The Best Toasted Maple Sesame Granola {vegan + gluten free + nut free}

The best toasted maple sesame granola is a super healthy homemade granola made with gluten free oats, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, and naturally sweetened with maple syrup. It is sugar free, gluten free, dairy free, and nut free if made with avocado oil. Perfectly crisp and incredibly delicious!

A quick note on this recipe! The original version of this post was published back in 2015. Since then I’ve re-tested the recipe, updated the photographs, and the content. I’m republishing it for you today to enjoy! I hope you continue to make and love this delicious maple sesame granola! xo

Are you guys ready for best toasted maple sesame granola?! It’s the perfect EASY back pocket granola recipe that I promise you’re going to absolutely love.

It’s a riff of an older recipe that I have had on NK since 2015. Originally it was a recipe for skillet granola (aka stove top granola). And while it was also SUPER delicious, I felt like it wasn’t the most practical recipe.

The quantity for the original recipe was pretty small – it only made about 2 servings. And the success of the recipe was dependent on the skillet used. When re-testing the recipe I had such varied results with different skillets that I realized it was probably best just to go the old fashioned route of baking it in the oven.

Which means each now batch = more DELISH homemade granola + less fuss!

YAY!

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The best toasted maple sesame granola ingredients

One of the best things about making your own granola at home getting to decide what goes in it! So many store bought granola’s are loaded up with sugar and vegetable oils. Not usually what I’m going for in my breakfast or snack.

This granola is naturally sweetened with maple syrup which makes it sugar free. The maple syrup also gives it some major yummy vibes with all that warm maple-y flavor baked into every bite 🤤

The ingredients for this recipe are fairly simple, but when combined together and slowly baked in the oven they become heavenly. Nothing too fancy but the simplicity of the flavors shine through in all the right ways.

This granola is made with:

• Gluten free oats – Bob’s Red Mill is a favorite brand of mine for gluten free oats. They have a whole facility that is dedicated to processing gluten free ingredients. Oats themselves do not contain gluten, but because they are often processed in facilities that also process gluten containing grains, make sure your oats are certified gluten free if you have a gluten intolerance or sensitivity.
• Sunflower seeds – Look for raw sunflower seeds for the best result. Because this granola spends a decent amount of time in the oven previously toasted sunflower seeds may burn. Often you can find these in the bulk section of the grocery store, or can be purchased online.
• Sesame seeds – Same goes for the sesame seeds as the sunflower seeds – try and find raw sesame seeds for the best result. Usually found in the spice or bulk section at the grocery store, or can be purchased online.
• Coconut oil or avocado oil
• Maple syrup
• Cinnamon
• Sea salt – A key ingredient in bringing all the flavors together. I prefer my granola to be sort of sweet + salty, which is why the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon, but feel free to adjust to your own personal taste!

How to make this toasted maple sesame granola

I feel like homemade granola has a reputation for being difficult to make. Well this recipe my friends is here to prove otherwise. Simple yet delightful pretty much sums it up.

All you need for this recipe besides the ingredients is:

• 1 large mixing bowl
• A wooden mixing spoon
• Sheet pan for baking

That’s it!

Here’s the play by play of what comes next after you’ve gathered the necessary supplies:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir to thoroughly combine.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. 
4. Spread granola in a thin layer and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir. Return to the oven for another 15-18 minutes, until nicely browned and dry. Allow to cool completely and move to a jar or sealed container to store. 

BOOM. That’s how you make the most delicious granola. A granola that’s just begging to be added to your morning breakfast routine.

What does this homemade granola taste like?

Just going to get this out there: this granola is not the chunky / clustery variety, but that doesn’t make it any less delicious. It’s a fairly crisp granola, with just the right amount of bite to satisfy. Because this granola isn’t the chunky kind, each individual piece get’s coated in maple + cinnamon flavor.

I don’t discriminate when it comes to granola and ALSO love a good nut studded granola cluster, but there’s something about this recipe that’s got me hooked.

It’s perfect in a bowl with some nut milk and fruit, over a yogurt parfait, or sprinkled on top of your favorite smoothie (more on that in an upcoming post!). And if you’re thinking about warming up some of those roasted apples to serve with vanilla ice cream? Well you might just want to sprinkle a few tablespoons of this stuff over the top, too.

Been there, done that. So good.

And the crunch and flavor factor is so 100 you won’t even be thinkin’ bout any other type of granola 😉

This toasted maple sesame granola is:

• Toasty + crisp
• Full of maple flavor
• Laced with cinnamon goodness
• Beyond easy to make
• Naturally sugar free
• Gluten free
• NUT FREE (if made with avocado oil)

A few notes on the recipe

• This recipe is naturally gluten free, sugar free, vegan, and nut free as long as you use avocado oil for your the fat.
• The granola will lose some of it’s crisp bite if left out uncovered. Keep it in an airtight container for the best storage. If it seems to have softened for one reason or another just pop it back into the oven on a baking tray at 350 for about 4-5 minutes until crisp again. 
• I like my granola to taste sort of sweet / salty, which is why there’s a whole teaspoon of salt listed in the ingredients. If you want it to be less on the salty side you might want to start with about 1/4 teaspoon sea salt and adjust to taste from there.

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