Matcha Granola (Gluten Free + Vegan)

by Rachel Conners on May 9, 2016 (updated Jan 7, 2021) 23 comments »

This Matcha Granola has clusters of oats, coconut flakes, almonds, and pepitas tossed with earthy matcha powder. Whether you enjoy it over yogurt or by the handful, this gluten free and vegan granola probably won’t last long.

Hi from the sky! I’m currently cruising at over 10,000 feet in the air, en route from Seattle to San Francisco for a few days to spend time with my sister and my mom. I spend a lot of time on airplanes – I’m probably on a plane at least once a month, and it’s some of my most productive work time.

With my earbuds in, music blasting, and no chance for distraction via Facebook or Instagram or a phone call from one of my parents, I can focus and get more work done in the hours while I’m hurtling through the air at unnatural speeds than I can in the same amount of time sitting at home, at my desk.

Being cut off from the world does wonders for my focus…except for that one time that the guy sitting next to me decided it was his personal duty to make comments on all the photos I was editing, and kept leaning over to give me grammar tips while he watched me write. It was not appreciated – personal space is already limited on planes, bro.

Thankfully, the girl next to me is happily passed out with not a care in the world about what I’m doing, or editing, or writing (and damn, that would’ve been awkward to write if she had been reading it, huh?). On that note, let’s talk about matcha! If you haven’t ever had or heard of matcha, it’s a kind of green tea.

However, it’s a super antioxidant packed version of green tea that has some major nutritional benefits. Average green tea does have antioxidants, but matcha has 137 times the amount that traditional steeped green tea does. It’s because instead of just steeping the tea leaves, you’re actually consuming the whole leaf and your body is receiving all the nutrients in it.

Matcha tea leaves are ground into a powder, which is traditionally than combined with water using a special whisk to make the power tea. I discovered the joys of matcha after I decided to ween myself off coffee last year, and switched my Starbucks order to a green tea latte. I quickly became obsessed with the creamy, earthy drink and started making them at home too, but it took a while for my matcha powder to make it’s way into something other than a drink.

And now that I’ve tried it…I’m going to be matcha-ing everything! I wasn’t sure how matcha would be with granola, and I was a little hesitant to try it, but I’m SO glad I did because this matcha granola is everything.

The granola recipe is straightforward and comes together super quickly, like all my granola recipes. You could have it in the oven in 5 minutes, easy. The base of the granola is rolled oats and flaked coconut – the flaked coconut is so good here and tastes perfect with the matcha powder! I also added a combo of sliced almonds and pepitas, but you can use your favorite nuts or seeds – I love the extra splash of green color the pepitas add though!

The granola is sweetened with maple syrup, though honey could also be used if you’re not vegan. The granola is baked up until golden and crispy, and it’s not until after the granola is baked that we add the matcha powder. By tossing the granola in the powder after it’s baked, we amplify it’s earthy flavor and make the most of that bold green color.

This coconut matcha granola is crunchy and sweet with the perfect amount of grassy green tea flavor. Add a sprinkle of matcha granola to your yogurt parfait or acai bowl, or snack on it by the handful like I’ve been doing 😉 enjoy!

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Remember to #bakerita if you try the recipe!