This recipe yields the most amazing, clustery, chunky, perfectly sweet, and crisp vegan granola I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying. Better yet, it requires just 10 minutes of active kitchen time. Simply toss together pepitas, pecans, rolled oats, and coconut with a bit of maple syrup, coconut oil, almond butter, and spices. Then, slide the tray into the oven, kick back, and breathe in the pumpkin-spiced aroma!
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time40 minutesmins
Total Time50 minutesmins
Course: Breakfast, Granola, Snack
Servings: 15(⅓-cup) servings
Author: Ashley
Ingredients
1 ½cupsrolled oats*
1cupunsweetened flaked coconut
¾cupraw shelled pepitas(pumpkin seeds)
½cupraw pecan halves, roughly chopped
½cuppure maple syrup
¼cupcreamy unsalted almond butter
¼cupvirgin coconut oil
1teaspoonpure vanilla extract
1teaspoonground cinnamon
¾teaspoonground nutmeg
¾teaspoonground ginger
½teaspoonground allspice
¼teaspoonground cloves
¼teaspoonfine grain sea salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 275F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
Add the rolled oats, coconut flakes, pepitas, and pecans to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the maple syrup, almond butter, coconut oil, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, cloves, and sea salt over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until smooth and glossy. Pour over the oat mixture and stir very thoroughly to combine (you want every last bit of the dry mixture to be evenly coated).
Turn the mixture out onto the lined baking tray and use a fork to gently nudge it across the pan, spreading it into an even layer that's just shy of ½ inch thick. It's okay if there are gaps or holes between clumps of granola.
Bake for 38 to 48 minutes, or until the top is light golden-brown, the granola near the edges of the pan is just beginning to turn deep golden-brown, and the granola feels dry and firm but not yet crisp to the touch. (Note: I recommend keeping a watchful eye on it and checking it a few times as it bakes. Granola doesn't become crisp and crunchy until it's had a chance to cool, so rely on look and scent more than touch or you'll end up with burnt granola.)
Once the granola is ready, remove the pan from the oven and place it on an oven-safe cooling rack to allow air to circulate beneath and around the pan to efficiently cool and crisp the granola.
Allow the granola to cool completely on the pan until it's not even the slightest bit warm to the touch. If you start moving it around or try to break it into clusters while it's still warm, it will crumble. I recommend a minimum 45 minutes of cool time at room temperature, but try to hold out for 1 hour if you can.
Once the granola is completely cool, break it into pieces of desired size and store in large airtight glass jars to maintain its crunch.
Serve over coconut yogurt, enjoy with generous splash of cold almond milk, or snack on the clusters straight from the jar.
Notes
*Oats are naturally gluten-free but are prone to cross-contamination in processing/packing. If you're gluten-sensitive, use certified gluten-free oats to be on the safe side.