Common Questions

More Breakfast Recipes

• Overnight oats with chia seeds
• Overnight chia seed pudding
• Bacon egg cups
• Greek yogurt bark