Easy Gluten-Free Granola Recipe

by ALEXA

This Easy Gluten-Free Granola recipe makes for a convenient and quick breakfast. Serve it with milk or atop a bowl of yogurt.

Before diving into today’s recipe, I’d like to bring your attention to a recent post over at Gluten Free Easily, Grieving Gluten: The Five Stages or Loss of Gluten Plus a New One. If you or someone you love has recently been diagnosed with celiac/gluten intolerance, a food allergy or any medical condition that requires substantial modifications to diet, I strongly urge you to read it. Shirley reassured me that the stages of loss I felt when we had to modify our son’s diet were real, normal and—okay. And that had I not gone through each and every stage, I may have never made it to “embracement”—seeing the diagnosis as a blessing, being thankful for it and what it has done for our son’s health, and the health and future of the entire family.

Early on, one thing I remember grieving was “convenience.” The pre-packaged, gluten-free food on the shelves of the grocery store was insanely expensive and really—well, not all that healthy. And with my son’s little body needing nourishment, I knew I had to do better than to replace the gluten and dairy he could not have with empty starches and gobs of sugar (which, unfortunately, are found in most processed gluten-free foods).

Frustrated, I set out to find recipes for make-ahead meals that would offer some of the convenience I had grown accustomed to before our change in diet. I started making and freezing sausage patties, fermenting four quarts of yogurt at a time, preparing ready-to-blend smoothie fixings and baking large batches of granola like the recipe I am sharing today.

It gets easier, you find your groove. I promise!

Easy Gluten-Free Granola

Gluten-Free | Casein-Free | Citrus-Free | Corn-Free | Dairy-Free | Egg-Free | Fish-Free | Nightshade-Free | Peanut-Free | Potato-Free | Rice-Free | Shellfish-Free | Soy-Free | Wheat-Free | Sesame-Free | Yeast-free | GFCF | Vegetarian | Vegan

Makes: 6 cups
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20-30 minutes

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups raw WALNUTS
1-1/2 cups raw CASHEW NUTS
2 cups uncontaminated rolled OATS
1 cup QUINOA FLAKES
1/3 cup COCONUT NECTAR or honey (see Notes)
1/3 cup GRAPESEED OIL, light olive oil or liquified coconut oil
20 drops vanilla LIQUID STEVIA (or use 2 additional tablespoons coconut nectar)
1 tablespoon VANILLA EXTRACT
1 teaspoon CINNAMON
1/4 teaspoon SALT
1/8 teaspoon NUTMEG (freshly grated is best)
1 cup unsweetened dried and shredded COCONUT

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300˚F.

Chop nuts (I pulse them in a food processor to a coarse meal for ease of digestion) and transfer to a large bowl. Mix in oats and quinoa flakes. Set aside.

In medium bowl, whisk coconut nectar, oil, stevia, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour wet mixture over dry and combine well. Spread evenly in a parchment-lined jelly roll pan.

Bake 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven, stir. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until crisp [check on it frequently as this granola has a tendency to get real toasty (aka burn), real quick]. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Stir in coconut and transfer to air-tight glass jar or container.

Notes:

Coconut Secret brand coconut nectar may be found out most natural grocers. Coconut nectar is lower glycemic (averaging 35). For more info, visit Coconut Secret.

As a precaution, some celiacs and gluten-intolerant among us do not tolerate oats. When purchasing oats, always buy certified gluten-free oats—oats that have not been cross contaminated with wheat on a production line.

For an easy nut-free option, consider a combination of sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds. And for added Omega 3 and 6, mix in a couple of heaping tablespoons of hemp seed along with the coconut. Unsweetened dried cherries are another tasty mix-in.

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10 comments

Pam June 21, 2011 - 12:23 pm

Throw me some dark choccie chips in there and I'm ready to go…..looks delish Lexie! Hugs!

Reply
Shirley @ gfe June 21, 2011 - 1:27 pm

Lexie, I was ooohing and ahhing over that beautiful photo and wishing I had some of your granola for breakfast when I saw my name and site. Then I read on. You are so kind, my dear friend, to share my post and your experience. I'm sure that at the time I told you what I always tell others (and firmly believe) that we can't get to where we need to be until we're ready. Yes, we get stuck and need kicks in the butt from time to time, but we truly have to work through these stages. Your examples of how you "regrouped" for living gluten free are perfect. We can't forget that along with convenience, we're looking for the best nourishment for ourselves and our little ones (we're usually so much better about taking care of the latter vs ourselves). This granola would make anyone happy, young or old, gluten free or not! I need some oats so I can make this recipe!

Thanks again, Lexie … you're the best! xo,
Shirley

Reply
@hilaryfleming June 21, 2011 - 1:53 pm

Lexie, this looks delicious, as always. I love that you used quinoa flakes. Im always trying to find ways to add those into my diet MORE because I love them so much. Also the coconut necter looks cool too. I actually bought some of that a ways back and have wondered how the heck I was going to use it. Thanks for the recipe.

Reply
Lexie June 21, 2011 - 2:43 pm

Ms Shirley, I have to thank YOU for this post. Seriously, that article was such a help to me and will be to many others. Almost daily I think of you and the gift you have been to the gluten-free world. You are a ray of light in my life.

I also have come to realize just what you said "we can't get there until we are ready." So true about any kind of loss. We can't get to the place of "ok" until we are ready.

Thanks so much for this post Shirley!

xoLexie

Reply
Lexie June 21, 2011 - 2:53 pm

Pam – Right there with you with the chocolate chips. : )

Hilary – Me, too …. always trying to find new ways to use quinoa flakes. They are so versatile. Just love them in the right things! And you are welcome!!

xoLexie

Reply
Mercedes @ Cultivating Consciousness June 21, 2011 - 3:31 pm

Yay! I love a good homemade granola!

Reply
Kim(Cook It Allergy Free) June 21, 2011 - 4:27 pm

Lex. I love your recipe. I make granola all of the time. I will be making yours next time, for sure! And that photo of it is just gorgeous! And I so agree with you. That post of Shirley's was wonderful. It is going to help so many people!
xo
k

Reply
Jeanette June 22, 2011 - 11:14 am

Lovely granola Lexie, and great post by Shirley. I remember panicking at first, not knowing what to make for my when we first discovered his allergies. You were one of the first people to help me, and I can't thank you enough! You helped me realize that everything was going to be ok, I just needed to start thinking about foods differently. Thank you so much Lexie for being such a compassionate, giving person.

Reply
Jeri June 26, 2011 - 4:57 am

I had everything but the coconut nectar and that was remedied with a trip to the market today. So, I will give this a go tomorrow. Looking forward to having it with some vanilla coconut yogurt. Thank you for the recipe and the lovely visual.

Reply
AimeeRobertson22 July 18, 2011 - 7:36 am

freelance writer

Reply

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