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It was time to upgrade my Tried & True Granola. It was the first granola on my site and one that YOU have made thousands of times. I love olive oil in my granola recipes so if you are reading this after making it with coconut oil, do not fret. The taste and texture are far superior and I’ve updated the instructions so that you too can get that clumping perfection. Granola is more than just a breakfast staple; it’s a canvas for creativity, a source of sustained energy, and, when made right, a deliciously crunchy treat. Drawing from your feedback and my continuous journey in vegan and gluten-free baking, I’ve refined this recipe to achieve that perfect clump and texture we all love, using olive oil to elevate the taste and texture beyond its former glory.
Creating the perfect batch of gluten-free granola involves a blend of the right ingredients, a touch of culinary technique, and a bit of patience.
The key to achieving those desirable clumps lies in pressing the granola FIRMLY into the pan before baking and allowing it to cool completely before breaking it into pieces. This method ensures you get a chunky texture that’s ideal for snacking or topping off your favorite vegan yogurt or my homemade cashew milk.
Your granola might not be clumping for several reasons. In order to get a proper clumping texture you MUST do 2 things. Press the granola FIRMLY into the pan before baking. This really helps the final product and You MUST WAIT for the granola to completely cool before lifting it off using a spatula. There are some variables that might keep your granola from clumping. For example, if you live in a hot, humid environment your granola might not clump. When this happens you can rebake your granola for 10 minutes to dry it out further.
If your raisins are super dry before you bake your granola you can do 2 things to prevent little rocks.1, add them after. I don’t but people do. 2, soak the raisins for 15 minutes in warm water to allow them to plump up before adding them to the recipe.
If your granola is burning your oven may run hotter than average or the pan you are using is poor quality. If you are using a flimsy cookie sheet there is a very good chance your granola will burn. I use Pampered Chef stoneware for my granola and they never burn. If you can’t get your hands on Pampered Chef, buy a good quality baking sheet for optimal results. Always keep an eye and your nose tuned into the granola around the 25 minute mark. If it looks like it’s about to burn, pull it from the oven so that doesn’t happen!
Granola is the epitome of versatile eating; it’s a breakfast, a snack, and even a topping, all rolled into one. Its crunchiness, combined with the hint of sweetness and the depth of flavor from olive oil, makes it an irresistible option for any time of the day.
Remember, the secret to perfect granola lies not just in the ingredients but in the making. Press it, cool it, and enjoy the crunch with every bite! Might I suggest pairing this Vegan Granola with my FAVORITE Homemade Cashew Milk?!
Food Photographer and Recipe Developer based in Toronto, Canada.
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*Macros are provided as an estimate for convenience. Your final numbers will vary depending on ingredient brands, substitutions, and how you portion the recipe.
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99 Responses
I am not a fan of coconut. Can I omit that ingredient?
Thanks
I skipped the coconut and buckwheat groats and it’s delicious!
Can I add protein powder or is there a better granola that has protein?
Hello Caitlin, you can always add protein powder but we cautious that it likely will suck of a lot of your wet ingredients!
You could also try this granola! https://terianncarty.com/botanica-pumpkin-protein-granola/
Is the nutrition available?
Hi Sara, at this moment I do not have all of the macros for this recipe however if that is important to you I would highly suggest using an app like myfitnesspal to calculate. Thank you and enjoy!
I am allergic to Peanut (butter), is there an alternative?
Hi Jessy, any other nut or seed butter that you are not allergic to will do just fine! Happy Baking
hello, How to store it and how long does it last? thank you
Hi Michela, you can store all of my granolas in any container that closes air tight it should last you quite some time – depending on your climate.
What can I substitute hemp seeds with? I can’t find them where I live. Or should I just skip them?
You can replace with any other seed you have on hand!
It’s my go to granola recipe, just delicious, I am so addicted.i didn’t get groats so didnt add but still turned delicious Thank you
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for the review 🙂
My first (but definitely not the last!) time making granola. My family and I love it! What a great snack! Made without groats and coconut since I didn’t have them.
Hey Jaclyn, Thanks for sharing your modifications! I am so happy that the whole family enjoyed this granola! Can’t wait to see what you try next 🙂
When you say turn the pans in step 5… what do you mean by that 🤣
Hey Jen, good question! Rotate the pan, so put the opposite side into the oven first. I hope this answers your question!
Heya can i use honey in place of maple syrup?
Hey Swati, I haven’t used honey for my granola recipes but please try if this is your preference! I’d love to hear how it turns out so keep me in the loop!
My granola did not come out crunchy enough.. what did i do wrong?
Hi Nidhi, I’m so sorry your granola did not turn out as you anticipated! I would highly recommend checking out my granola blog where I dive deep into how to make the perfect granola every time! Click here to check it out.
There are several reasons why your granola might not have been super clumpy and crunchy. Please check out all my tips and tricks in the blog I suggested above. One of the main reasons is that the granola was too thick on the sheet trays and didn’t get cooked through properly. I always use 2 sheet pans and wait for it to cool completely before breaking it apart! I hope this helps and your next batch is a dream come true
The recipe says 1-2 pans. I put mine on only 1 very large pan before I read through the comments. I would have used 2 if that is better. Please say that in the recipe. Makes it confusing. Hopefully mine turns out the way I like. 🙂
The texture should have been clumpy and great if you spread it out on a very large pan. I hope you liked it!!
Hie,
1. Do I need to preheat the oven
2. Which rack should I put the granola tray on?
Hey Rupal, always preheat the oven! Middle rack for cooking works and don’t forget to rotate the pan. Happy baking 🙂
Thank you for the help.
Also if you could please let me know at what temprature should I bake the granola at?
Hey Rupal, you can get all of that information on the recipe card! The first step in the instructions is to preheat the oven to 325 convection or 325 degrees farenheit so make sure you do that before starting to mix your ingredients!
Hello !!
I wanted to confirm about heating
Is it up n down both
Hey Amna – do you mean the oven? the heating should be equal in the whole oven to ensure all parts of the granola are baking! I hope this answers your question
Hola, porque se le pone sal de mar a la granola?
Hey Marcela, sea salt helps enhance all of the flavors, however it is not necessary if you want to keep the recipe salt free!
Hi Teri-Ann,
I love the look and sound of your recipes. I’ve never made Granola before but have decided to give it a try. I don’t have any dried fruit on hand but do have some frozen berries. Would I need to dehydrate these before using or could I drain off as much liquid as possible and use them as is??? Would they dry out enough in the baking process?
Thanks. Deb.
Hey Deb, I would suggest against using frozen fruits even if thawed. You want to try and keep the pans as dry as possible to ensure an even cooking of all the granola and in order for it to clump. If you don’t have any dried fruits like raisins or blueberries you could always omit and add additional seeds or nuts. I hope this helps! Happy Baking 🙂
Favourite granola recipe! Great balance, crunch and it’s so easy to make! Love it for breakfast with yoghurt or milk or as a snack anytime during the day. Really satisfies my sweet tooth as well. Thank you for this healthy recipe made with whole foods! 🙂
Hey Mari! Thanks for your review, I love that you’re enjoying this recipe with in all different ways, thats the best part about it 🙂 I hope you try some other granola recipes since this one is such a classic, there are a lot of fun flavors to experiment with! Happy baking
Love the recipe , so yummy and the smell of it unbelievable , addiction 😘
Hey Arwa! Thank you so much for your review, I am really gald that you love this recipe, it’s truly a classic granola!
I used honey instead of maple syrup and it came out perfect!
Thanks TAC for a absolutely super granola recipe.
Hey Joyce, thanks for sharing your modification! I am glad it worked out well for you 🙂 Thanks for the review and comment!
I substituted the peanut butter with homemade pumpkin seed butter cos I am allergic to nuts and it tastes so good… thanks
Hey Bemi! I love that you were able to make this substitution to suit your dietary requirements, thanks for sharing your modification and commenting on this granola recipe 🙂 I hope you try some other flavors!
Love it!!!
Thanks Glen! So happy you tried this recipe 🙂
Hello-
Could I just use almonds as the only nut I’d use, and then omit the peanut butter also? Would it still bind together without the peanut butter and less nuts?
thanks.
Hi Lexie, The peanut butter is essential to binding however you could consider replacing it with tahini or a seed butter like sunflower. You could totally stick with one nut like almond instead of a variety. T
Love,Love,Love this granola recipe!!! I use honey as a substitute for Maple Syrup and it turns out great!
hey Colleen! Love that you tried this recipe with honey instead of maple! I’m sure it was absolutely delicious and I am so happy that you enjoyed this recipe! I hope you will try some of my other varieties 🙂
Double this recipe! It is delicious and will go fast.
LOVE that you doubled this recipe!! What a hit at the household 🙂 Thanks for rating and reviewing!
Delicious
Do you have the nutritional breakdown? Thanks!
Hi Adriana, the macros have been added to the recipe card – these are auto generated and should be only considered as a rough guide. Thank you
This granola Is Soo delicious!!! I added honey instead of Maple syrup And it’ s perfect! Tank you a lot for the recipe♥️ Greeting from Czech republic to Canada!
Hi Gabriela! Love that you’re making this granola all the way over in Czech! Thank you so much and I am pleased to hear the substitution of maple for honey was a hit!
Hi Teri Ann, after quite a long time making your delicious granola I can say the substitution for honey works great. I tried buying maple syrup but still prefer honey 🙂
Hi Gabriela~ I am so pleased to read this!
I am allergic to nuts what can I use instead of of peanut butter?
Any seed butter like tahini or sunbutter would work perfectly!
I have tried multiple granola recipes but none of them were as good as this one. The whole big jar pd granola disappeared after only three days!
I am so happy that you love this one! It is the granola that started it all 🙂 Thank you so much for sticking around and trying so many of them!
Unused almond butter instead of peanut butter and came out perfect.
Hey Nichola, so glad your substitution worked out for you! Thanks for trying this recipe 🙂
The taste is amazing! I didn’t have buckwheat groats so I added the equivalent in additional hemp seeds. My granola did not get as crunchy as I’d hoped; it felt a bit moist still. I popped it back in the oven (convection this time) for an additional 10 minutes. Was I supposed to use large flake or quick oats? Hope it’s crunchier next time but this will be my granola “go-to” because of the ingredients and flavour!
Hey Jackie, thank you for the rating and review! I am so happy that you tried this recipe and were able to adapt it to what you had on hand. For the oats – you should use traditional rolled oats and stay away from the quick oats as they will likely cook too quickly. As per crunchiness, make sure that you either spread the granola across two baking sheets or one large one – you don’t want the layer to be too thick and do not mix disturb the layer until the granola has completely cooled. I hope those tips help for next time 🙂 Thanks for sharing your modifications, this certainly helps others!
So so good
So good. Will keep in my files. Thank you>
Feel honoured to have made it to the file! Thanks so much for trying this granola and leaving a review!
Yum!!!!!!!!!
Hello, this recipe is so good, I make it once a week! My question – can this be frozen? Thinking of making ahead for holiday gifts..
Hey Linda, I’ve never attempted to freeze my granola recipes before – I honestly can never let them sit around long enough however they do have a pretty great shelf life so maybe make them a week or two in advance and you should be just fine! I hope this helps
How long can I store this in an air-tight mason jar? I’m in Canada and it’s pretty cold here. What are signs I should watch for in case it’s gone bad? I made a batch almost 2 months ago and it looks and smells good to me! Usually the batch is gone within a month but we were away for a good period.
Hey Chloe, I am also in Canada and I’ve kept mine in the pantry for up to two months and it was still as good as the first day I made it. I hope this helps! I’ve never had it go bad but I imagine you’d know by smell or appearance.
Hi Teri-Ann – I love this recipe however was delirious tonight while making it and used 1/2 tsp instead of the 1/4 tsp when measuring the salt. Any suggestions on salvaging it? I’m guessing I’ll just make another batch w/out salt and mix them together but curious for other suggestions!
Hi Shannon!! Oh boy that’s a real bummer!!! Now that it’s baked, how does it taste? I hate to say toss it in the bin but you might just have to do that! I love salt so send it to me, haha!!
LOL – surprisingly it didn’t taste that bad and we didn’t have to toss it. Won’t make the same mistake again though!
Oh what a joy!! I am so happy to read that, sometimes a little too much salt isn’t the worst but yes I cannot wait for you to try it with the recommended amount and let me know how you like it 🙂
I will never buy granola again. This is soooo good. I can’t wait to try your other granola recipes. Thank you for sharing your recipes.
This is the attitude we LOVE! So happy that you enjoyed this granola recipe and it has forever changed the way you think about shopping heheh thanks so much for taking the time to review and rate!
I used almond essence instead of vanilla as that’s what I had in the cupboard, delicious
I used almond essence instead of vanilla as that’s what I had in the cupboard, delicious
That makes me so happy!!
I love this granola! It’s easy and the flavor is delicious! I love the addition of buckwheat but mine were kind of hard after baking. Is there a way to make them softer?
Hey Remi! I am so happy that you tried this recipe and enjoyed it! Definitely a classic on my website. If you want a softer buckwheat you could try adding them in partway through the bake or soaking them for a few minutes prior to baking. I have not had this experience of them being too hard, best of luck!
Made this so many times and it is just delicious. Thank you
Thank you so much! It would be so helpful if you could rate it too!!
I keep making this granola over and over – it’s so delicious! Can never go back to store bought
ISN’T IT THE BEST! Have you tried my newest flavour?
Hello Teri,
Thank you for sharing your granola recipe, I never tried preparing it at home before so i’m a bit worried! Anyways, my first question is about olive oil, will the granola be tasting olive oil? I have no problem with olive oil but not sure the taste will be recognized. I live in Montreal and I have the extra version Terra Delyssa brand, so is it ok to use in your recipe? I also have avocado oil, coconut oil and canola oil. Please advise.
My second question is about the peanut butter. I have it without any additives but it becomes very thick of course we are in December 😁 and also tahini so which you recommend first ?
My last question, if I want to make another batch with dark chocolate pieces, what should I omit ? Or add ? Or adjust ?
Finally, if I don’t have hemp seeds or buckwhear grouts, should i omit them or replace with other sees?
Thank you
HI from cold Toronto! So I LOVE using olive oil and no you can’t taste it. If you are worried you can use coconut oil but I love the health benefits of olive oil. I would stay clear of canola but avocado would be ok too. The nut or tahini will be mixed into the other liquid in a pot over low heat. It should eventually dissolve into the oil, maple syrup and vanilla mixture. If you are adding chocolate chips you can add after its cooled and you don’t have to omit anything else 🙂 If you don’t have the groats add more of your fave ingredient whether that is seeds or nuts.
Thank you for asking such thoughtful questions. It will help someone else :))))
Thank you for the recipe, it’s delicious. I just wanted to ask: should I use the buckwheat without soaking it? It seems very hard. Should I rinse it or cook it first?
Raw is perfect!!! No need to soak. Keeps them nice and crunchy!
This recipe is just what it says: tried and true. Soooooooo amazingly delicious , easy to make and healthy . Thanks to the useful tips it did not burn but became perfectly crispy crunchy. I added dried cranberries , raisins and gojiberries after baking. The only hard part was waiting for it to cool 😉
I am so glad you love it!!!
So tasty! The peanut butter really adds to the taste. Followed directions exactly and it turned out perfect (including soaking the raisins so they weren’t like little rocks)
Hey Elaine! I am so happy you enjoyed this granola, it really is a favourite for so many reasons. Beyond reliable and goes with everything 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to rate and review this recipe!