The best Healthy Oil-Free Granola recipe! It’s simple to make, sweetened with maple syrup, crunchy, and delicious. Serve in a bowl with your favorite plant-based milk for breakfast or eat by the handful as a delicious snack.
The majority of store-bought granolas are just big bags of crappy crumbs soaked in oil. I highly doubt any of that stuff actually comes from the “valley of nature.”
BUT, this Healthy Oil-Free Granola is the real deal. It’s delicious, healthy, and whole. No secret synthetic ingredients in this recipe. Au naturel, baby – as granola should be.
Granola is something you should always have on hand because it has a pretty good shelf life – at least a month. It’s also a great snack for the kids. You can put it in a bowl with some fruit and milk for a fast and filling breakfast. And, it’s super satisfying when that afternoon hunger pain rears its ugly head.
All you need to make this sweet and crunchy snack are 7 simple ingredients and less than 1 hour. I’d be willing to bet you already have most, if not all, the ingredients sitting in your pantry right now.
Why don’t you head on into the kitchen and see? Then, come on back and let’s make some Healthy Oil-Free Granola!
Healthy Granola Ingredients
- Old-fashioned Rolled Oats: Just plain ole simple oats. Oats are a great source of protein and fiber.
- Steel-Cut Oats: Steel-cut oats add a bit of a crunch. (totally optional)
- Chopped Walnuts: I love walnuts! They help fight inflammation, are good for your heart, and a great source of Omega-3s.
- Ground flax: I add the flax for the Omega-3s and fiber. But, it’s completely optional.
- Unsweetened Applesauce: Great oil replacement and doesn’t affect the flavor.
- Maple Syrup: Perfect for sweetening the granola.
- Cinnamon: Because I like cinnamon. But, great creative and add whatever you like for flavor.
How To Make Healthy Oil-Free Granola
Now, let’s make it! You won’t believe how easy this is going to be.
- Throw all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix everything together.
- Pour the wet ingredients evenly over the oat mixture then stir and toss until everything is covered and well combined.
- Bake the granola for 30-40 minutes at 350˚F until it starts to turn golden. But, be careful and don’t let it burn. The cooking time will vary depending on the appliance.
- Remove the healthy oil-free granola from the oven and let it cool 15-20 minutes or until room temperature. It will get crunchier as it sits.
- Store in an airtight container until you’re ready to enjoy.
You’re going to love this Healthy Oil-Free Granola recipe! It’s…
- Crunchy
- Incredibly easy to make
- Healthy
- Oil-free
- Perfect for breakfast
- Lightly sweetened
- A great afternoon snack
- Delicious!
More Healthy Plant-Based Munchies
Check out these other healthy delicious oil-free vegan snacks.
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Hummus
- Peanut Butter Protein Energy Bites
- Five-Minute Fat-Free Potato Chips
- Homemade Tortilla Chips
- Easy Vegan Date Caramel
If you make this recipe, be sure and let me know! Leave a comment, RATE IT, and tag a photo #shaneandsimple on Instagram.
Healthy Oil-Free Granola
- Total Time45 minutes
- Yield12–14 servings 1x
- DietVegan
The best Healthy Oil-Free Granola recipe! It’s simple to make, sweetened with maple syrup, crunchy, and super delicious. Serve in a bowl with your favorite plant milk for a delicious breakfast or enjoy all by itself as a snack.
Ingredients
- 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup steel-cut oats (optional)
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- ¼ cup flaxseed meal
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Put all the dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix everything together.
- Pour the wet ingredients evenly over the dry oat mixture and toss until everything is well covered and combined.
- Spread the granola evenly over the baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes until its golden. But, be careful not to let it burn. Gently toss the granola halfway through the cooking process.
- Once the granola is done baking remove it from the oven let it cool for 15-20 minutes.
- Store in airtight container or jar until you’re ready to enjoy.
Notes
Serve in a bowl with fresh fruit and your favorite plant-based milk for a delicious breakfast.
If you want to make this really low-fat simply leave out the nuts.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ½ cup
- Calories: 251
- Sugar: 9.3 g
- Sodium: 3.3 mg
- Fat: 8.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 35.1 g
- Fiber: 5.3 g
- Protein: 6.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Prep Time: 10 mins.
- Cook Time: 35 mins.
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Vegan
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This is unbelievably incredible. I just substituted pumpkin seeds for walnuts (hate nuts) and it was the best granola I’ve ever eaten. I highly recommend making this.
This is how granola was meant to be! Thank you Shane for creating this wholesome cereal. I’ll make it tomorrow.
This is a really good basic recipe! So easy to customize to fit individual needs and taste. Have you tried putting dates in this? I’m not sure if they should bake with the granola or just add separately to my bowl.
This is the best! I admit I keep adding more stuff to it and it comes out perfect Everytime. Today my adds were coconut, pumpkin seeds, hemp and chia seeds, dried cranberries, cardamom, and ginger.
Great recipe easy to customize! (I know it’s kinda crazy when people change *everything* in a recipe and give it 5 stars but with this, it feels like customization is the goal, right?)
I used pumpkin puree instead of applesauce, and reduced the maple syrup to 2 Tb maple syrup, 2 Tb molasses, and 2 Tb cane sugar, added pumpkin pie spice in addition to cinnamon, and used different nuts. It was great!
I also threw in some dry TVP after it had baked for extra protein and texture.
Is there a way to make it chunckier? Mine did not solidify into tradional, chuncky textue.
Hi, Tammy! I’m sorry to heart that. A couple of things to try: add just a bit more maple syrup, increase the oven temp. to 375, and try and toss the granola in just a few large areas, not the whole batch. Let me know how this works.
Shane I never mix it and I get nice clumps.
Nice crunch and I like it. It feels good to be eating a granola that isn’t so calorie dense and loaded with oil. Thank you. Question, have you tried it with other kinds of nuts or what nuts do you think would work well with the other ingredients?
I’ve used pecans and really enjoyed it. Any spice your prefer will work.
I made it and it turned out wonderful! Thanks! 🙂
This was an easy recipe to follow and so delicious! I can’t wait to improvise on this going forward with some coconut flakes and raisins or other fruit. Thank you for creating this tasty treat.
This is fantastic! Only I’m going to be “that reviewer” lol because I made some changes (I’m certain it would be even more delish if I’d followed the recipe, though). I subbed in a mix of zero sugar maple syrup and honey (ie fake) for the real maple syrup, swapped almonds in for the walnuts cause I hate walnuts, and added raisins and coconut. I was worried it was going to be mushy due to the fake sugar, but nope! Still crunchy and amazing. I will be making this often. Thank you!
can I make this without the applesauce? thanks you are awesome!
Yes, you totally can. I would increase the maple syrup just a bit. Thank you:)
Love this recipe! It’s quick and easy to throw together which is great as it gets eaten quickly in my home. I have also made with some chopped dates (added after baking) and sub in sliced almonds for the pecans depending on what’s in my pantry.
Thanks, Cindy! I’m so glad you enjoyed the granola and love the additions.
I had no applesauce so blended some canned peaches to substitute. Delicious!
WOW! That’s a great idea, I’ll have to try that.
This recipe is delicious! Can’t believe it has no oil 🙂
I know I can leave the steel cut oats out, but do you think I could sub them with oat groats? I have a ton of oat groats.
Absolutely!
Fantastic! I’ve made this several times since I found it in December. I have added 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes to the mixture too. Thaks for such a healthy option for breakfast
I have been making this granola since early January. I had written it down on a card so that I wouldn’t have to have my phone handy all the time. The recipe calls for 4 cups of rolled oats. I wanted to see how the recipe changes for 2 and 3 times the single recipe amount. When I click on it, the 4 cups changes to 1-3/4 cups and the multiple recipes don’t make sense. For example, the single recipe amount of the oats dropped to 1-3/4 and the triple recipe only went up to 5-1/4 cups.
Would it be safe to just double or triple the original (4 cups) single recipe amount of oats and the other ingredients? I have been making the single batch for awhile and think it’s time to just make bigger batches. Thanks.
This turned out great!!! I didn’t have steel cut oats or nuts, so I just added more regular oats. Can’t believe how easy this recipe is. From now on, I’m saving lots of money on overpriced store-bought granola and best of all – it’s oil free!! Thanks Shane for this awesome recipe 🙂
Still making and enjoying your Pumpkin Granola recipe and also made your Chocolate Granola. Now I tried this Granola recipe and it is also EXCELLENT & DELICIOUS! I used Toasted Wheat Germ (instead of the ground flax) and did not add optional steel cut oats. You do have to watch this one so it doesn’t burn as seems to brown quickly. Your 3 Granola recipes are the only ones I keep and actually use. Thanks, Shane. With Blessings,
I make this about every other week for me and my husband. I love that it’s not too sweet and gets it’s fat from whole foods. I used a very big spatula to flip in large sections about halfway through. That and using a combo of sliced almonds and raw pumpkin seeds helps with clumping though I mostly eat this with yogurt and fruit so clumping is not as important. I find that having my oven switch to a lower temp for a few minutes (keep warm is 175 on my oven) after 35 min of total cooking helps me get that crunch without burning. Thank you for the recipe it’s a staple for us!
That’s so great, Samantha! And, thank you for sharing your alterations…I love seeing things like that.
This was my first time making granola and I was really pleased with the results. I made it to eat as a snack or dessert. I used almonds instead of walnuts and also added some unsweetened coconut. I used 1/4 c maple syrup and some liquid stevia.
There are a lot of things I like about this recipe. I’ve been WFPB for over 2 years, and I find not using oil to be the hardest part.. This was much tastier than I expected it to be without any oil. It isn’t overly sweet and it’s VERY filling.
I plan to play around with this recipe in the future. I used it as a topping for a peach crisp recently. I’m thinking some dried cranberries would be a nice addition….
Thanks for this recipe, Shane!
Whoa. I just made this. I used some stevia powder and some Birch Benders maple syrup instead of the regular maple syrup. Used pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds instead of the walnuts. And I also added salt. (Weird that this was not included.) I have to say… dang. REALLY good. And nice and crunchy! Brilliant recipe. This is going to have to become a staple! Thank you!
Salt not being included is only weird if you don’t have an issue with salt. Many WFPB eaters do not include salt for many reasons. Salt added with sweet can enhance the flavor but, Salt is also one of those spices that is a personal preference.
Gotta try this. Steel-cut oats cooked or uncooked? I’d think uncooked could crack a tooth??
Uncooked! The soften a little as they bake and there’s not a ton in the recipe.
What purpose does the applesauce service? Thank you love your recipes
It replaces the oil and adds moisture.
Once you know the technically relevant stuff – how much oats, how much applesauce, how to bake etc., it is fun to play around with variations.
My family’s current favorite is without the cinnamon, but cocoa powder instead, and after cooling down, mixing it with some raisins, chopped dried apricots and dried strawberries.
Or to use a mixture of different grains. Or to replace the walnuts with almonds and pecans.
Endless possibilities once you know the basics of this recipe. Thanks a lot!
Hi Shane! I just enjoyed your interview with Rip! If I want it to be chunky, should I not stir it part way through?
Thank you so much. Yes, just let it bake then break it apart once it’s done baking.
Hi Shane, several months ago I ran across this delicious and versatile granola recipe. I have been making it ever since. It is much healthier than the one I was already making that I thought was so healthy. It is my morning breakfast every day. The only thing different I do is that I do not add flaxseed to the recipe because I add flaxseed and Chia seeds to my bowl of granola and almond milk every day so I know how much I’m getting. . Don’t know why I didn’t check your website for more information . But I found you again and will definitely be trying out many of your recipes. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless, Sharon
Thank you so much, Sharon!
This is the BEST recipe I have found (I’ve tried more than I care to count)! It is so easy to change an item to get a whole different taste without loosing how great this recipe is. I have substituted the cinnamon for cayenne, and the sweet and spicy is a nice change. I can’t digest sugar and use dried stevia leaves from my plant (it’s not bitter using fresh).
I wonder if oat groats will work in place of the steel cut…?
Hi Shane!
I made your granola over the weekend for a certain special someone who is trying hard to follow this eating plan. When I asked, “How was the granola?” His response was “Amazing!”
It didn’t clump up- which was the texture I was looking for. However, I added the steel cut oats, but didn’t think to adjust the amount of rolled oats. (I’ll know for the next time!)
Thank you for doing all you do – your recipes are easy,, easy to follow, and apparently, delicious!!!
I was pleasantly surprised by this recipe. I was looking for an oil free, healthier granola and this definitely fits the bill! My kids aren’t big walnut fans so I did a combination of sliced almonds, sunflower seeds and Pepitos- all raw. Very good! Will try adding in steel cut oats next time but certainly still delicious without. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!!!
I added 1/4tsp salt, and 1/2 cup raisins. So good! I am amazed at how crunchy it is for being oil free! Thanks for sharing.
Hi friend! I was wondering if you baked the raisins along with the granola or added them after them after the baking process? Thanks so much!!
I add them after the baking.
Hi!
What is the purpose of flaxseeds in this recipe ? Is it to make it clump together ?
I found it’s a little bit to “dense” with it!
Do you think that if I skip the flaxseed and only use the applesauce it will still make it crispy ?
Otherwise the granola tastes great, thanks for the recipe! 🙂
How did you get yours to clump together?
Hi, Shelly! I spread it onto the baking sheet and let it cook. Then break it into chunks after it has cooled. Hope this helps.
Perfect recipe! I swapped the 1 C walnut for 1/2 C walnut, 1/2 C pecan, 1/2 C almonds, used only 1/4 C syrup, and added 2 TBSP chia seed. Nice and crunchy without the sweet, oily taste and feel from store bought granola! Only negative was it didn’t chunk up- but I played with the recipe so much that I am positive it was my fault lol. Regardless will FOR SURE make again.
One of your recipes was a success yet again! 😉 I left out the walnuts and the steel cut oats but made the rest as is. Perfect! Thank you again! My kids love it!
Jamie, thank you so much!
This I granola is a perfect way to use up the pulp left over after making your almond milk recipe. I am addicted! I put it on pancakes and eat it as cereal. So easy and so delicious.
Excellent!
So great! I make this about every other week now. Becasue of my busy work schedule, I often bring this to work with milk already on it so I actually use mostly nuts, a mix of chopped almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, cashews, etc, and add other things when I have it, unsweetened coconut flakes, oatmeal, chia/hemp seeds, etc. and it holds til mid-morning when I have a chance to eat really well without getting soggy! Love the applesauce, vanilla, maple syrup mix, I usually do a little less of the maple syrup, per our taste. I’m using your Pumpkin Spice mix along with a little more cinnamon today. It’s a winner every time for me and Hubby!
Sounds delicious, Emily! Thanks for sharing.
Delicious and easy. Made it twice. I accidentally used 2 TBS of ground cinnamon instead of the 2 tsp called for in the recipe and like it even more with the extra cinnamon. Also subbed 1/2 cup of buckwheat for the steel cut oats. Worked fine to add some crunch.
Absolutely delicious…Instead of maple syrup I used the same exact amount of date syrup…The smell of baking granola reminded of something homey and peaceful 🙂 and the taste!!! Definitely turned my back to store-bought kinds! 🙂
10/10
Tami, that is so awesome! You know, when I create recipes I usually do it hoping to create a “feeling” and the homey and peaceful is exactly what I love:) thanks for sharing.
Hi Shane, This granola is definitely a keeper! I replaced the walnuts with slivered almonds and added golden raisins just because I like almonds better than walnuts and love raisins in granola. I have made other oil free granolas but this one is so crunchy with just the right amount of sweetness. My whole family loves it!
Thanks for your delicious recipes!
Trish, that is awesome! Thanks so much for reaching out.
Hello! I made couple substitutions, and happy to report your base recipe worked perfect! I dropped the liquid sugar to 1/4 cup (used molasses) and didn’t have applesauce on hand, so I simply puree’d two raw apples (with the molasses) in the blender. Voila!
Just wanted to share an alternative for all the unprepared applesauce’rs out there 🙂
Thanks, Brandon! Great insight and way to make it work. Thanks for sharing.
I make this all the time and was in the middle of putting it together when I realized I had no applesauce. I searched the comments until I found this suggestion to put apples in the blender. Not sure why that didn’t occur to me, but so glad it did to someone else! Granola is now in the oven!
Oops! Meant to give it a 5 star rating….don’t know what happened….
Just adding to the chorus of praise. My family has been trying lots of different oil-free granola recipes lately, and this was my kids’ favorite. So simple and delicious. Thanks for a great recipe!
Wow! Thank you so much.
Sorry can’t comment yet, but anxious to make.
I’m allergic to apples . Would a peach purée be as shelf stable or effective?
This doesn’t seem like a time for sweet potato or banana.
Any others suggestions for oil replacement. ??In vinegarette. I use broth .
.thankyou for sharing for recipes
Sorry can’t comment yet, but anxious to make.
I’m allergic to apples . Would a peach purée be as shelf stable or effective?
This doesn’t seem like a time for sweet potato or banana.
Any others suggestions for oil replacement. ??In vinegarette. I use broth .
.thankyou for sharing for recipes
I made this yesterday. I used pecans because I prefer them to walnuts. I also had some dried blueberries so I added them after the granola had cooled. I ate it this morning with plain unsweetened almond milk along with my smoothie and it was perfect. It is now two hours later and I am still full. Perfect!!!
Lindsey, that is so awesome! Thank you so much for sharing.
Just finished making this granola recipe. I added pumpkin seeds. Excited to try it with yogurt!
Sounds awesome!
I really wish you’d limit the pop-up adds. It makes it super annoying to read your articles. This is the only thing keeping me from tagging my friends to your site.
Thank you. Tia.
Hi, Tia! I’m glad you enjoy the recipes. I do understand how annoying ads can be, unfortunately, they are how I feed my family for the moment. But, I don’t want you to “not” refer my site:) So…your browser can block ads. All you would have to do is enable it and it will prevent the ads from being seen. Thanks for reaching out and I will continue to work with my ad company to see if I can create a better reader experience. It helps to hear from people who are following the site. Blessings to you.
~Shane
Shane, I use a desktop computer and the ads are workable. Easy to click to close them. Yeah, there’s a lot, and I pray that people are clicking and buying and your earnings pile up!
You are very kind:) I’m not a fan of ads, but they do pay the bills and allow me to keep the recipes free. Thank you!
Can I use honey instead of maple syrup for this recipe?
Love, love this recipe! I’ve made it 3 X. The only thing I do different is add sliced almonds instead to the walnuts. YUM
That sounds great, Patricia! Make it work for you.
I put off making this because how can granola be good without oil? well, dang…IT CAN! This is fabulous and dare I say even better than the oil-laden one I used to make. I will need to be making double batches; I love cereal for breakfast, and seeing as how this is much more economical that the $3-$4-$5 a box of halfway healthy cereal costs, this will be my breakfast cereal from now on.
Thanks for another winner, Shane!
Marsha, that is so great! Thanks so much for reaching out. Blessings.
update: yep…must make at least two batches. hubby just stood here and ate about half off the pan while it was cooling. delicious!!
Haha, that’s awesome, Marsha! Do you what you gotta do:) Blessings.
Hello again Shane! This time I’m back to review your “Healthy Oil-Free Granola.” Absolutely “Shane and Simple brilliance!!!!! After the granola cooled, I divided into snack-sized Ziploc bags for work. I decided to get creative and sprinkled on top of a green salad filled with chopped mushrooms/red cabbage/cucumbers/walnuts, shredded carrots and sun-dried tomatoes over a bed of a kale/romaine/spinach mix. The granola took my salad up a notch by contributing a little sweetness and additional fiber. Delicious! Another versatile recipe. Next time, I’ll add some coconut flakes, raisins and almonds. You rock Shane and these recipes have been quite advantageous for busy schedules like mine.
Thank you so much, Kimberly! I’m so glad you enjoy them and I love your reviews:) Blessings.
I had my gallbladder out so I have to monitor my fat intake. I went looking for oil free granola and found your recipe! It is soooo good! Can’t wait to try more batches with some different variations such as dried fruits, chai protein powder in plan of the flax, etc. Thank you!
How soon should you eat this granola so that it doesn’t go bad?
It can be stored in an airtight container at room temp. up to a month.
Thank you! Can’t wait to try it.
👊 🌱
How can you possibly keep it for a month????
My new favorite granola recipe! Simple and healthy!
Thank you, Danielle! Blessings and Happy Thanksgiving!
We love homemade , healthy granola and this one is a keeper. My grandkids love it. Has a fruity taste. Delicious!
Thank you so much, Donna. So glad you enjoyed it. Blessings.
I have made a lot of different granola recipes but when I made this one just now my kids voted this one the best! They think it tastes like “store bought” haha. Much better I think, and ingredients that are good for us. I did leave out the walnuts but always throw a little on top of my serving. I will have to make some for my parents, they love granola! Thank you!
I had this this past weekend at my sister’s house. It was delicious. I’m planning on making it asap. Definitely helped with that desire for something between lunch and dinner. Thanks so much for these awesome recipes.
Thanks so much, Marlynn. I understand the “in between” cravings:) You are more than welcome! Blessings.
Sooooo good!!
Thank you!
Added pumpkin spice and the house smelled amazing. Also did not want to use up my maple syrup so used 8 pre-soaked dates blended with soy milk instead. Love your recipes!
Julie, that sounds amazing! I love the date replacement. Thanks for reaching out and the rating too! Blessings.
I just made this. I cannot wait for breakfast tomorrow .
Awesome! I hope you enjoy it!!!
All my adult life I have been on the hunt for a granola that had the great crunch of boxed granola (that are excessively sweet and loaded with junk) but with the healthier content of homemade granola (which quite often desolves into a mushy, wet sawdust texture when liquids are added). This is that perfect balance. My family now eats this 5 to 6 days a week for breakfast and snacks.
Lauren, that is so great and thank you for the kind words. Same here…we devour this stuff:) Grace and peace to you.
Does this need to be refrigerated?
No, just store in a jar or ZipLoc bag and leave in your pantry. Good to go!
Nice and crunchy and not too sweet — a great addition to my morning yogurt!
Carolyn, thats awesome! So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the rating! Blessings.
Mmm Hmmm!