For years I blindly purchased what I thought was healthy (yet pricey) store bought granola. Until I started paying attention to labels and realized I was basically buying oats and sugar (probably reverse that order) with a few raisins sprinkled in.
My homemade High Protein Granola recipe will save your waistline and your wallet. It’s high in plant powered protein, naturally and lightly sweetened with pure maple syrup, and packed with crunchy clusters. Plus it's vegan and gluten free!
Whether you sprinkle it on your favorite plant based yogurt, toss it in your kid's lunchbox, or eat it straight from the container while hiding in the pantry (also the best place to sneak cookies), this recipe is a winner! Read on to join me (and my kiddo) in the kitchen to see how easy it is to throw this together. We’re making a delicious mess today!
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💗Why you'll love this Granola recipe
- My favorite use of this granola is tossed on a bowl of my Raspberry Pudding with some frozen blueberries, and fresh banana slices. It's a very filling breakfast and the pudding amps up the protein intake even more.
- My son loves to just eat it plain, but it's also delicious in a bowl with some ice cold plant milk.
- One serving of this high protein granola equals ¾ cup, which gives you 10 grams of protein, way more than most store bought granolas!
🍽Equipment
For this recipe you will need a large mixing bowl (the one I used was a 5 quart), a large baking sheet, parchment paper (I like If You Care Brand, it's unbleached and non-toxic). You'll also want a liquid measuring cup for combining your wet ingredients before adding them to the dry ingredients, as well as dry measuring cups and spoons and a large spoon for mixing.
🥘Ingredients
- Rolled Oats (Ensure Gluten Free if following GF lifestyle)
- Hemp Hearts (don’t worry, I’ll give you an easy sub if you can’t find them).
- Sliced Almonds
- Raw Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- Raisins
- Liquid coconut oil
- Coconut Sugar
- Maple Syrup
- Vanilla
- Cinnimon
- Salt
🔪Instructions
1.) Gather up all of your ingredients and measure out what you need.
2.) Add all dry ingredients to a mixing bowl.
3.) Combine all wet ingredients into another bowl or large liquid measuring cup. Stir wet ingredients, then pour the mixture into the dry ingredients.
4.) Mix everything together to combine well so everything gets coated with that sweet deliciousness. Feel free to boogie to some good music while mixing!
Did you know there's actually a song called Dancing in the Kitchen? It's pretty good too! Just say, Alexa, play Dancing in the Kitchen by Lany 😉
5.) Line a large baking sheet with parchment, pour the mixture onto the baking sheet and spread it out evenly.
6.) Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees (165 Celsius) for 40 minutes.
7.) Remove and allow to cool in the pan for about 23-30 minutes.
8.) Once cooled add 1 to 1 ½ cups raisins (whatever your preference is for how rasiny you like it).
9.) Stand back and admire all of this healthy deliciousness you just created for you and your family! Yay!!
10.) Try not to eat handfuls while you are putting it into an airtight container for storage.
At this point you can put it away in the pantry or your belly, that choice is completely yours! Enjoy.
💭Tips and Tricks
The Lowdown on Clusters
Want big, snackable granola clusters? After pouring the granola onto the baking sheet give it a slight press with a spatula. Then, don’t stir it while baking or cooling. Let it do its thing undisturbed. Once cooled, you can break it up into delicious chunky pieces.
Batch Baking
Double the batch and store the other half in a gallon size ziplock bag or airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. This has come in handy for me so many times, trust me freezer granola, future you’s best friend. Especially when you're running late and just need to eat something that doesn’t come from a drive thru.
🎁Gift Idea
Grab a mason jar, wrap it with a ribbon, add a handwritten tag, and boom you’ve got a thoughtful gift for your kid to take in for his/her teacher on the first day of school.
📖Variations and Substitutions
- You can swap the raisins for other dried fruit. Chopped dates, dried cherries, or even dried mango bits. Just avoid dried fruit that’s too moist or sticky (it’ll clump or spoil faster).
- If hemp hearts are new to you here's what they bring to the party, protein, omega-3s, and a yummy mildly nutty flavor. But if you wish, you can sub these for an equal amount of pretty much any other dry ingredient that tickles your fancy. More oats, unsweetened coconut, more almonds, maybe another nut. Take your pick, the world's your oyster...vegan friendly oyster of course haha!
- Don't have coconut oil? You can sub light tasting olive oil or avocado oil. Just avoid strongly flavored oils unless you’re going for granola that tastes like salad dressing, which…probably no.
- 🌰Nut Free Option needed? Feel free to swap the almonds with coconut, more pepitas, or sunflower seeds.
- Feeling Fall-ish? Feel free to swap the cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice!
🧊 Storage & Meal Prep Tips
Room Temp/Pantry:
Store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 to 4 weeks. Just make sure it’s completely cooled before sealing it up so trapped steam doesn't turn your crunch into mush.
Freezer:
You can also freeze granola for up to 3 months. Granola freezes beautifully! Toss it straight onto this 5 Minute Raspberry Pudding with some fresh fruit for a filling breakfast or guilt free late night snack. It makes an awesome addition to smoothie bowls too!
📋FAQ's
Of course, simply swap the almonds with coconut, more pepitas, or sunflower seeds.
Yup, 100%. Stir in a few mini vegan chocolate chips after baking and cooling. Or, if you 𝘢𝘳𝘦 into the healthy vibe but love chocolate, sprinkle with cacao nibs to give it a touch of chocolatey goodness, extra crunch, and some beneficial antioxidants to this protein packed granola for added healthy benefits.
Well, your kitchen will smell amazing, that's a good sign! The granola should be golden brown. Remember, it will continue to crisp up as it cools, so avoid overbaking. If unsure, it's better to underbake slightly and let it finish crisping on the counter. In my oven 40 minutes at 325 degrees (165 degrees Celsius) is the perfect amount of time.
After pouring the granola onto the baking sheet give it a slight press with a spatula. Then, don’t stir it while baking or cooling. Let it do its thing undisturbed. Once cooled, you can break it up into delicious chunky pieces.
Well, at our house I make a double batch just about every time because my kiddo goes through it so quickly, so yes, kids seems to love it!
👩🏻🍳Creating the shot: A behind the scenes look
I put Justin to work learning how to make his favorite granola!
Don't mind the sling, it wasn't a granola stirring injury haha!
Setting up the shot to show you that up close deliciousness!
How I crafted my feature image without natural light because it just was not cooperating that day.
What really happened
Today, what really happened was, I had a list of three recipes that needed to be executed. And Justin, without thinking it through, declared boredom....out loud. And voila! A chef in training was born. So, for a small fee he agreed to make todays recipes, the first being this protein packed granola, and he knocked it out of the park. Proud Mama moment and what parent doesn't love a good bonding sesh, right?!
💬Did you enjoy this recipe?
If you give this High Protein Granola a try, I’d love to hear how it turned out! Leave a review below or share your own twist in the comments—your feedback and creativity make this space even more delicious!
Print
High Protein Granola (Vegan, Gluten-Free & Naturally Sweetened)
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 14 Servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This super simple homemade version of Granola is high in plant powered protein, naturally and lightly sweetened with pure maple syrup, and packed with crunchy clusters.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
4 ½ cups Rolled Oats (Ensure Gluten Free if needed)
½ cup Hemp Hearts (see notes for subs)
1 cup Sliced Almonds
1 cup Raw Pepitas
2 Tablespoons Coconut Sugar
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
¾ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
½ cup Maple Syrup
⅓ cup Liquid Coconut Oil
2 teaspoons Vanilla
Add After Baking
1 to 1 ½ cups Raisins (see notes for subs)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, add all dry ingredients: oats, hemp hearts, sliced almonds, pepitas, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine.
- In a separate bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the wet ingredients: liquid coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla.
- Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until everything is evenly coated.
- Spread the granola evenly onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 40 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet (about 25–30 minutes).
- Once cool, stir in the raisins.
- Transfer to an airtight container for storage.
Notes
Want big, snackable granola clusters? After pouring the granola onto the baking sheet give it a slight press with a spatula. Then, don’t stir it while baking or cooling. Let it do its thing undisturbed. Once cooled, you can break it up into delicious chunky pieces.
Double the batch and store the other half in a gallon size ziplock bag or airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You can swap the raisins for other dried fruit. Chopped dates, dried cherries, or even dried mango bits. Just avoid dried fruit that’s too moist or sticky (it’ll clump or spoil faster).
If hemp hearts are new to you here's what they bring to the party, protein, omega-3s, and a yummy mildly nutty flavor. But if you wish, you can sub these for more oats, unsweetened coconut, more almonds, maybe another nut.
Don't have coconut oil? You can sub light tasting olive oil or avocado oil.
Nut Free Option needed? Feel free to swap the almonds with coconut, more pepitas, or sunflower seeds.
Feeling Fall-ish? Feel free to swap the cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice!
Store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 to 4 weeks. Just make sure it’s completely cooled before sealing it up so trapped steam doesn't turn your crunch into mush. It can also be store din an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Breakfast/Snack
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Plant Based
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