The Only Raw, Vegan Granola Recipe You’ll Ever Need

The Only Raw, Vegan Granola Recipe You'll Ever Need

Raw granola is one of the first dishes that many raw foodists try to make at home. It makes sense: granola is a crowd pleaser, and the raw versions don’t tend to taste all that different from the cooked ones, so it’s a great transition food. The downside is that dehydrators are usually called for; the upside is that raw granola offers more texture and more satiety than a smoothie (of course this depends on the smoothie), which means it’s a comforting and convenient breakfast option for those who are stumped for raw breakfast ideas (that doesn’t include CR readers, who get tons of breakfast ideas from yours truly!)

The fact that I did not attempt a raw granola until last week is pretty weird, given how popular the stuff is. And now that I have made it, I imagine it’ll become a habit, since I absolutely loved the results. As the title of this post suggests, I won’t be doing much to alter my recipe: it turned out wonderfully, at least to my taste. This granola is rich in protein, healthy fat, and just the right amount of sweetness, and it has a wonderful cinnamon flavor that enhances the whole dish. It’s also very easy to make, especially since most of the proportions work in thirds.

As usual, you can turn this into a regular oven recipe without any fuss. Just bake it at 350 until it has started to get toasty and crispy—I’d say about 30-40 minutes. Enjoy.

The Only Raw, Vegan Granola Recipe You'll Ever Need

Choosing Raw Granola (raw, vegan, gluten and soy free)

Yields about 3 cups

1 cup soaked and dehydrated buckwheat
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup dried, chopped apples
1/3 cup maple syrup (agave is also fine)
1 tbsp coconut or flax oil
2 tbsp water
1 tsp cinnamon
Dash nutmeg
Dash salt

1) Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

2) Whisk together the maple syrup, water, coconut oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Pour over dry ingredients and mix them well with your hands. If you’d like to make a sweeter granola, you can add another tbsp maple syrup, or a few drops of stevia; the amount listed is intended only to add gentle sweetness and to bind the granola together.

3) Dehydrate at 115 degrees for about 10-12 hours, or until granola is sticky but adhering firmly. Refrigerate till ready to use; this will help maintain crunch and texture!

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It’s heavenly with blueberries, bananas, and almond milk—not to be missed!

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Can’t wait for your reactions.

Apartment update! Not much has transpired since yesterday, so I’ll refrain from showing you progress photos that don’t earn the name. That said, my clothing and bedding has been (mostly) put away. Aside from my horror at how much clothing I own, this is a big accomplishment. So glad you guys like the new place as much as I do.

Hasta manana!

xo

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Categories: Breakfast
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, Raw

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    76 Comments
  1. Okay there’s a lot of hype surrounding this granola….and it is all completely justified! This is the real deal!

  2. I’ve been making this granola recipe for over a year now (minus the oil – and hey, it still sticks together!) and I still feel it really is The Only Raw Vegan Granola Recipe I need!! I LOVE this recipe – it’s everything I want in a granola – other recipes I’ve tried just don’t compare. I think it’s the buckwheat groats that do it for me. And with the maple syrup, it’s just fantastic. I’ve been enjoying playing around with variations like adding dried bananas (homemade in a food dehydrator without the oil), roasted crunchy black beans, hemp seeds etc! I always share it with friends and they love it. A go-to recipe when I need to bring a party snack or give a little gift. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

  3. The recipe is fine, first one I found. But why in the world do I get adds for Manscape Ball deodorant in between a tasty recipe.
    Not sure if I should laugh or be grossed out. Abut distasteful in recipies may I say.

  4. So yummy! I tweaked a few things based on what I had on hand. Your recipe inspired me to try buckwheat groats for the first time. THanks!

  5. Phenomenal! I just pulled this deliciousness from the dehydrator and it is SO good. I love the absence of nuts in this recipe. And the sweetness is just right. Thank you!

  6. Hi!
    This granola looks amazing!
    I just have one question: the aples should be placed in the dehidrator still raw and let them “dry” with the other ingredients, or you put them already dried in the dehidrator?
    Thanks!

      • Hi Gena!
        Thanks for your reply!
        Just one more thing: don’t you think that the buckwheat groats (and the apple) could be dehidrated along with the other ingredients instead of dehidrating them first and then make the granola?
        Could agave work as well as the maple syrup?
        Thanks!

  7. Yay! I made raw granola! Thanks for the recipe, Gena. You are helping me use my under-utilised food dehydrator. I made a few adjustments to make more FODMAP-friendly (i.e. eliminating the dried fruit and reducing the maple syrup accordingly), but it still turned out great! Next is the cocoa raw-nola (or the kale raw-nola, if I am feeling very bold!).

  8. This is the perfect granola! I’ve made it many times now. I actually like to quadruple the recipe and freeze the extra. I have tried adding more maple syrup, but I think the measurements are perfect and and don’t need any adjustments. Thank you!!!

  9. This granola is scrumptious! Didn’t have dried apples but that didn’t stop me… used dried apricots instead. Flavor is spot on deliciousness in your mouth! Lovely recipe, my dear! Merry Christmas, Gena! <3

  10. This looks absolutely delicious! I appreciate that it varies from the oat based ones. Can’t wait to try this recipe. Thanks so much!
    blessings, Judith

  11. I am going to try this and keeping my fingers crossed because all I have is dried buckwheat in the box (had a devil of a time finding it).

      • I meant to let you know back in November….THIS IS THE BEST granola I have EVER made!!! I truly enjoy this with yogurt and make it quite frequently…thank you so very much!

  12. Made your Granola recipe today however can’t claim mine is Raw although it is divine!
    I very gently heated (on lowest gas) coconut oil, maple syrup, water, cinnamon (1tsp), nutmeg & salt for about 30secs then mixed this into dry ingredients & popped in fridge for 4 hours…I crumbled small pieces over my coconut yoghurt for dessert & demolished!

  13. I made this and its delish! The only thing is, I think I went overboard on the coconut oil because it’s overpowering the cinnamon taste. Next time I think I will omit the coconut oil. But still delicious, especially with organic bananas and coconut milk. Yum,!

  14. Hi! I just came across this recipe and love the sounds of it. Just wondering about the dehydrating the buckwheat. Could you tell me how long to soak it for and how long does it go into the dehydrator? Can’t wait to give it a try.
    Thank you in advance.
    Uli

  15. This looks so good! Was wondering if the buckwheat needs to be pre-sprouted before hand? Because I realise the buckwheat in your pictures have no “tails”?

    • Nope, Sheryl. I simply soak, rinse, and then dehydrate my buckwheat–I don’t bother with the sprouting. Hope this helps!

  16. This looks great. We just got a Ronco dehydrator with temp. control and 4 trays for about 70.00 online. One question: we like to backpack. Could this get any drier and still be good?

    • You can definitely try dehydrating it longer to see how it turns out, Lorrie. Usually more dehydration time can’t hurt.

  17. I made the buckwheat sprouts. Do I need to dehydrate the buckwheat sprouts before adding the additional ingredients and then dehydrate the entire thing? Or do I mix the sprouts and then dehydrate everything one time?

  18. Your yummy receipt is dehydrating as we speak.. it is so good I keep eating it under the guise of “stirring” it. I substitued ginger for nutmeg because I LOVE ginger. And it is amazing. Got a zing to it..

    I made some nut based granola with some nice citrus peel in it which was good too but I like that this is buckwheat based. Lots of protein and not quite so heavy.
    Merci!!!

  19. I just bought a dehydrator but I’m completely new to it – can you explain more specifically how to prepare the buckwheat and the dried apples for this recipe? Thanks-
    Michele

  20. Your passage; “As usual, you can turn this into a regular oven recipe without any fuss. Just bake it at 350 until it has started to get toasty and crispy—I’d say about 30-40 minutes. Enjoy.”

    …I would add “HOWEVER, if you choose to bake, cook this dish at any temp exceeding 111 degrees, it will no longer be considered RAW, as you will have destroyed the beneficial enzymes in the food, rending it now ‘cooked’, ‘dead’, ‘an empty calorie’, just so you know.”

  21. This looks absolutely delicious. I have a dehydrator question: How do you pick one? I have seen several, but just wanting to jump into raw foods I want to make sure I invest in the proper one. I would want to make granola, crackers, fruit leathers, etc.
    Any advice you have is welcomed.

  22. Thank you for all your help. I am new to raw and looking for basics. So thanks again. One quick question, where can one read about the soaking and dehydrator 101?

  23. Wow! This granola looks amazing, your pictures are making me drool! I have to make this very soon. Thank you very much for posting this recipe!

  24. I also just found your site and could not be happier! I’ve been experimenting with gluten-free granola recipes and have been dying to make one using buckwheat. Top it off that it’s raw and I’m in! Can’t wait to try this yummy recipe this weekend.

  25. Just found you – but already tucked you into my blogroll. WOW! Just the images makes me hungry…! Sounds absolutely divine. Thank you for sharing! 😀

  26. Gina, I am hooked! Thank you! I have tried several raw granola recipes, and this one is by far the easiest and best tasting. I made a single batch, ate about half of it off the dehydrator, and immediately began soaking enough buckwheat for a double. 🙂 I have so enjoyed your blog! I live near DC and look forward to gleaning from your discoveries and insights into scrumptious vegan/raw eats in the city. 🙂 Wishing you a smooth transition and settling! Welcome to the area!

    • It’s been a long time (2011) since you made your statement. Things might have changed by now. If not… keep the faith! It took me a matter of about five years before I finally got both my Vitamix and my dehydrator. Save up what you can from those tax refunds.

  27. This looks delightful. I can’t wait to try it. mmmmmmm. Granola is the one thing I miss the most about going raw. This is so great. Thanks you!

  28. this looks amazing!! a dehydrator is so on my list!

    question (maybe this is obvious but I don’t know!): do you soak then dyhdrate the buckwheat yourself, or do you buy them that way?

  29. I LOVE raw granola. And I’m not even a raw foodist 😉 it’s just so good! The texture is amazing.

    I’m sure you’re making lots of progress with the moving!! It just sometimes doesn’t feel like it because there’s so much to do!

  30. Now that you live here, I can so justify hunting you down and demanding that you feed me breakfast, right? Because honestly, I can’t seriously consider turning on the dehydrator when it’s this hot.

    I just made raw granola last week too, and I have to admit it was great, but it used a ton of expensive nuts. I think your version is much more wallet friendly.

  31. That looks absolutely amazing! I really want a dehydrator but they’re kinda pricey. I think I’ll be saving up for one though, I’m not completely raw by all means but I think with a dehydrator I’d definitely eat more “raw” foods…..like kale chips! yum!

    • Hey Christina!
      I just ordered a Nesco Professional 600w from walmart.com and it totaled (shipping included) to be about $60. so that isn’t too pricey!

  32. Oh, my! This looks like the perfectly clumpy, balanced granola I’ve been craving and I have every ingredient…fingers crossed the oven method turns out as nicely. Excited!

  33. Love me some raw granola! But I don’t have a dehydrator 🙁
    Since you said we could make this using an oven, how long & at what temp do you suggest baking the buckwheat for in order to get it to the desired dehydrated consistency? Also, would we still soak the buckwheat?

    THANKKKKKS 🙂

  34. I *need* to get a dehydrator. There are soo many raw recipes that I want to try, and I know I can use an oven, but it’s just not the same. Either way, though, this looks dreamy.

  35. I can’t wait to get my braces off so I can try this recipe! I made buckwheaties a few weeks ago, and LOVED them, but they killed my teeth! I’ve missed granola since going gluten free 5 years ago. Thanks for an amazing-looking recipe.

  36. Congratulations on your new beginning, Gena! I’ve heard DC is a great place to live. I was wondering, any recommendations on dehydrators? I don’t have much counter space and I don’t want to spend a huge amount of money… I just feel bad letting all of this juice pulp go, even if it is composted! (and I wouldn’t mind having a new kitchen gadget to play with 😉

  37. I love granola that stays chunky instead of falling apart (but I hate the word chunky). Rather, I love granola that stays in big pieces (that’s better). This looks delish. Wait! Clusters! That’s the right word! This looks wonderfully clustery. And bananas make everything better. Yum.

  38. The recipe looks great! The first time I made raw granola I sprouted buckwheat groats. I much prefer just soaking and going from there — especially with this mini-heat wave as I’m terrified of sprouting in this hot house (say no to mold!) Can’t wait to try it.

  39. I love when you have grandiose titles like this because I know you don’t take these things lightly and you can totally back it up. I have everything to make this in my pantry…well, except the dehydrator, so thanks for the oven instructions as well!

  40. I’ve made raw granola once before, not sure what to expect. It came out the dehydrator, my friends tasted it, and said, “is that all you made?”. Now that I know I love it and it keeps well, I triple or quadruple the recipe to make sure the dehydrator is packed full. If the dehydrator is going for that long, I make sure every tray is used. How nice that the dehydrator isn’t humming away in your bedroom any more!

  41. Amazing productivity you’re modeling over there!

    I’m just waiting for my dehydrator any day now and granola for my husband is close to top of the list of ‘to-makes.’ He’s just recently been finding that oats give him a tummyache, so this might be perfect. He also claims to hate buckwheat, but I’ve seen him eat store cereal (um, kashi?!–obviously buckwheat) without realizing the buckwheat, so maybe if I don’t tell him he’ll like it.
    Thanks so much for sharing!
    love
    Ela

  42. Looks tasty! It doesn’t look well-combined…do you find that buckwheaties can combine well with seeds and fruits? Or maybe it is time for me to store this away for a day my tummy settles down because lately it has been unhappy 🙁

    I’ve been trying to think of a well-combined granola…so far I’ve come up with buckwheaties, coconut shreds, and banana. Are there any other mixins you can think of that would work with that?

    Oh! And your place looks amazing — I bet putting away the clothes was a lot of progress! Don’t seel yourself short!

  43. Congrats on getting most of your clothes put away. That is HUGE progress.

    And again, can’t believe you’re breaking out real posts, i.e. full on recipe posts in the midst of a move. You rock. Or rawk. <—I usually refrain from that word, but the raw granola recipe is rawkin' 🙂

    I love that you used apples in it,too. Mmmmm, good!

    And all those seeds. Yay for that and you know what I also love: no nuts! I do love nuts like the rest of the world, but in raw cooking and baking they tend to be a bit over-used so I love seeing sweet-ish or breakfast-ey type recipes, sans nuts. And full of blueberries and apples. Yummy!

  44. This recipe looks spectacular. Let’s get real; anything with blueberries looks spectacular, but this looks extra-special. Yum!