Easy Vegan Granola Recipe (9 Ingredients!) - From My Bowl (2024)

FAQs

Why are homemade granola not crunchy? ›

Until I ran into a clever trick, courtesy of Julia Turshen's new cookbook Simply Julia for getting granola as crispy as you want it: add egg whites. Per Turshen, for every three cups of rolled oats you want to transform into granola, add a ¼ cup each maple syrup and olive oil.

Flaxseed is wonderful for this, because after 30 minutes it soaks up the water, and turns into a gluey mass that will bind all your granola ingredients together. Also, flaxseed is the most concentrated source of essential omega-3 fatty acids. It has tons of fiber too.

Is Homemade Granola Cheaper? Initially, you'll have to spend more money on homemade granola than store-bought. However, over the long run (depending on your recipe) you'll most likely spend less on making your own granola.

Clumpy Granola Method: Add Egg White

The idea is that the egg's protein will help the oats bind to each other and create delicate clusters.

On the downside, granola can be high in added sugars, hidden calories, and saturated fat, making some options less healthy. Choosing the right type of granola, controlling serving sizes, and homemade options can make granola a part of a healthy diet.

Whether it's homemade or store-bought, properly storing granola will help extend the shelf life and maintain crunchiness. Store granola in an airtight container or tightly sealed zip-top bag in a dry, dark place away from heat.

Nut butter is a super flavorful fat that serves multiple purposes in granola. It acts as a binding agent—along with additional coconut oil and whatever natural sweetener I've chosen—helping to pull the dry ingredients together into a wet, sticky mass for baking.

Granola is almost unrivaled as a digestive aid. It is popular among people who want to increase their fiber intake because it contains soluble and insoluble fiber. Dietary fiber is an essential part of anyone's diet because it regulates digestion.

If your granola bars are falling apart or seem too crumbly, here are a few tips. Make sure you use honey or another sticky sweetener such as maple syrup in the liquid part of the recipe; this recipe calls for honey. This will help bind together the ingredients and keep that signature bar shape.

The Bottom Line

Granola is healthy in small amounts, especially because oats, nuts, seeds and dried fruit in granola provide some fiber that's good for heart and gut health. However, granola can also be a rich source of calories, saturated fat and sugar, depending on the brand you buy.

Is granola better for you than oatmeal? ›

Which One Is Better for Breakfast? Both oatmeal and granola make for a healthy, nutritious breakfast, but the winner for us is granola—the added nuts, seeds, and dried fruits give you a source of fiber and healthy fats that oatmeal can't quite compete with.

When stored properly at room temperature, fresh homemade granola can last for up to four weeks. Preserve its quality by letting it cool completely before storing. Packing it while it's warm leads to condensation and, consequently, unnecessary moisture.

(Oils that are monounsaturated or polyunsaturated are healthier.) So look for granolas with less than 3 grams of saturated fat per ⅓ cup. While the fiber content should be decent if the granola says it's made from “whole grains,” watch out for granolas that have less than 2 grams of fiber per ⅓ cup.

Is granola vegan? Not all granola is vegan, despite the fact it contains many fruits and grains. This is because honey can often be used as a sweetener and binder in granola clusters, so if on a plant-based diet, always check the label to see whether it is suitable.

Keep in mind that the granola won't be dry right out of the oven — it will dry as it cools. So take it out of the oven when it looks lightly toasted and smells like cooked honey. We're going for a toasty smell here. Add dried fruit after baking.

I aim to let it hit room temperature, whatever that may be; the real point is to give it ample time to shed excess heat and steam. This should take about 45 minutes; if left out indefinitely, the granola can turn sticky or soft, so do try to put it away as soon after cooling as you can.

Your homemade granola will continue to crisp up as it cools. It's tempting to start eating it as soon as it comes out of the oven, but if you let it rest for 15 minutes on the sheet pan, it'll be extra crisp and toasty – totally worth the wait!

For really crispy bars, you can either bake them all the way to 32 or more minutes or you can take the bars out after 25 minutes, let them cool for a bit, slice them up into the bars, and then put them back in on a baking sheet to bake for 10 -15 minutes so that they get more crispy.