Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C).
- Line two baking sheets with parchment.
- Mix the oats, chopped almonds, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and salt thoroughly. Add the optional crunch boost if using.
- Whisk the avocado oil, maple syrup, aquafaba and vanilla until smooth. Add any optional almond extract or citrus zest if using.
- Pour wet over dry.
- Fold gently until every oat is lightly coated.
- Spread into a 1/2-inch thick layer.
- Press firmly with a spatula for large clusters.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Rotate pans.
- Bake another 18–25 minutes until deep golden.
- Do not stir during baking if you want clusters.
- Remove from oven.
- Sprinkle with the optional tiny pinch of flaky salt.
- Cool completely without touching.
- Break into clusters.
- Fold in the raisins after the granola has cooled. Optional vegan chocolate or other dried fruit can replace some of the raisins within the same two-cup after-baking total.
- Store airtight.
Nutrition
Notes
An explicit vegan base. This base uses oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, avocado oil, maple syrup, aquafaba and raisins in the measured totals below. Use vegan ingredients throughout. Optional extras and substitutions change the nutrition; the nutrition estimate uses the selected base.
Clusters and timing. Bake at 300°F for 20 minutes, rotate, then another 18–25 minutes until golden. Press into a roughly 1/2-inch layer, do not stir for larger clusters, and cool completely untouched before breaking. Complete cooling is additional to the listed 60 minutes because cooling depends on the room and tray. Judge color and aroma and reduce heat if nuts darken early.
Measured formula swaps. Keep five cups grains total: rolled oats, buckwheat flakes, quinoa flakes, millet flakes or puffed brown rice are options. Avoid quick oats if you want a distinct oat texture. Keep two cups chopped nuts and one cup seeds; pecans, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pistachios, macadamias, sunflower seeds, hemp, sesame, chia or flax offer different flavors and textures. Certify grain ingredients gluten-free when needed.
Fat, sweetness and flavor. Within the listed half-cup fat total, olive oil, coconut oil, almond butter, tahini or cashew butter are alternatives. Nut and seed butters do not behave exactly like oil; expect a denser coating and different clusters. Date or sorghum syrup can replace maple within the half-cup sweetener total. Aquafaba remains the vegan binder. Cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, vanilla and optional citrus zest make different combinations without needing every spice in every batch.
After-baking additions. Keep the fruit total at two cups, replacing raisins with chopped dates, cherries, blueberries, cranberries, apricots, freeze-dried fruit or banana chips. Add vegan chocolate only after full cooling. A half-cup crunch boost of cacao nibs, buckwheat groats or puffed grains is optional. Citrus zest, vanilla bean paste, orange blossom water, matcha and espresso are optional flavor additions; use sparingly, to taste.
Other texture and storage guidance. For looser granola, omit aquafaba, spread thinner and stir once halfway; clusters will change. Try another ten minutes at 285°F for extra crunch, but check frequently rather than drying already-dark nuts further. An oven is preferred over an air fryer for this large, lightweight mixture. Cool completely before airtight storage; keep dry and check freshness. Try up to four weeks at room temperature or six months frozen for quality, which depends on moisture, ingredients and storage. Portion into jars only once fully cooled.
