This healthy homemade maple granola is perfectly sweet and extra crunchy. It has fresh orange zest and grated ginger, along with lots of cinnamon and nutmeg! It’s my favourite go-to granola recipe that I always have on-hand. I’ll let you know my trick to making big oat clusters (my favourite part)!
Dairy-Free • Gluten-Free Option • Vegan • Vegetarian
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- Recipe highlights
- My top tips for crunchy granola with clusters
- The best maple granola step-by-step
- More sweet treats & snack recipes
Recipe Highlights
- It’s gluten-free. Oats are naturally gluten free, but they are prepared in factories with other grains and cereals. Therefore, they can be contaminated with gluten. Look for oats that say “gluten-free” if you have intolerances to gluten.
- It’s vegan. The only thing to double-check is the brand of dark chocolate you are using. Some dark chocolate brands still have some milk in the ingredients!
- It’s interchangeable. Try switching up the nuts and seeds with whatever you have on-hand! Honey also works in this recipe in place of the maple syrup. If you don’t have cinnamon and/or nutmeg, try a mix of any of the following: allspice, ground cloves, ground ginger, pumpkin spice, or gingerbread spice.
My top tips for crunchy granola with clusters
- Coconut oil! The coconut oil is solid at room temperature, which helps when the granola is cooling.
- Mix the ingredients in a pan on low-heat first. This helps bind the ingredients together and melt the coconut oil. It’s only needed for a few minutes, as we don’t want to cook the oats too long or they’ll get too soft.
- The type of oat matters! Old-fashioned oats are the best for this recipe. Quick oats are too thin and cook too fast. Here in the UK, I use Scott’s Old Fashioned Oat Porridge or Tesco has a make called “Tesco Organic Oats – Whole Rolled”. [Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.]
- Press the oats onto the pan. This is important because we want it to stick together to form the clusters. Then, press down using a spatula (about 1 cm thick) for even cooking.
- Do not mix the granola. Instead of mixing the granola half way through, simply turn the baking sheet around to help it cook evenly.
- Let it cool completely. The granola should cool completely in the pan (untouched) for at least 2 hours. I like to bake the granola at night, let it cool overnight, and then it’s ready to eat for breakfast!
The best maple granola step-by-step
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F. Then, line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside. I use reusable parchment paper! It’s easy to clean and dishwasher-safe! [Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.]
Step 2. Add all the ingredients (except the dried cranberries and chocolate) to a pan. Depending on how warm your coconut oil is, I usually scrape out the hardened coconut oil with a tablespoon. Turn on the stovetop to low-medium heat and mix everything together for only a few minutes. Once everything is melted together and the oats look “wet”, turn off the heat.
How to prepare the granola
Step 3. Pour the mixture from the pan to the baking sheet. Use a silicone spatula to really press it down (about 1 cm thick). Try to make the thickness even, making sure the ends aren’t too thin. We don’t want burnt edges or a soft centre! [Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.]
How to bake the granola
Step 4. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. Flip the pan around halfway through for an even bake. Don’t stir the granola or else the clusters won’t form! Have the cranberries and dark chocolate chunks ready to go. With 1 minute to go, it should look golden brown. Then, pull out the baking sheet and sprinkle on the cranberries and dark chocolate chunks. Keep an eye on the chocolate, once the chocolate melts a bit, it’s done!
Step 5. Without touching the granola, let it cool in the pan for at least 2 hours or overnight. If you want big oat clusters, this step is important! Then, break apart and enjoy!
Tip: Make the granola at night, cover it with a tea towel and let it cool overnight. It will be ready to eat for breakfast the next morning!
Step 6. Store the granola in an airtight container or jar for upto 2 weeks. [Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.]
It tastes great in a bowl with milk, on top of a smoothie bowl, or with Greek yoghurt! I hope you enjoyed this recipe! Let me know what you thought in the comments below.
More sweet treats & snack recipes
- Salted Caramel with Dark Chocolate Fudge (vegan)
- Zesty Beetroot Hummus with Dukkah (vegan)
- Green tomato and Apple Chutney (vegan)
Crunchy Maple Granola with Orange and Cranberry
Ingredients
- 190 g oats (old-fashioned oats / Scottish porridge oats) or 2 cups (If Gluten-free, be sure to use gluten-free labelled oats)
- 55 g pumpkin seeds or ⅓ cup
- 45 g pecans or ⅓ cup
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp sea salt flakes
- 80 ml pure maple syrup or ⅓ cup
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 orange (zest only)
- 35 g dried cranberries or ¼ cup
- 35 g dark chocolate (chips or sliced into chunks) or ¼ cup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add all the ingredients (**except the dried cranberries and chocolate) to a pan and turn to low-heat. Mix for only a few minutes until everything is melted together and the oats look "wet".
- Pour the mixture from the pan to the baking sheet. Use a silicone spatula to really press it down (about 1 cm thick).
- Bake for 35-40 minutes. Flip the pan around half way through (do not stir). With 1 minute to go, it should look golden brown. Then, sprinkle on the cranberries and dark chocolate chunks. Once the chocolate melts a bit, it's done.
- Let it cool in the pan (untouched) for at least 2 hours or overnight. If you want big oat clusters, this step is important! Then, break apart and enjoy!
- Store the granola in an airtight container or jar for upto 2 weeks.
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