So many warming spices are packed into this chai granola! Plus, this delicious vegan granola recipe is oil-free and date-sweetened.
Vegan Chai Granola
Have you ever tried to cook something and you were 50% sure it wasn’t going to work out but then it comes out completely perfect and you’re just like, “put me on Chopped – I’m a culinary genius“?
That’s exactly what happened with this chai granola.
I’ll be the first to tell you I’m actually not the world’s biggest granola fan. In fact, I couldn’t tell you the last time I actually bought a bag of granola. I mean, how can you blame me? A bag of the good stuff can easily cost $7, meanwhile plain ol’ rolled oats are a fraction of that price.
So, I did what any creative food blogger would do – I decided to make my own. I marched to my pantry, grabbed a bunch of my staples and made it my mission to create a nourishing granola that’s still just as chunky and delicious as the bags of the store-bought stuff for a much lower cost.
This homemade chai granola is crunchy, chunky, full of warming, toasted spices and perfect for breakfasts or snacks. You’ll also be shocked to know that there’s absolutely no oil or added sugar in this homemade granola. Instead, we’re using a homemade date syrup to sweeten it up, which also helps it stay in those satisfying chunks. Once you give this granola recipe a try, you’ll never turn back to the bagged stuff.
Ingredients for Homemade Chai Granola
In most granola recipes, oil is used to crisp up the oats and hold the chunks together. In many oil-free recipes, maple syrup is used to both give it sweetness and replace the oil.
I love maple syrup (especially on pancakes!), but because it’s $13,492 a bottle, and because I’m having a serious love affair with dates right now, and because I love to challenge myself in the hardest way possible, I wanted to see if I could sweeten the granola completely with dates and get it to really crisp up. Spoiler alert: it works! Once you try this date-sweetened granola, you’ll never go back.
You don’t need a bunch of fancy ingredients to make your own homemade granola, which makes it a great way to save money at the store! Here’s everything you’ll need to make a batch of this chai granola:
- Dates. I love medjool dates for this granola recipe.
- Oats. You’ll want to use rolled oats for the best texture.
- Nuts. You can use any kind you’d like! I used pecans, almonds, and walnuts.
- Spices. For that classic chai spice flavor, you’ll want cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, allspice, cloves, nutmeg and a pinch of salt.
- Almond butter. Feel free to use another nut butter if you prefer.
- Vanilla extract. Just a little goes a long way to make this homemade granola taste like a chai latte.
- Almond extract. To me, this is the secret ingredient that takes the flavor over the top. It adds a warming depth of flavor that you’ll want to start adding to all of your baked treats.
How to Make Homemade Granola
The key to this chai granola is the homemade date syrup. It’s sticky, sweet and lends a caramelized flavor to the granola. It also means we don’t need to add oil or added sugar to it!
- Prep and preheat. Set your oven to 325F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the date syrup. Add the pitted dates to a bowl, cover them with boiling water and let them sit for 5 minutes. Drain the dates, saving a 1/2 cup of water, and add to a blender. Pour in the reserved 1/2 cup of water and blend until smooth.
- Make the granola mixture. In a large bowl, add oats, nuts, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, allspice, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Stir to combine.
- Combine the wet ingredients. Stir the almond butter, vanilla, and almond extract into the homemade date syrup.
- Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until the date mixture is evenly incorporated into the granola. Then pour the granola onto the baking sheet in an even layer.
- Bake the granola. Allow the granola to cook for at least 20 minutes. For a chunky granola, do NOT mix the granola, rotate the baking sheet in the oven and let it cook for 10 more minutes. If you want a looser granola, stir the granola around in the pan and bake for 10 more minutes.
- Let it cool. Pull the granola out of the oven and let it cool on the pan for 5-10 minutes to finish crisping up.
How to Store Homemade Granola
The key to keeping your granola fresh is making sure to store it in a completely air tight container. I like containers that lock on the sides so you can make sure that there isn’t any air sneaking in. An old jar with a tight lid can also work – recycling for the win! If you want to store your homemade granola at room temperature, it will stay fresh for 2 weeks.
I sometimes like to make a double batch and freeze it to have twice as much granola for the same amount of work! If you plan to freeze it, make sure it’s sealed tight and it will stay fresh for 3 months.
More Vegan Granola Recipes
I hope you get to try this granola for yourself so you can fangirl over all of those delicious chunks of sweet & spicy goodness. If chai spices aren’t quite up your alley, give a few of these other homemade vegan granola recipes a try!
- Maple Walnut Granola
- Chunky Monkey Granola
- Vegan Almond Coconut Granola by Vegan Richa
- Easy Tahini Granola by The Conscientious Eater
- Peanut Butter Cup Granola by From My Bowl
- Chocolate Cherry Granola by Plant Based RD
Vegan Chai Granola
So many warming spices are packed into this chai granola! Plus, this delicious vegan granola recipe is oil-free and date-sweetened.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup pitted dates
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts (I used pecans, almonds, and walnuts)
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons almond butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Soak your dates. In a small bowl, add dates and cover with boiling water; set aside for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, add oats, nuts, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, allspice, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Stir to combine.
- Drain the dates. In a blender or food processor, add dates and 1/2 cup water. Blend until smooth. Stir in almond butter, vanilla, and almond extract.
- Slowly pour the date mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir until the date mixture is evenly incorporated into the granola. Pour granola onto the baking sheet in an even layer.
- Bake for 20 minutes. If you want a looser granola, stir the granola around in the pan and bake for 10 more minutes. For a chunky granola, do not touch; let it cook for 10 more minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes.
