The BEST Homemade Vegan Crunchy Granola

This crunchy fig walnut homemade granola recipe is naturally vegan and gluten-free. It’s honestly the BEST granola I’ve ever had. Paired with almond milk, it makes an amazing easy breakfast or snack!

Here at A Side of Sweet, we consider granola its own food group. We eat it almost every day of the week. It’s a totally acceptable weeknight dinner when things get busy and we both keep a bag at work for ’emergencies’. It’s such a thing that we typically quadruple the recipe below, which is already 30 servings! This recipe is ideal because it keeps for months in a sealed container, meaning we always have some on hand.

As a granola expert, I’ve tested dozens of granola recipes. Let me assure you that this is my favorite granola recipe ever. Brown sugar gives a glazed sweetness to the oatmeal that is perfection. You can’t fully understand it until you make it. It also fits most dietary restrictions because it is gluten-free, vegan, and dairy-free. 

Read on for the homemade granola recipe and an easy meal idea!

An Easy Halfway Homemade Breakfast Idea

Balancing a full-time job as a physician with photography and blogging is no joke. I’m constantly rushing out the door from one thing to the next. Skipping breakfast is not an option! A big batch of this granola means I always have a great halfway homemade breakfast ready – just add almond milk.

I like to balance the sweetness of the granola by pairing it with just sweet enough Silk Original Almondmilk. It has a rich, sweet taste and is packed with calcium, vitamins, and protein. You can find it in the refrigerated dairy aisle. Just add it to the granola you already have on hand and you have an instant breakfast or healthy snack. No prep is necessary! It’s perfect for my on-the-go lifestyle.

Silk Almondmilk is also great on its own too. The Unsweetened Vanilla Almondmilk is my favorite for drinking. If you’re following a plant-based or special diet, Silk products are vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

For more easy meal inspiration, check out EasyHomeMeals.com by the National Frozen and Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) for tons of recipes and tips. You’ll also find great snack hacks featuring foods from the frozen and dairy aisles.

Don’t you just love a great halfway homemade option? EasyHomeMeals.com also hosts giveaways and they have a great newsletter so you can get recipes, tips, and advice right in your inbox. You can follow them on Instagram and Pinterest as well.

Homemade Vegan Crunchy Granola Recipe

To avoid getting bored, I make a few variations of the recipe when I’m baking a large quantity of granola. I always use brown sugar and coconut oil but add slivered almonds or pecans, or swap in dried apricots or cherries instead of figs. It’s also possible to make this already healthy recipe even healthier, by cutting down on maple syrup or coconut oil. The trade-off is the less oil you use, the less crunchy the granola gets. Eventually, it becomes more of a muesli, which isn’t bad – just different!

How to Make Homemade Vegan Crunchy Granola

• A thin layer spread evenly on baking sheets will give the best crunchy texture.
• Brown sugar is the best sweetener to give a delightful crunchy texture.
• Coconut oil is the best fat option for crunchy granola, and also makes this recipe vegan!
• Although this recipe is flexible, using the full amount of coconut oil will give optimum crunchiness.
• Enjoy as an easy snack or breakfast by adding Silk Almondmilk. Look for it in the refrigerated beverage aisle.

Thanks so much for reading! For more Sweet in your life, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube, or subscribe to receive a weekly email with new posts and musings from me.

Vegan & Gluten Free Fig Walnut Granola

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5 from 5 reviews

This crunchy fig walnut homemade granola recipe is naturally vegan and gluten-free. It’s the BEST granola I’ve ever had. Paired with almond milk, it makes an amazing easy breakfast or snack! The secret is brown sugar – and figs.

• Author: Kelly Egan
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 30 1x
• Category: Breakfast
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

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• 2 1/2 pounds (13 cups) old-fashioned oats (must be gluten-free if you want the recipe to be gluten-free)
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoon ginger
• 1 pound (3 1/2 cups) walnut pieces (or pecans)
• 2 cups coconut oil, melted
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 20 ounces black mission figs, de-stemmed and sliced

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Instructions

1. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and salt to the oatmeal.
2. Stir together.
3. Add the walnuts and stir.
4. Add the melted coconut oil and maple syrup to the oat mixture.
5. Stir together.
6. Spread evenly onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 340° Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Stir and bake for an additional 10 minutes, until lightly browned.
7. Bake the sliced figs on a separate baking sheet for 5 minutes, until no longer sticky. Stir the figs into the granola mixture.
8. This recipe makes many servings but will keep for weeks in a sealed airtight container.

Notes

Recipe ingredients and amounts are very flexible. You can easily substitute or add other nuts, like pecans, slivered almonds and even pistachios. The same goes for dried fruit – I also love adding uncooked chopped dried apricots, dried cherries, dried blueberries or dried cranberries. You can also cut down on the amount of maple sugar or coconut oil, depending on your preference.

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