Healthy, Sugar Free Granola Recipe (Vegan Apple Pie Granola)

Full of cozy fall flavors this sugar free granola recipe is loaded with fresh apples and cinnamon. Likewise, this apple pie granola is easy to make and the perfect snack for kids. With a chewy texture and made from nuts, seeds, oats, and spices this healthy granola is perfect as is or as a topper!

Ways To Use This Sugar Free Granola Recipe

While I’m a fan of just grabbing homemade granola out of the fridge and shoving it in my mouth (this crunchy granola being the best), there are better ways to make it into an actual snack 😉

• use an actual bowl and add some plant-based milk! We use this apple pie granola in place of cereal
• top off a smoothie bowl
• use the healthy granola in a yogurt parfait or on top of overnight oats

Truly, any way you make use of this sugar-free granola recipe will be delicious!

Don’t want to read? JUMP to the recipe!

Scaling The Sugar Of The Granola

“Sugar-free” is a hot term and one I struggle to use. To me personally, sugar-free means that I am not adding additional sugars. While I use a lot of natural sugar (like honey and maple syrup) in my recipes, to me that’s still not sugar-free.

So, this apple pie granola does technically contain sugars (from the apples themselves and the dried fruit as carbohydrates break down into sugar). However, no additional sugar shave been added.

This means while the vegan granola is delicious it’s not overly sweet. Furthermore, if you don’t care about the sugar aspect, adding in 1/4 cup of maple syrup to the nut butter before mixing definitely tastes delicious!

Much of this is simply about preference.

Texture Of The Healthy Apple Pie Granola

Due to the fact that this granola recipe uses real apples, it’s not overly crunchy.

Instead, it’s chewy! Between the oats and the apples, this granola comes out chewy more than anything which is perfect for younger kids. While you could cook it longer in an attempt to crisp it up, I wouldn’t.

Cooking the granola longer than advised tends to give a “burnt” taste to the coconut.

Dried Fruit & Substitutions

I’ve been making homemade granola for years and here’s a secret: there’s no one way to do it! It’s really about mixing a bunch of nuts, seeds and grains in one bowl and a bunch of sticky stuff in the rest.

Thus, there’s a lot of substitutions you can make!

Large flake toasted coconut I personally think that this gives the sugar-free granola more texture so I always opt for it. However, regular shredded coconut would work too!

Dried fruit apples and cranberries go together just so perfectly. That said, applied pie with raisins is delicious too. use the dried fruit you have.

Cashew butter was used because it’s decadent. Any nut butter will work

Walnuts/Almonds – it also tastes delicious with pecans so feel free to swap some in if you have them!

Hack: if you need one last reason to make this granola it’s because it smells amazing. Seriously, leave the fresh vanilla bean on the tray while it cooks and your house will be perfect for company!

How To Store The Healthy Granola Recipe

I store this sugar-free granola in the fridge simply because it has fresh apples in it. Store it in a sealed container and grab some when you need it. The granola is fine at room temperature for a while but I wouldn’t leave it out more than a day.

Also, it’s not a great recipe to freeze. Because the apple pie granola is chewy in texture it tends to get soggy once frozen!

Ingredients In The Apple Pie Granola

• 3/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup Walnuts
• 1/2 cup raw almonds
• 1 1/4 cup large toasted coconut flakes
• 1/3 cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
• 1 cup gluten-free regular oats
• 1/2 cup rice puffs or more oats
• 1.5 tablespoons Cinnamon
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 3tbs coconut oil (measured solid)
• 1/3 cup cashew butter
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 inch vanilla bean
• 1 apple (3/4 cup) peeled and grated

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

• Mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Silicone spatula
• Baking sheets
• Veggie Peeler
• Measuring spoons

How To Make The Sugar Free Granola Recipe

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Combine the almonds and walnuts in a food processor and process until chunky (leave pieces for texture!)

In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients up to and including the cinnamon (note: I used to make this recipe with bee pollen which is what you see in the picture)

Melt the coconut oil in the microwave and combine with the cashew butter, vanilla and applesauce. Whisk until smooth.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir briefly.

Add in the shredded apple and mix until everything looks a bit wet.

On a large tray with parchment paper, spread out the granola into a thin layer, and press down with a silicone spatula. You want to press down firmly to try and keep the sugar-free granola somewhat stuck together versus spread out.

Bake for 12 minutes then stir the granola, pressing it down again.

Bake another fourteen minutes until granola is starting to brown (it won’t look quite done yet)

Remove from oven and let sit for one hour to firm up before moving.

Makes roughly 3 cups.

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Healthy Apple Cinnamon Granola Recipe (gluten-free & vegan)

Full of cozy fall flavors this sugar-free granola recipe is loaded with fresh apples and cinnamon. This apple pie granola is easy to make and the perfect snack for kids. Made from nuts, seeds, oats, and spices this healthy granola is perfect as is or as a topper!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 26 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 36 minutes

Servings 12 servings

Calories 288 kcal

Author Fit as a Mama Bear

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup walnut halves
• 1/2 cup raw almonds
• 1 1/4 cup large toasted coconut flakes
• 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup regular oats
• 1/2 cup rice puffs or more oats
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1.5 tablespoons cinnamon
• 3 tbs coconut oil measured solid
• 1/3 cup cashew butter
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 inch vanilla bean
• 1 apple 3/4 cup peeled and grated

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
2. Combine the almonds and walnuts in a food processor and process until chunky (leave pieces for texture!)
3. In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients up to and including the cinnamon.
4. Melt the coconut oil in the microwave and combine with the cashew butter, vanilla and applesauce. Whisk until smooth.
5. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir briefly.
6. Add in the shredded apple and mix until everything looks a bit wet.

7. On a large tray with parchment paper, spread out the granola into a thin layer and press down with a silicone spatula. You want to press down firmly to try and keep the granola somewhat stuck together versus spread out.

8. Bake for 12 minutes then stir the granola, pressing it down again.
9. Bake another fourteen minutes until granola is starting to brown (it won't look quite done yet)
10. Remove from oven and let sit for one hour to firm up before moving.

Recipe Notes

Use large toasted coconut flakes (not just shredded) for the ideal texture.

The nutrition uses oats in place of rice puffs. I believe rice puffs are lower in calories though.

Makes 3 cups worth of granola and a serving size is 1/4 cup. Grab all the ingredients you need from my Pantry Staples

Nutrition Facts

Healthy Apple Cinnamon Granola Recipe (gluten-free & vegan)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 288 Calories from Fat 207

% Daily Value*

Fat 23g35%

Saturated Fat 11g69%

Sodium 7mg0%

Potassium 246mg7%

Carbohydrates 19g6%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 8IU0%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 42mg4%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Fall is one of my favorite seasons for anything apple flavored (though to be honest, I make apple pie granola year-round. Why limit it to just one season?!). Because it’s real food-based, this healthy, homemade, sugar-free granola recipe is the perfect snack to whip up! Apple pie granola makes for an easy breakfast, snack, or topper for busy moms and kids.