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Maple Sesame Vegan Granola

bowl of vegan granola with bananas

This recipe for maple sesame vegan granola came about because we have a great love in our house for cold cereal. A bowl of cereal has been the go-to after school, before bed too tired, or too hot, to make supper meal here for as long as I can remember. When my kids were little, we would go through boxes of cold cereal and while we tried to make good quality choices, there was no getting away from the fact that they are highly processed and overpriced.

Let’s Make Granola Simple!

When I searched for a good granola recipe, most had too many ingredients and too many steps for where I was in my life. I created this simple recipe because it uses only 2 bowls and 2 cookie sheets. I can make it in five minutes and let it cook on its own. No constant stirring and babysitting this granola! After an hour in the oven, it comes out, cools (it is good warm from the pan if you cannot wait), and is ready to eat. For people who don’t want any fat, I’m sorry. This is granola (vegan granola, but still…). Some have tons of fat and sugar. I use sunflower oil and maple syrup and believe it is sweet enough and not too heavy.

Big bowl of oats
It all starts with a big bowl of oats

Vegan Granola For Anytime

This vegan granola also makes a great on-the-go snack. There are so many situations when you just need a little something and you find yourself struggling for some vegan snack. I have stood in front of a vending machine and realized that the only things available that were vegan were Oreo cookies and Fritos. Now, I’m not going to lie and say I wasn’t tempted, but I know that those things never make you feel good even if the tastes bring you back to the school lunches we ate as kids.

Take It On The Go

A small container of granola in your car, purse or backpack can be a lifesaver. If you are hiking or working out, it is easy to increase the nutrient and calorie density by throwing in nuts (before or after baking) and/or dried fruits. One of my favorite combinations is cut up dried apricots and roasted almonds. Raisins and dried cranberries also make great additions.

Mixing the granola
Having a nice big bowl and a good, solid, mixing tool makes the work easier
Spreading the granola on cookies sheets for cooking
The recipe makes enough to easily cover two cookie sheets

Make Plenty

Even though the basic granola recipe makes about 16 cups, the biggest problem I have with this granola is keeping up with the demand. If you have other people in your household, you might consider hiding a little bit somewhere. But, hey, if it’s just you and you want the whole 16 cups to yourself, there’s no judgment from us! lol

Options To Consider

It nicely converts to a gluten-free recipe if you substitute gluten-free flours like rice flour, oat flour, or prepared all-purpose gluten-free flour. I have used combinations of all of these based on what is on hand. A little buckwheat flour is nice mixed in as well. 

This simple vegan granola has been a favorite in our household for a long time. Whether its just you, or you have a house full of active, busy people, we think it will be a winner for you, too!

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bowl of vegan granola with bananas

Maple Sesame Vegan Granola

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  • Author: Georgia @ fullofbeans.us
  • Yield: 16 1x

Description

Breakfast/Snacks


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 cups wheat flour (whole wheat, white or a combination) or gluten free alternative*
  • 6 cups old fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
  • 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 cup sesame seeds
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup sunflower or safflower oil
  • 1 cup maple syrup (any grade)
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp sea salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F
  2. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets
  3. Combine first four ingredients well
  4. In a second bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients until well blended and add to the dry ingredients
  5. Mix thoroughly
  6. Spread evenly on the two cookie sheets and place on the center rack of your oven.
  7. Bake for 1 hour
  8. Cool thoroughly. Granola will become crunchy as it cools.
  9. Store in sealed container.

Notes

  • Nuts can be added before or after baking.
  • Dried fruit should be added when the granola is cool.
  • *My preferred gluten free flour mix is 1 cup fine brown rice flour, 1/2 cup white rice flour and 1/2 cup oat flour.
  • Oat flour can be purchased, or made by putting oats in a dry blender or food processor.
  • A delicious, but a little more calorie dense, option is to replace 1 cup of flour with almond flour/meal.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 16

Georgia is an unpretentious foodie who, at 50, transitioned from a vegetarian diet to a whole foods plant based diet and is loving it. She works as a nurse, plays as a quilter, loves to run, hates to race.
She thinks dogs are actually angels (in dog suits).

This Post Has 4 Comments

  1. Hi Georgia,

    I tried this recipe out yesterday. The result was much appreciated by my two small boys, but it turned out more «flour-y» than expected. I used coconut flour as my younger son is gluten intolerant – could that have been the problem? I also used more liquid (about an additional cup of almond milk) as I was already observing that the mix wasn’t sticking together in big chunks as it is in the pictures above. Any ideas what I could do differently next time?

    Thanks and best wishes from South Africa!

    1. Hi!
      Thanks for trying the granola out, I’m glad that you (and your boys) liked it. I have found that it clumps less when making a gluten-free version. Using at least a blend of gluten-free flours (as I mention in the recipe) that include oat flour helps that tendency and improves the texture. Also, I would try using more oil and/or maple syrup rather than almond milk – that should help it “stick”.
      Please let me know how it works when you try it again and thanks so much for visiting the site and leaving a comment.
      -Georgia

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