Healthy Granola Recipe (vegan & gluten free!)

Let’s talk about this beautiful healthy granola recipe that I’m dying for you to make at home! This recipe was inspired by a cafe & bakery in Boston called Sofra, which just so happens to make one of my favorite granola on the planet.

Sofra’s granola is studded with big chunks of dates, golden raisins, flaxseeds and the perfect amount of sweet and salty flavor. Every time I’m in Boston visiting my bestie Sarah, I make her (willingly) take me there to grab a bag, and then we sit in the car, rip it open and devilishly shovel it into our mouths like two little girls. It’s kinda our thing.

Since I’m not in Boston that often, a few years ago I decided to attempt to recreate my own version of the granola at home. AND GUESS WHAT? It was a smashing success! (Just tooting my own horn over here NBD.)

Basically, this healthy granola recipe tastes like French toast and oats came together and had a beautiful chunky baby and I’m not mad about it. IT IS EVERYTHING AND MORE that I could have ever dreamed of making. Crunchy, chunky, nutritious, full of cinnamon french toast flavor and just so dang easy!

What’s in this healthy granola recipe?

This healthy homemade granola recipe is packed with simple ingredients that keep it both vegan and gluten free, adds healthy fats like coconut oil, and is naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup which makes it lower in sugar than traditional granola that you’d buy at the store. Making it at home is much cheaper than store-bought granola, too, because you can make tons more for almost the same amount that it costs to buy a pre-made bag. Here’s what’s in this homemade granola:

• Oats: we’re using both gluten free rolled oats and gluten free oat flour in this recipe, which are an excellent source of healthy complex carbs, which help your body create energy to burn.
• Flaxseed meal: flaxseed meal is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. Try it out in this healthy granola for an extra boost of fiber!
• Nuts: my favorite nuts in granola recipes are always the pecans, cashews, and almonds so that’s what I choose to use in this recipe! The sliced almonds are my personal favorite because they get all golden, crunchy, and toasted when baked up.
• Coconut oil: coconut oil adds additional flavor and healthy fats while coating the granola and helping all of the flavors stick. If you want to use something else, I suggest melted vegan butter.
• Pure maple syrup: YUM! Maple syrup is the perfect sweetener for this granola and makes your house smell heavenly. It also helps to keep the granola vegan (as opposed to using honey).
• Cinnamon: ground cinnamon gives this granola a sweet flavor that’s reminiscent of French toast when mixed with pure maple syrup!
• Vanilla extract: vanilla in everything, please. Learn how to make your own here!
• Dried fruit: you’re going to love the big chunks of sweet chewy dates and plump golden raisins in this recipe, I promise.

Customize your granola recipe

This easy granola recipe is great for customizing to truly make it your own! Here’s what I can suggest:

• Choose your nuts (or seeds). As I mentioned, I love using pecans, cashews, and sliced almonds, but you can really use any nuts you’d like. I think walnuts or pistachios would also be delicious. Feel free to mix in seeds, too, like sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds!
• Try new dried fruits. Raisins, dried cranberries, cherries, or blueberries would all be delicious.
• Swap the coconut oil. If you’re out of coconut oil you can also use melted butter.

Make your own oat flour

You can easily make your own gluten free oat flour by simply placing oats into a blender and blending/pulsing until they’re smooth and resemble flour! It’s such a cheap, easy option. Learn how to do it here!

Tips for making healthy granola

• Get it nice and coated. Make sure you coat all of the granola mixture with the coconut oil and maple syrup so that every bite is perfectly crunchy and sweet.
• Create chunks with your hands. Once the granola is on your baking sheet lined with parchment paper, use your hands to create small clumps before you bake.
• Bake granola at a low temperature. This is to prevent burning but to also really get that nice golden flavor and texture. I bake my granola at 300 degrees F.
• Check the color. The should look slightly golden brown when it comes out of the oven. It may not be crunchy to the touch but know that the granola gets crunchier as it sits to cool. Trust me, it’s going to be perfect!
• Let it cool. Do not stir granola when it comes out of the oven if you want it to be chunky give it time to clump together and solidify as it cools to room temperature.
• Add dried fruit last. Because the fruit is already dried, you don’t need to bake it! You’ll add it once the granola cools off a bit.

Ways to eat this homemade healthy granola

Besides scooping it by the handful and sneaking little bites here and there, try this chunky healthy granola:

• On top of smoothie bowls
• Layered into yogurt parfaits
• In a bowl with a bit of almond milk
• In a grab-and-go container

The options are truly endless!

How to store homemade granola

You can store this healthy granola in a mason jar or an airtight container for up to a month or two (trust me, it’s not going to last that long!).

See how to make this homemade healthy granola

More healthy snacks you’ll love

Get all of my snack recipes here!

I hope you love this healthy granola recipe, please let me know if you make it by leaving a comment and rating the recipe below. I’d love to hear from you and it helps encourage others to make the recipe too! xo.

Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by Eat Love Eats

This post was originally published on May 17th, 2019, and republished on January 17th, 2024.