Aquafaba Granola (Oil-Free!)

I loved having an oil-free option and I appreciate how careful you are with sugar. I just made these with the aquafaba I had and followed the idea of blooming the Chia seeds in the aquafaba and bloomed them in it a little. I only had two cups of whole oats, so I added one more cup of steelcut oats. (All the slow cook variety). I forgot the 1/4 cup of coconut sugar, but that was fine. I put maple syrup on the table for those who wanted something sweeter. I added blueberries and banana at the end and we ate it with almond milk. It was definitely a baked breakfast feeling. And I thank you again for your recipes. You have taught me to be confident in my cooking. Now, my 85 year-old mother has started to use your blog. Thank you for showing us that we can nurture loved ones through healthy cooking. To health!

LOVE this granola! It’s the only one I’ve made that stays crisp & crunchy, even in Houston weather. Super easy & delicious! Tip: If you find organic canned garbanzos on sale, grab them – the aquafaba whips up very quickly & easily.

I made this with 1/3 cup of cocoa powder and omitted the cinnamon. I also used more aquafaba than recommended. Tasted great for all you chocolate lovers!

I may not use another granola recipe again. This was delicious! It was a bit on the sweeter side but I always had more of a sweet tooth anyway. I think I kept it in the oven for around 30 minutes and it turned out great.

This is so unbelievably simple and so delicious! I love the clarity in your recipe.

I have made this several times and it always comes out absolutely perfect!! I double it and store some in the freezer. It’s super crunchy and not too sweet; just wonderful!
Oh….And I’ve never whipped the aquafaba, I just stir it right in and it crisps beautifully! Thank you!

I turned the oven off after 23 minutes or so and let the granola crisp up in the cooling oven. We ate it with milk and it tasted just like store bought! So now I’m trying to figure out how much I’ve spent over the years on granola cereal….never again!

BRAVA! SO YUMMY

THIS is the granola recipe I’ve been looking for!! I’ve tried making granola a few times, but it never came out as crispy and flavorful and “granola-y” as the ones you get at the store. I happened to have aquafaba on hand because I just made some chickpeas last week and wanted to try a recipe using it to see if it actually works. Plus, I’m trying to make my good quality oils last as long as possible (they’re expensive), so if I could use something I would’ve initially thrown out instead, then = win/win.

It did take me the full 10 minutes of whipping the aquafaba with a handmixer, but did finally froth up! Not quite as clean and sparkling white as the photo, but close enough :)

Then I subbed 1/2c quinoa for the coconut since I wanted more protein and your quinoa granola recipe said 1/2c, so that was an easy swap. Then I fill my 1 cup scoop about halfway with chopped walnuts, then a few handfuls of pumpkin seeds on top, and the rest of the way with some chopped cashews for a total mix of 1 cup. I also used the vanilla – wouldn’t have been the same without it.

I cut out the coconut sugar and just used the maple syrup ’cause I don’t like things to be overly sweet, upped the cinnamon to 1 1/2tsp, and added raisins after it came out of the oven and cooled = yummiest cinnamon-raisin granola ever!

Now I’m excited to start using this as a base for other flavor combinations!

Thank you so much!!

I rate this awesome recipe a five star! I’ve made it several times. I used all the water from 1 can of chickpeas. (About twice as much, as recipe calls for) It always turns out great! Thanks ?

I make this most weeks but sub in different things. It’s a brilliant recipe! I used stevia as a dry sweetener instead (but less of it) which works really well to reduce the sugar too =)

Have I mentioned that I make a batch of this granola every two to 3 weeks? It’s different every time since I use what ever nuts, etc I have o hand. I pretty much have coconut yogurt banana and granola every morning. Thank you.

Forgot to leave a rating for this recipe definitely 5 stars!

Just started making my own yogurt in my instant pot and I was looking for a nice granola to complement it. This is it! It is nice and crunchy, great flavor. I had run out of cinnamon so I subbed apple pie spice. Absolutely had no problem thawing out some frozen aquafaba and whipping it up. Thanks for another great recipe!

I made this granola today. It is definitely “kind of addicting”! I followed the recipe as written and didn’t have any issues whipping the aquafaba as other have commented. It is crunchy but not chunky. Would more aquafaba make it chunky?

We love this recipe! Easy, delicious, not-too-sweet. I make a batch every time we use chickpeas! It always turns out nice and crunchy.

Besides the house smelling so good, this granola was amazing. I wanted Oil free & to control sugar and your recipe was perfect It was also my first time baking with aquafaba. Thanks.

The granola made from this recipe is fantastic in flavor and texture :) I’ve made it multiple times. I do use a bit more aquafaba than called for. (I use what comes from 1 whole can of chickpeas, which can vary.)

I have been nervous about cooking w/aquafaba but decided to go for it w this granola. It made mixing the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients so easy! Delicious and crunchy too!

I made this granola last night and I loved it! It’s easy to put together and so, so delicious. At first I was put off by whipping the aquafaba, but it was so simple and whipped up in no time flat. I have been searching for a simple oil-free granola recipe for a long time and I finally found it. Thank you!

Definitely a new favourite! I left out the coconut flakes and added some sunflower seeds, tastes very light, sweet and is super crunchy. Really great and super simple recipe, thank you so much for sharing!

Love this recipe! I’ve made so many times with different flavors and addins. Only change is, like other commenters mentioned I don’t whip the Aquafaba- works great! Thanks!

This was delicious, used a little less coconut sugar and left out coconut, vanilla and dried fruit. Chopped up almonds….yum!!! Making another batch today, I think I’ll add all that stuff this time. Didn’t have a lot of success with aquafaba but I’ll give it another go this time and see if I can get some peaks? Thanks for all your amazing recipes!!

This is a tasty and easy recipe. If you are used to granola with oil, this version doesn’t have the richness, but it’s very good and better for you. The Aquafaba does allow for a nice coating and clumps and chunks to form, chunks are very important. I’m fussy about granola and this recipe ticks a lot of boxes, crunchy, sweet, salty and healthy (if you don’t eat too much, like I might have). Thanks for sharing!

I made this granola yesterday and literally cannot stop snacking on it! I tend to make up my own granola recipes with whatever is on hand but I’m pretty sure this will be my new go-to! Perfect amount of sweetness and the crunch is on point :-) Thank you for another great recipe!

Hi Dana-I have made this twice now and it is absolutely delicious. Thanks for the great recipe!

The recipe is exactly what I’ve been looking for as I find granola with oil is a bit heavy for breakfast. Came out crunchy and very flavoursome. Might use less sugar next time but that’s just my own preference :)

My husband loves granola but the recipe he likes has oil. I tried this recipe an he did not even notice there was no oil. Thank you for a great oil free granola.

I was very excited to try this recipe, and followed all the instructions to the teeth, only to find a burned granola after 20 minutes of the batch with the recommended temperature.

This is the most delicious granola that I have ever eaten. The level of sweetness is just perfect and the complexity of the flavors is amazing. Thank you for this great and so simple recipe!

Awesome and crunchy. Amazed by how yummy the aquafaba was! So happy to have a lower fat granola recipe. It was a little sweet so I may cut the sugar back next round. I have already recommended this recipe and will definitely make it again. The only drawback is that it is a little addicting. Thanks for the recipe! Ps Teenager approved, as well !

Customized the oats just with cashews and raisins while sticking to the rest of the recipe and BAM! Turned out brilliant. Great crunch and perfectly roasted nuts, awesome!

No need to whip the chickpea brine! I used it straight from the can. Super yummy. THANK YOU for another recipe to add into our rotation.

Delicious and clumpy! I left out the coconut sugar and it turned out great (though not as sweet, of course, but that’s what I was going for). If you like clumps, I think you can get away with using a bit more aquafaba than the recipe calls for and *not* stirring it all during cooking and cooling.

We normally use your nut and honey granola recipe and it’s amazing but this has been a wonderful alternate as we use a lot of chickpeas and I normally just toss the aquafaba down the drain! I cut the sugar a tad (3tbsp) and add in pumpkin and sunflower seeds and do a mix of almonds/walnuts/pecans for the nuts. I add 1 tbsp of cocoa. I also use honey instead of maple syrup.

Made this twice, it’s very good and easy to make.

Delicious, made it for the first time and had to make adjustments because some ingredients were missing. I was using the pan for the first time (didn’t have parchment paper) so I added a teaspoon of coconut oil just in case. It turned out amazing. I love it, super crunchy, tasty and it passed the test with someone who really dislikes oats in any shape or form. Thanks for all your amazing and inspiring recipes. I love them all!

I’m not anti-oil by any stretch but do like the idea of not needing to use it in stuff like granola. This recipe is the third no-oil granola I’ve tried and it is hands-down the best. Texture is wonderful and flavour is outstanding—almost buttery with zero beaniness. We only had two cups of oats and so I subbed in an extra cup of nuts and seeds, and added a bit of cardamom, but otherwise followed exactly.

I made this yesterday & had some for breakfast this morning – absolutely delicious. Thank you for your wonderful, creative recipes

This granola is delicious! I don’t like chia seeds so used hemp seeds and doubled or more flaxseed meal. Also cut down the sugar to one Tbsp.

Another great recipe, really genius to substitute oil with aquafaba, thanks Dana! I’ve made it a couple times now, and it turns out great every time. A quick time saving tip: I found that the aquafaba whips up so much faster in a blender. After only 2 minutes on normal/medium speed, it has the same consistency as whipping it with an electric mixer for 10 minutes ;) although small amounts do not form as firm peaks as it should, it still works and gives the perfect crunch to the granola. I have a batch in the oven right now, sweetened with date syrup, looking forward to trying that!

I made this today, and it turned out yummy. I was hungry for granola and didn’t want to buy it at the store where all offerings have added oil. This is so good I don’t miss the oil at all. I’ll definitely make it again. Thank you for posting!

Very nice and crunchy granola, would make it again!

Hi Dana,

I made this recipes a couple of times now and am amazed by how crunchy this granola is! Honestly, who would’ve thought that you could achieve so much crunch without any oil?! I want to try and experiment with the recipe and maybe sweeten it with a date paste – might have to cook it a bit longer but I think it could work :) Thank you so much for the recipe, it is delicious!

You’re the best!

Dana, thanks for another great recipe for those of us avoiding oil. I was skeptical, but I just took my Pam from the oven…and it’s delicious! So crunchy..and I used 1/2 cup of sliced almonds and 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds for the nuts. I also had the coconut shards from Trader Joe’s that add a lot of flavor and crunch too. This is a keeper!

This was wonderful! Due to a combo of laziness and lack of ingredients I also made 3 shortcuts that people might want to know about – rather than using chopped nuts/chopping them ahead of time, I just threw some nuts, seeds and oats into the food processor and pulsed. I omitted sugar altogether. Then I skipped whipping the aquafaba; just whisked it with the vanilla and maple syrup and folded it into the dry ingredients. It crisped up just fine…I’m sure it would have been even better if I had followed the instructions, but I don’t plan on finding out due to previously mentioned laziness!

Thanks for the oil-free recipes!

Pure heaven.

Love this granola and the lower fat content.

My house smelled like a waffle-cone factory while baking and I feel like I’m indulging whenever I dive in for a fistful of this healthy yummy granola.

Best granola recipe ever! I dumped some extra cinnamon in, used a mixture of almonds, pecans, and sunflower seeds for the nuts, about 1 T maple syrup and 1/4 tsp Stevia with vanilla. Smelled amazing and tastes even better. I had just tried and failed a different granola recipe using aquafaba, so I was so excited to see this recipe in my inbox a few days later!

This was my first time making granola and it was easy to make, perfectly crunchy and delicious! Great recipe!

WOW. I made this without nuts and used ground flax instead of chia seeds. It’s incredible! Sweet and comforting and really fantastic texture. This is my first time using aquafaba too- I worried about any after taste, but this flavor is fantastic. LOVE IT.

Dana, thank you…this is absolutely genius! Just took this out of the oven…it’s delicious. I used sliced almonds, pepitas and coconut shards for my add ins. I have been looking for a way to enjoy an oil free granola that still had crunch..and this is it!

This turned out great! Crunchy, flavourful, satisfying and fresher tasting than granola made with oil. I skipped the sugar and as I had no maple syrup i substituted it with rose syrup. I also added some grounded flax seeds and freeze dried berries. Will make again! Thank you!

Hello – I’m a huge fan of yours but have never left a comment before so I’m being brave. I have your free book and I also bought your Everyday Cooking book from Amazon and, although nothing of mine ever looks like your photos :-) the food always tastes good. So, onto the granola, I made this today and although I had to use loads more aquafaba than the recipe suggested, and forgot the maple syrup, the end result is amazing. Thank you so much for all your hard work in producing really brilliant recipes.

This way the most successful oil free granola I’ve made! I’ve tried pureed fruit, baby food or diluted honey but they were TOO crunchy, too brown, never quite right. This was nicely browned, crisp and just sweet enough. This is it! No more searching? Thank you!!!!!

Came our great as far as texture for the granola. Nice and crunchy! A little sweeter than my personal preference, so I will probably omit the coconut sugar next time or just use less than 1/4 cup.

I love this recipe! I don’t like coconut, so substituted in some various nuts and hemp seeds. It is delicious and will become a staple in my kitchen. Thank you!

We are eating chickpeas all the time, so we always have aquafaba at hand – this stuff is magic (want to try your vegan mayo soon, btw :D)! And instead of simply replacing the empty granola box with the supermarket stuff we usually buy for our daily oatmeal, I just made a batch of this. Cooling down right now, but already smells delicious and I’m guessing it will become a staple around here. Thanks so much!

Totally fantastic recipe! I used more nuts and seeds and less oats, and am absolutely jazzed with the results. Crunchy, toasty, absolutely perfect. It is all I can do to keep away from just eating it dry by itself as a snack!

If this recipe doesn’t secure your position as a goddess, I don’t know what will. I subbed pumpkin seeds for the nuts, which came out amazing. And my house smells so good!

Delicious! And very easy. I love using the aquafaba instead of oil — adding all that oil to granola always felt odd. This granola is wonderful with yogurt and fruit — I’ve been enjoying it every morning since I made it a few days ago. Many thanks for this easy, tasty recipe.

THis granola is seriously amazing! I was a little dubious of the idea but OH MY it works!
I blitzed up walnuts and some mixed seeds instead of chopped nuts and desiccated coconut.
This is my new go-to granola recipe, looking forward to experimenting with different flavours too! Thank you!

I made this granola and it turned out delicious!!
I was curious to see how it would turn out with the aquafaba, and it turned out great!
Thanks Dana for this simple and yummy recipe!

Just pulled this out of the oven :) I used agave nectar instead of maple syrup to cut down on the glycemic index a bit more. I’m also planning to use a mixture of dried blueberries and cherries once it cools. Thanks for the great recipe!

I just made this granola and am pleased to report that it was very successful! Super crunchy! I feel like you read my mind – I have been looking for a health granola recipe for some time and had not found one without oil that still crisped up. I actually cut the salt and dry sugar in half, and it was still delicious, so I have no doubt the recipe as written is even more delicious! I was kinda scared about the aquafaba b/c I have had some aquafaba fails :( but I just sprinkled in a little cream of tartar, and it whipped right up (I used the liquid from Bush’s organic chickpeas). Thanks for the keeper!

Made this today, and loved it. Thanks so much. I’m thinking of using it as a crisp topping on a hot peach/ blueberry filling.

This was amazing!! I was skeptical it wouldn’t be crunchy, but I was wrong. I didn’t miss the oil at all. My husband loves it too.

Loved the fact that I can indulge in granola without worrying about oil content.
However, I felt the with-oil version was a bit tasttier (maybe because it had added flavor from coconut oil?). I would still make this again :)