Vegan Maple Sea Salt Granola

Looking for a healthy breakfast, snack, topping, or sweet treat? I’ve got you covered! This vegan maple sea salt granola is a staple in my home. It packs a punch with nutrients like protein, fiber, starchy carbohydrates, antioxidants, and lots of vitamins. It’s low in sugar and only sweetened from maple syrup, but tastes otherwise! Lastly, this granola is super simple to make, taking only 40 minutes. If you’ve never tried your hand at homemade granola before, this is the perfect recipe to start with.

Sweet, savory, and super crispy! 

This granola is the perfect marriage of sweet and savory - the maple and sea salt flavors compliment each other perfectly. I definitely recommend using pure maple syrup as the flavor is much more authentic and it’s derived from completely natural ingredients (mother nature, at it again). The other ingredients you’ll need are:

• Oats

• Coconut oil

• Cinnamon

• Sea Salt

• Pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

• Sunflower seeds

• Walnuts

• Coconut shreds

That’s it! You can also make this without the seeds and nuts, but they add a great texture and additional nutritional value to the granola. To make homemade granola all you need is a large mixing bowl, a pot, a baking sheet, parchment paper (makes the clean up so much easier - trust me on this one) and your oven. Simple as that.

There are two key parts to baking the granola to get it super crispy. The first is to take it out of the oven every fifteen minutes and mix it around. This prevents the granola from burning, especially on the edges of the baking sheet. The second trick is to leave it in the oven after it’s finished baking for a few hours or overnight (just to be clear, the oven is off!). This will allow the granola to sit in the dwindling heat and become crispy and crunchy. Yum!

There are a few great health benefits of this granola which make it a great snack, breakfast or topping. The main ingredient, oats, are one of the most nutrient dense foods you can eat! They’re loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidant plant compounds. Half a cup (78 grams) of dry oats contains:

• 13 grams of protein

• 51 grams of carbs

• 8 grams of fiber

• 5 grams of fat

The other ingredients in this granola (mainly the nuts, seeds, and coconut oil) add extra protein, healthy fat and other important vitamins and nutrients. A healthy treat that tastes delicious? You really can’t go wrong!

Homemade granola also makes a great homemade gift! This particular recipes is much healthier than many store bought granola brands because it has way less sugar and oil. An added bonus is that you can make this granola weeks before the holidays, a birthday, or whatever the event is because it keeps really well. I recommend storing it in a glass mason jar and keeping it in a dark, dry place. Then when you’re ready to gift it, just tie a ribbon around the jar and it’s ready to go!

How To Make This Granola

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups gluten free oats

• 1/2 cup maple syrup

• 1/2 cup coconut oil

• 1 tablespoon sea salt

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds

• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

• 1/4 cup coconut shreds

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

• Line your baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. This will ensure the granola won’t stick to the baking sheet, and will make your clean up much more enjoyable!

• Combine the wet ingredients (maple syrup and coconut oil) into a pot and heat on low. Stir occasionally until fully melted.

• Place all dry ingredients (oats, cinnamon, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, coconut, sea salt) in a large mixing bowl and stir briefly.

• Combine the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and coat evenly. This will take a little bit of mixing!

• Once the granola is fully coated, transfer the mixture to the baking sheet and spread evenly so the granola bakes equally.

• Place in the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes. At 15 minutes, take the granola out and mix around the baking sheet so the bits on the edges go to the middle and vice versa. Place back in the oven for 15 minutes, then mix again.

• Once the granola has baked for 30 minutes and you’ve mixed it up twice, turn the oven off and leave the granola in the oven for a few hours (or overnight if you’re baking in the evening).

• Once crispy and fully cooled, transfer granola to a mason jar and enjoy!