Blueberry Maple Almond Granola – Oil Free!
These crunchy granola clusters are giving blueberry maple syrup pancakes on a fall morning in vermont. My secret ingredient is what really sends this recipe over the top! Made without oil, eggs, dairy, or gluten.
Jump to RecipeFlavor NOtes
almond croissant | blueberry pancakes | maple syrup
Pairing Suggestions
backyard gardens | tuesday mornings | coconut yogurt
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How to Make Oil Free Granola
Most granola recipes will call for upwards of half a cup of oil, but I’ve found that the oil is totally unnecessary. Yes, you can get yummy, crunchy granola clusters without oil!
To replace the oil in this recipe, we’re using two different fruit purees. The other modification is swapping in liquid sweetener for white or brown sugars. Liquid sweeteners like maple syrup, agave, or honey (if you’re not strictly vegan) will help bind the granola “dough” together and add to the caramelization process. This means crunchy clusters, all without the added oils!
Why Make Oil Free Granola?
Oil has it’s place in baking recipes, certainly. Butter does, too. There are some things that you just can’t and shouldn’t replace. Granola is often seen as a health food, but many varieties have the nutrition profile of a cookie! Omitting oil (and replacing it with fruit) makes granola truly healthy by my standards.
Added oils carry with them a heavy dose of calories, fat, and pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids. Just one tablespoon of vegetable oil has 120 calories and 14 grams of fat with zero protein and zero fiber. Similar to refined sugars and white flour, oils have no healthy fiber and therefore take little to no time to enter circulation without any satiety cues.
Portion control! Without oil, the serving size for this granola is literally DOUBLE what it would be for the same amount of calories in a version that uses oil. So more granola, more antioxidants, less calories, and less guilt. It’s a win-win-win-WIN in my book.
Ingredients for Blueberry Maple Almond Granola (oil free)
Oats: old fashioned rolled oats – be sure to choose a gluten free brand if you have a serious allergy. I love Bob’s Red Mill.
Almond flour: a touch of almond flour helps bind the ingredients to create those crunchy clusters
Sliced almonds: Make sure to get them sliced, not slivered. They add healthy fats and texture to the granola. You can replace with another nut, but the almonds are really the best choice for this recipe.
Maple syrup: to make this a refined sugar free granola recipe and to add plenty of flavor. Fun fact – maple syrup also contains calcium, potassium, and magnesium!
Banana: a ripe mashed banana acts as the oil replacer in this recipe
Blueberries: blending fresh blueberries with the banana gives a lovely speckled appearance to the baked granola, plus, it helps replace the oil
Sea salt: a must-have any time you’re using oats in a recipe. A little bit goes a long way!
Vanilla extract: it sets the cozy, sweet, dessert vibes
Almond extract: the secret ingredient to making this batch of granola absolutely irresistible
ADD INS
Dried blueberries: The finishing touch is a handful (or two!) of dried wild blueberries. They sound bougie, but they’re super affordable if you pick them up from Trader Joes!!
Recipe Card
Blueberry Maple Almond Oil Free Granola
Equipment
- 9 x 13 baking sheet
Ingredients
Dry
- 2 ½ cups old fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 1 tsp sea salt
Wet
- ½ cup (scant) maple syrup
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 lg banana
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
Add Ins
- ⅓ cup dried blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 and line a 9×13 baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, almond flour, almonds, and salt
- Add the banana, fresh blueberries, maple syrup, almond and vanilla extracts to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and stir to coat
- Spread the granola in a single thin layer over the lined baking sheet
- Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes
- Flip the granola over, try to keep the granola in large, unbroken sections
- Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes (until desired shade of golden brown is achieved)
- Let cool before breaking into smaller clusters. The granola will harden up as it cools
- Toss in the dried blueberries or any other add-ins
- Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 6 days
Notes
Did you try this recipe? Let us know how it went in the comments section below!
