This Hemp Seed Granola is unbelievably easy to make and tastes better than store-bought! With just 9 ingredients and about 30 minutes, you can be enjoying this homemade granola as a topping for yogurt or by the handful straight from the jar.
This homemade vegan granola is great to meal prep for a week of easy and delicious breakfasts.
Try it over plant-based yogurt, smoothie bowls, or with oat milk and fresh fruit.
Make a big batch of granola before a busy week and breakfast practically makes itself!
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Ingredients
This hemp granola is the perfect breakfast for those busy mornings. It's easy to make, filling, and completely customizable.
It's made with pantry staple ingredients including hemp seeds, pecans, maple syrup, cinnamon, and extra-virgin olive oil.
Old-Fashioned Oats: If you're gluten-free, make sure you get certified gluten-free oats. I don't recommend quick oats, use rolled oats.
Nuts: I went with a mixture of pecans and walnuts but feel free to switch it up and use what you already have.
Hemp Seeds: Also known as hemp hearts. Hemp hearts come from the Cannabis Sativa plant and are the soft inner part of hemp seeds once they're shelled. They do not contain CBD and THC though so no need to worry about getting high.
Maple Syrup: Pure maple syrup is best.
Olive Oil: Add oil makes the granola crisp and crunchy. I don't recommend skipping it.
Cinnamon & Salt: Cinnamon is always delicious in granola and this hemp seed cranberry granola is no exception! Salt balances the flavors but won't make your granola salty, promise.
Dried Cranberries: I love adding dried cranberries but you can omit them and add chocolate chips, coconut shreds, or other dried fruits.
See recipe card for quantities.
Helpful Equipment
Homemade granola doesn't require anything special.
You'll need parchment paper, a large mixing bowl, baking sheets, and a spatula.
How to Make This Recipe
Store-bought granola is convenient but often overpriced.
This homemade version can be made to fit your preferences and is much more cost effective. It's also more delicious in my opinion!
It's easy to make and will make breakfast time a breeze!
The full recipe is detailed in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350F. Combine the old-fashioned oats, hemp seeds, pecans, walnuts, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Toss to combine.
Step 2: Pour in the olive oil and maple syrup.
Step 3: Stir until well-combined and all the dry ingredients are evenly coated.
Step 4: Line a large baking sheet or two smaller baking sheets with parchment paper and spread granola in an even layer.
Step 5: Bake until lightly golden brown, about 22 to 25 minutes. Stir halfway through the baking time so it evenly browns.
Step 6: Let the granola cool slightly then toss in the dried cranberries.
Continue to let cool completely.
Note: Your granola need to be a little crowded in the pan so they can stick together but not so crowded that they don’t toast evenly.
Substitutions & Variations
You can add anything you like when making homemade granola. This hemp seed granola recipe is completely customizable.
It's a great way to use up odd amounts of leftover nuts and seeds in the pantry.
Nuts: I used a mix of walnuts and pecans but cashews, hazelnuts, peanuts, and almonds would be delicious!
Seeds: Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, or chia seeds can be used in replace of nuts if you'd prefer.
Seasonings: This recipe uses cinnamon but nutmeg, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, or cardamom would be warming and great in this granola. Measure with your heart.
Dried fruit: Raisins, apple chips, banana chips, coconut shreds, dried pineapple, etc would work great. I recommend adding dried fruit after baking but before the granola cools. Add coconut shreds halfway through baking to get lightly golden.
Chocolate: Chocolate chips are always a great idea! Add them after the granola is down baking but before it cools.
Serving Ideas
There are numerous ways to serve granola.
Serve it in a bowl with your favorite plant-based milk and fresh fruit or get more creative and make a parfait.
This granola is great on top of yogurt, smoothie bowls, or chia pudding.
Tips & Tricks
Wait to add the mix-ins: After baking, add in ingredients like dried fruits or chocolate chips. Wait until the granola has cooled slightly to prevent them from melting.
Use parchment paper: Line your baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the granola from sticking.
Use 2 small baking sheets or 1 large. Your granola need to be a little crowded in the pan so they can stick together but not so crowded that they don’t toast evenly.
Customize it to your preference: Feel free to experiment with different flavors and ingredients.
Stir occasionally: While baking, stir the granola halfway to ensure even toasting.
Watch it close: Granola can go from perfectly toasted to burnt pretty quickly. Every oven is different so keep a close eye on it, especially during the last few minutes of baking.
For granola clusters, gently press down on the granola with the back of a spatula after stirring the mixture at the half-way baking point. Then put the pan back into the oven to finish baking.
Don’t bake the granola too long. It should be lightly golden and dry to the touch. It will continue to crisp up as it cools.
Storage
Storage: Once the granola is completely cooled, store it in an airtight container or glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 weeks.
Freeze: Granola is freezer-friendly! Store leftover granola in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most of the time it's fine at room temperature however I prefer to store mine in the fridge in an airtight container.
Yes, the granola will continue to crisp up as it cools. It won't come out of the oven completely crispy but that's what you want! It should be lightly golden.
At the halfway point, toss the granola and the pat it down with a spatula. Once it's out of the oven, let it cool completely before breaking it up.
Hemp hearts or hemp seeds come from the Cannabis Sativa plant and are the soft inner part of hemp seeds once they're shelled. Even though they come from the same plant as CBD and THC, hemp hearts don't contain either. No need to worry about getting high!
More Breakfast Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
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Recipe
Hemp Seed Granola
Ingredients
- 4 cups Old Fashioned Oats
- 1 cup Hemp Seeds
- ½ cup Chopped Pecans
- ½ cup Chopped Walnuts
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt see note
- ½ cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- ½ cup Maple Syrup
- ½ cup Dried Cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Combine the old-fashioned oats, hemp seeds, pecans, walnuts, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Toss to combine.
- Pour in the olive oil and maple syrup. Stir until well-combined and all the dry ingredients are evenly coated.
- Line a large baking sheet or two smaller baking sheets with parchment paper and spread granola in an even layer.
- Bake until lightly golden brown, about 22 to 25 minutes. Stir halfway through the baking time so it evenly browns.
- Note: Granola can go from perfectly toasted to burnt pretty quickly. Every oven is different so keep a close eye on it, especially during the last few minutes of baking.
- When done, the granola should be lightly golden and dry to the touch but will continue to crisp up when it cools. Be careful not to over cook it.
- Let the granola cool slightly then toss in the dried cranberries.
- Continue to let cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the fridge for to 2-3 weeks.
Notes
Disclosure: This page contains some affiliate links. Please know that I may receive a percentage or commission from a link included on this page, at no extra cost to you. I will only ever recommend a product that I have used and believe has substantial value to my readers.
Clare says
This granola was amazing! So easy to make, delicious and so much better than store brought!!
I loved it!!!
Liv says
Thank you!! 🙂