Healthy Maple Pecan Granola with Rolled Oats

Name: Healthy Maple Pecan Granola with Rolled Oats
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats; 1/2 cup rice crisp cereal; 1 cup raw pecans, roughly chopped; 1 tbsp chia seeds; 1 tsp cinnamon; 1/2 tsp salt; 2/3 cup maple syrup; 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted; 2 tsp vanilla extract

posted by Alex Aldeborgh, RD on Jun 16, 2023 (last updated 7/24/23) 4 comments »

Jump to Recipe·★★★★★5 from 1 review

Maple pecan granola is a vegan granola recipe filled with big clusters of oats and pecans – yum! This healthy homemade granola is packed with nutritious ingredients including rolled oats, pecans, chia seeds, and cinnamon. Naturally sweetened with maple syrup, it’s super easy to make and bakes up in about 35 minutes.

glass dish filled with maple pecan granola on a white backdrop, with granola clusters scattered around it with small bowls of ingredients

Homemade granola is always tastier than store-bought, and it is usually better for you. As a Registered Dietitian, I love making my own granola – have you tried my peanut butter granola, cinnamon granola, chai spiced granola, honey nut granola, or coconut cashew & almond granola?

This maple pecan granola recipe is so cozy and delicious. Rich pecans and sweet maple syrup compliment each other perfectly. You’re going to love adding it to yogurt bowls, eating it with milk, or just snacking on a handful when you crave something sweet.

This healthy granola recipe is baked in the oven on low heat, undisturbed the entire time. This is the secret to getting those big and crunchy granola clusters we all love to munch on!

This vegan granola recipe is easily gluten free – just use certified gluten free rolled oats. It makes a big batch of about 6 cups of granola.

Maple pecan granola ingredients measured out on a white backdrop

Ingredients in maple pecan granola

Old fashioned rolled oats: Rolled oats are the best oats to use for granola. They are wide and flat, offering a pleasant crunchy texture when baked into granola. Oats are an excellent source of dietary fiber and offer tons of nutrition benefits – read more about this below.
Rice crisp cereal: Rice crisp cereal is a welcome addition to any granola recipe (it’s in my popular cinnamon crunch granola) for it’s crispy, crunchy texture.
Pecans: Pecans are a rich, slightly sweet nut that taste amazing paired with maple syrup. They provide several nutritional benefits, including heart-healthy unsaturated fatty acids and fiber. More on that, below!
Maple syrup: Maple syrup is a liquid sweetener that is perfect for granola. It provides sweetness while helping bind the ingredients together. This recipe uses just less than 1 cup of maple syrup, so it’s just sweet enough.
Chia seeds: Chia seeds are nutrition powerhouses! They provide plant-based protein, fiber, healthy fats, and micronutrients. They have an undetectable taste in this granola recipe.
Coconut oil: Since coconut oil has a slightly sweet flavor, it’s my favorite oil to make granola with. Just 1/4 cup is all you need.
Cinnamon: Cinnamon, pecans, and maple syrup are a fantastic flavor pairing.
Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract enhances the flavors of this granola.
Salt: You’ll use just enough salt to enhance the flavors in this granola, while lending just a hint of salty-sweet flavor.

Looking for more healthy, flavor-packed granola recipes? Head over to this post for several delicious and nutritious granola recipes!

Kitchen tools needed

You need a medium sized mixing bowl, a wooden spoon for mixing, measuring cups and spoons, a medium sized baking sheet, and parchment paper.

How to make homemade granola

granola dry ingredients in a mixing bowl — 1. Add dry granola ingredients to a medium-large mixing bowl: oats, rice crisp cereal, pecans, chia seeds, cinnamon, and salt.

granola ingredients in a mixing bowl stirred up with a wooden spoon — 2. Stir the dry ingredients together.

granola on a baking sheet before baking — 4. Transfer granola mixture to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Spread into a single even layer.

Baked granola on a baking sheet — 5. Bake granola in the oven for 30-35 minutes on low heat. Do not stir or toss the granola.

granola clusters on a baking sheet on a white backdrop — 6. Let the granola cool completely, then use your hands to break it up into large clusters.

Serving suggestions

Granola is a delicious cereal to munch on dry or in a bowl with milk. You can also use it as a topping for a smoothie bowl or açaí bowl!

My favorite way to enjoy granola is with nutritious Greek yogurt and fresh fruit. Greek yogurt adds a boost of high-quality protein and fresh fruit adds fiber, making it a well-balanced and satisfying breakfast.

This granola would be DELICIOUS as a topping for my healthy frozen Greek yogurt.

How long does homemade granola last?

Store granola in an airtight container for up to two weeks on the countertop. If you keep it in your fridge it will last about 3 weeks!

Store homemade granola in a wide and shallow rectangular container – this keeps the clusters together better than a tall and narrow container.

Can you freeze granola? Yes, you can freeze leftover granola! Store in an airtight container with as little air as possible, such as in a silicone baggie. Freeze for up to 3 months. Eat it straight from the freezer, or let it sit out at room temperature overnight before enjoying.

bowl of maple pecan granola with a silver spoon and a cup of milk in the corner

Old fashioned rolled oats nutrition benefits

Oats are packed with nutrition benefits. They provide several nutrients, including dietary fiber, protein, and more! One half cup of dry old fashioned oats provides:

4 grams of fiber (15% of your daily needs)
5.3 grams of plant-based protein
0.186 mg thiamin (16% of your daily needs)
1.72 mg iron (10% of your daily needs)
11.7 mcg selenium (21% of your daily needs)
55.89 mg magnesium (14% of your daily needs)

Oats are a good source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Of the 4 grams of fiber in oats, about half is soluble fiber. This type of fiber is particularly important for heart health, because it can help lower cholesterol.

Pecans nutrition benefits

Pecans are very nutrient-dense. One ounce of pecans (about 1/4 cup) provides:

2.7 grams of dietary fiber (10% of your daily needs)
2.6 grams of plant-based protein
0.187 mg thiamin (16% of your daily needs)
0.34 mg copper (38% of your daily needs)
1.276 mg manganese (55% of your daily needs)
1.28 mg zinc (12% of your daily needs)

Pecans are also rich in heart healthy monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Eating a balanced diet with plenty of these unsaturated fats can help reduce inflammation, reduce the risk of heart disease, and lower “bad” LDL cholesterol levels.

glass dish filled with maple pecan granola on a white backdrop, with granola clusters scattered around it

Chia seeds nutrition benefits

Chia seeds are small but mighty when it comes to nutrition! Just two tablespoons of chia seeds provides:

5.5 grams of dietary fiber, primarily from soluble fiber (20% of your daily needs)
3.7 grams of plant-based protein
0.330 mg thiamin (28% of your daily needs)
78.79 mg magnesium (20% of your daily needs)
0.25 mg copper (28% of your daily needs)
129.04 mg phosphorus (18% of your daily needs)

A majority of the fat in chia seeds comes from omega-3 essential fatty acids.

This type of fat is essential in our diet because our bodies cannot produce it. Omega-3 fatty acids have heart health benefits, as they can decrease inflammation and help lower cholesterol levels.

Let me know if you love this post by leaving a comment or star rating below, and check out Instagram and Pinterest for more healthy lifestyle inspiration. Thanks for stopping by!