Healthy Homemade Granola (Oil-Free)
Healthy Oil-Free Granola is the easiest and most delicious homemade version featuring crisp, golden clusters made with wholesome oats, almonds, cashews, coconut, and flaxseed, naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup and warm spices — it’s truly the best!
This easy Healthy Granola is crispy, crunchy, and full of simple goodness — without any added oil or refined sugars! Lightly sweetened with pure maple syrup and packed with hearty oats, nuts, coconut, and seeds, it’s wonderfully versatile and a heck of a lot better than store-bought.
Best of all, it comes together in one bowl and fills your kitchen with the most irresistible aroma as it bakes. This healthy homemade granola is gluten-free, oil-free, refined sugar-free, and absolutely delicious!
I love serving it with fresh fruit and a splash of non-dairy milk or yogurt — but there are an infinite number of ways to enjoy this crunchy treat. It’s become one of my favorite breakfast cereals, and I think you’ll love it too!
How To Make Healthy Homemade Granola
You’ll love how easily this homemade granola comes together and fills your kitchen with the most delicious aromas as it bakes — it’s the best air freshener!
Ingredients You’ll Need
This healthy granola recipe uses such simple pantry staples you likely already have on hand — no fancy or hard-to-find ingredients required!
- Old-Fashioned Oats – Heart-healthy and perfect for that classic granola texture.
- Almonds – I used whole raw almonds. They toast up nicely while baking!
- Cashews – Whole, halves, or pieces all work beautifully.
- Coconut Flakes – Large flakes give the best texture, but shredded coconut works well too.
- Flaxseed Meal – Helps create those lovely clusters (but don’t worry if you don’t have any — it’s still delicious without it!).
- Pure Maple Syrup – My favorite natural sweetener for just the right touch of sweetness!
- Vanilla Extract – Adds a lovely warm flavor.
- Optional Add-Ins – A sprinkle of cinnamon and a pinch of salt really bring everything together. After baking, stir in your favorite dried fruit like raisins, chopped dates, blueberries, or cranberries (preferably unsweetened).
***Make sure to scroll down to the recipe card to get the full ingredient list and written recipe.
Steps to Make Healthy Granola
Making healthy, refined-sugar- and oil-free homemade granola is as easy as can be! Just follow these simple steps:
Combine ingredients. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, almonds, cashews, coconut, flaxseed meal, maple syrup, vanilla, optional cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.
Layer and bake. Layer the granola on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone mat. Bake for 45 minutes at 300°F, stirring thoroughly once or twice.
And that’s it, your wait is over in no time, and all you have to do is enjoy!
This is a loose-style granola. For a max-clumpy granola, try my Pumpkin Granola or Peanut Butter & Banana Granola Snack Clusters. It’s full of chunky clusters!
Tips for Perfect Oil-Free Granola
These few tips will help you get the best crunchy clusters every time:
- Don’t stir too much while baking. Stir once halfway through, then leave it alone so those lovely clusters can form.
- Press it down gently with the back of a spoon or spatula right before baking. This helps create bigger, sturdier clusters.
- Watch the oven closely toward the end — granola can go from perfectly golden to over-baked quickly. It will crisp up more as it cools.
- Let it cool completely on the baking sheet before breaking it apart. This is the secret to maximum crunch!
- Customize to your taste — feel free to swap nuts or add your favorite seeds, but keep the overall ratios similar for best results.
Storage & Freezing
Once completely cooled, store your granola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. It stays wonderfully crunchy and fresh!
For longer storage, this oil-free granola freezes beautifully. Place it in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Just let it come to room temperature before serving — no need to thaw.
Our Favorite Ways To Use It
Granola is easy to make and great for breakfast, as a snack, or even as a dessert topper. Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy this toasty, crunchy treat!
- Serve as a cereal with fresh fruit, non-dairy milk, or yogurt
- Top it on non-dairy ice cream
- Add a small handful on top of your favorite smoothies, smoothie bowls and shakes
- Or enjoy it by the handful as a quick snack
More Easy Granola Recipes!
If you’re an avid granola lover, here are a few other favorites that I think you’ll love too:
- Seeds and Goji Berry Granola
- Ginger-Orange Granola
- Pumpkin Granola
- Peanut Butter & Banana Granola Snack Clusters
- Homemade Muesli Recipe
Print Recipe
HEALTHY GRANOLA (OIL-FREE)
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups (12 servings) 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Crispy, crunchy homemade Oil-Free Granola made with wholesome oats, nuts, and coconut. Naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup and baked until golden and cluster-y — no oil needed! This easy vegan granola is perfect for topping yogurt, smoothie bowls, or enjoying as a delicious breakfast cereal with milk.
Ingredients
- 3 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup raw almonds, whole or slivered
- 1 cup raw cashews, whole or halves & pieces
- 1 cup coconut flakes (large-flake) or shredded
- 1/4 cup flaxseed meal
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Prep: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
Combine: In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, almonds, cashews, flaxseed meal, coconut flakes, maple syrup, vanilla, optional cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Mix well to combine.
Spread: Layer the granola mixture on the lined baking sheet, spreading it to the edges as evenly as possible.
Bake: Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and cook for 45 minutes, stirring the mixture well every 15 minutes or so.
Let cool slightly: Once done, remove from oven and let cool. When the granola has cooled, it will be perfectly crunchy and ready for you to devour!
Makes 6 cups, with 12 servings
Ways to serve your granola:
- It’s great as a cereal with fresh fruit, non-dairy milk, or yogurt.
- Topped on non-dairy ice cream.
- Add a small handful on top of your favorite smoothies, smoothie bowls, and shakes.
Notes
Store: Keep leftover granola in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks. Freeze for up to 3 months. Place it in a freezer-safe bag or container. Let it come to room temperature before serving–no need to thaw.
If you’re not a vanilla lover, omit it, or use a smaller amount – 1 or 2 teaspoons will be great too.
If you don’t have flaxseed meal on hand, no worries, it will still be healthy and delicious.
Add-ins: Add in 1/2 – 1 cup of dried fruit once the granola has been pulled from the oven. A few dried fruits to use include raisins, chopped dates, dried blueberries, and dried cranberries.
This is a loose granola recipe; for a max-clumpy granola, try our Pumpkin Granola or Peanut Butter & Banana Granola Snack Clusters. It’s superb and full of chunky granola pieces!
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 45 min
- Category: Breakfast, Snack
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
FAQs
Old-fashioned rolled oats give the best texture and clusters. Quick oats tend to get too soft, so I don’t recommend them here.
Make sure you press the mixture down firmly before baking and avoid stirring too often. The flaxseed meal + maple syrup combo helps with clumping, but cooling completely on the pan is key!
Yes! Just be sure to use certified gluten-free oats.
Absolutely. Swap the almonds and cashews for more seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, or hemp seeds work great).
It stays fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks and freezes beautifully for up to 3 months.
Yes! Stir in dark chocolate chips after the granola has completely cooled for a sweet treat.
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Amazing recipe specially for a divided vegan & non_vegan house
In a span of a week we have made it twice and shared with family
Our grand children are 7&5 they both gave me a thumbs up
I added cardamon to our mix
I added seedless raisins to the mix after pulling it out of the oven
Thanks for sharing this recipe
I love this easy and delicious granola!!
I have made this several times. I sometimes add nuts, always coconut.
I have made many of your recipes and love how things always turn out! Breakfast cookies are wonderful and so are the breads. Thank you so much for creating healthy yummy recipes!!
gonna try this without the coconut (not a fan) and will let you know how it turns out.
Please do, thanks Tom!
Loved it! My BF is allergic to nuts though so used more almonds instead. Added tried blueberries to the mix and used ordinary syrup instead of maple.
Made this today and it was delicious! I mixed shredded coconut and coconut flakes, and I added some pumpkin seeds too. As I didn’t have enough vanilla powder I made some myself from a vanilla bean I had in the cabinet. Worked perfectly and tasted great together with coconut yoghurt.
I love this granola. Even the picky boyfriend loves it.
I substitute the cashews for 1/2 cup pecan bits and 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, as I’m not a big cashew fan.
I add raisins and dried cranberries after the cooking is done.