Maple Granola Recipe with Walnuts

This Maple Granola Recipe is made with gluten-free rolled oats, crunchy walnuts and sweet maple syrup. It’s refined sugar-free and oil-free, and you need just 7 ingredients to make it! 

*This post was originally published in September 2017. It has been updated with new photos and text, including helpful tips for readers and adjustments to the recipe. 

One of the staples in my pantry is a jar of homemade granola. I make a batch almost every weekend to enjoy for breakfast during the week. I like to add it to my smoothie bowls, or enjoy it like cereal with some almond milk and berries.

Why you’ll love this maple granola recipe

• You need just 7 ingredients.

• It’s gluten-free, as long as you stick with gluten-free rolled oats.

• It’s refined sugar-free, with just maple syrup as a sweetener.

• And it’s oil-free, made without olive oil or coconut oil.

Ingredients to make maple syrup granola

Maple syrup – Not only does it add flavour and natural sweetness, but maple syrup is the wet ingredient that keeps everything together and helps create the crunchy granola texture.

Walnuts – You’ll want to use raw walnuts that haven’t been salted or roasted, and you’ll want them chopped into pieces. 

Oats – I used large flake rolled oats, but quick oats work too. 

Coconut chips – I used unsweetened and untoasted coconut chips, but toasted will work too. Just avoid flavoured coconut chips or ones with added sugar.

Sunflower seeds – Just a quarter of a cup for added crunch. Make sure they are hulled and raw. 

Cinnamon – a tablespoon of ground cinnamon complements the maple flavour.

Salt – I love adding a little salt to homemade granola to enhance the other flavours.

How to make this maple granola recipe

• In a large bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients.

• Add the maple syrup and stir until the dry ingredients are well coated and the mixture looks wet.

• Spread out the granola mixture on a large baking sheet and bake on 375F for 15-18 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure it bakes evenly and doesn’t burn.

• Let the granola cool completely on the pan. It will be get crunchier as it cools. 

How to store maple walnut granola

Homemade granola keeps best in an airtight container or large mason jar at room temperature. It should stay fresh for 1-2 weeks.

You can also freeze this granola for up to 3 months. Just let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before enjoying.

Recipe tips and substitutions

• I used a non-stick baking sheet, but you can also line your baking sheet with parchment paper to ensure the granola doesn’t stick.

• For even baking, make sure you stir the granola a few times while it bakes. The walnuts can burn fast, so keep an eye on the granola towards the end of the baking time.

• You’ll want to bake the granola until it’s golden brown and starts to get crunchy. If it is still soft to touch, just bake it a little longer. It will get crunchier as it cools, so resist the urge to over-bake it.

• If you can’t find chopped walnuts or walnut pieces, just buy walnut halves and pulse them in your food processor a few times. (This is what I did for this recipe).

• To make this recipe grain-free, you can substitute buckwheat flakes for the oats.

• If you don’t have sunflower seeds, try using hulled, raw pumpkin seeds instead.

How to serve homemade granola

• With fruit and yogurt. 

• Mixed into smoothie bowls.

• With almond milk and berries.

• As a topping for muffins.

• Sprinkled on salads or soups.

Other granola recipes you might enjoy

• Nut-Free Pumpkin Spice Granola

• Grain-Free Coconut Cashew Granola

• Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola

• Savoury Pecan Granola

• Chocolate Fig Granola

If you make this maple syrup granola recipe, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below.

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