A delicious homemade granola that is vegan, oil-free, and refined sugar-free and utilizes 10 different whole food plant-based ingredients. ____________________________Plant Diversity: Striving for 30 different plants per weekThe number of plants in this recipe: 10 plants
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time45 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan
Servings: 12
Calories: 240.97kcal
Equipment
mixing bowl large
baking sheet
parchment or silicone mat
oven
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
1tablespoonorange zestfrom about 2 large oranges
¾cuporange juicefrom the zested oranges; see note
¼cupmaple syrup
1teaspoonvanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
4cupsrolled oatsgluten-free, if necessary
½cuppecansraw
½cupcoconut flakesany size shred; optional
¼cupraw pepitaspumpkin seeds; or double the seeds
¼cuphemp seedsor ground flax seed
¼teaspoonsaltor as desired
½cupunsweetened dried cranberriesoptional
½cupunsweetened dried apricotschopped; optional
Instructions
Set the oven to bake at 325 degrees. Line two small or one large baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.
Combine wet ingredients in a large bowl, starting with zesting your oranges.Then stir in the remaining ingredients, except the dried fruit, until well combined.
In a thin layer, spread the raw granola evenly on the baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 35 minutes, carefully flipping the granola about every 10 minutes to toast evenly. The granola is done when the granola is a toasty brown, which may mean another 10 minutes or so. Ovens vary; check every 5 minutes until golden. Keep an eye on the coconut flakes, if using, burying them in the granola if needed to avoid burning. The toasted coconut is worth it!
Remove the baking sheet from the oven, stir in the dried fruit (if using), and let cool completely.
Once completely cooled, pour the granola into air-tight containers or jars and store for up to a couple weeks in a cool dry place.
Notes
It's ok to eyeball the zest to approximate a tablespoon.If you fall a little short on ¾ cup orange juice, it's ok to fill in the difference with maple syrup.You can keep the pecans whole or coarsely chop them. I tend to simply squeeze them in my hand before adding them.Variations:For a less crunchy granola: This is a pretty crunchy granola. Adding a healthy fat to the wet ingredients makes it less so. To do this, place the wet ingredients in a blender along with 2-4 tablespoons of nut or seed butter (such as almond butter). Blend until well combined, then place the wet mixture in a bowl and continue the recipe.For a sweeter granola: This is not a super sweet granola without the dried fruit. If you would like it sweeter, add up to another ¼ cup maple syrup.