Time to upgrade your pantry, snack and breakfast routine, your grocery budget, and (by extension) your best munchie life with the very best Gluten Free Granola!
Granola used to lure me at the grocery store. Attractive, smartly packaged bags in assorted flavors promised that if I bought them (and casually ignored their less-attractive price tags), I’d be fit, healthy, and sure to live the kind of active life I associate with REI commercials.
One look at the back of those same bags reveals a different story. Most store bought granolas contain an excess of added sugar and oil.
Sure, store bought granola is delicious, but 99% of the time, when I choose to eat granola, it’s because I want to snack on something that is both delicious and healthy.
That’s where DIY gluten free granola comes in!
This recipe is a spinoff of my core, go-to healthy granola recipe.
This homemade gluten free granola recipe is:
- Ridiculously Easy to Make. Can you stir a few things together in a bowl, and then spread them onto a baking sheet? GOOD. You can make granola.
- Good for You. 100% whole grain goodness, plus healthy fats. This recipe is also refined-sugar free.
- Easy to Adapt to Any Diet. As written, this granola recipe is gluten free and dairy-free. I’ve also included notes to make it vegan. Need nut free granola? Just leave out the nuts, and add more seeds or other mix-ins of choice.
- OUTRAGEOUSLY DELICIOUS. Either plan to share it with everyone in the house or hide the container for yourself…I actually had to hide it from myself to get the batch to last more than a few days.
Ingredients in Gluten Free Granola
- Oats. I recommend rolled oats (also called old fashioned oats) for the best texture. Quick oats are more pulverized and not as conducive to giving your granola a fabulous, crunchy texture. Steel cut oats will be too tooth-crackingly hard. Rolled oats are the best for homemade granola.
- Flaxseed Meal. Hello, omega-3s and vital nutrients! Be sure to use GROUND flaxseed meal, not whole flaxseeds, as your body needs the flaxseed ground to absorb the nutrients (or you can grind it yourself).
- Pumpkin Pie Spice. In my baking lately, instead of individually measuring out cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and the other spices pumpkin pie spice contains, I’ve been using the classic blend. It’s a stellar shortcut that I wish I would have tried even earlier. This granola does not taste like actual pumpkin spice (it’s more classic). For a true pumpkin experience, check out my Pumpkin Granola recipe instead.
- Coconut. The secret to this gluten free granola’s addictive properties. When toasted with the oats, it’s obsessively good.
- Pure Maple Syrup or Honey. It was important to me that this be a gluten free granola with no sugar (the refined kind). If you are looking for the most budget-friendly option, gluten free granola with honey is less expensive. If you love maple, or you want the gluten free granola recipe vegan as well, use pure maple syrup.
- Coconut Oil or Light Olive Oil. Both are fantastic. 1/3 cup is the magic amount.
- Egg White. My secret to using less oil and still ending up with delightfully crunchy granola with crispy clusters. (I’ve also included a vegan gluten free granola option in the recipe below.)
- Pure Vanilla Extract. A generous pour.
- Mix-ins. Any kind you like! See below for ideas.
Best Gluten Free Granola Mix-ins.
Homemade granola is a great way to use up the odd bits of nuts, dried fruit, and other items you have lurking in your pantry. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- Nuts. Be sure to use raw nuts, as they will toast in the oven with the oats, and you don’t want them to burn. A mix of almonds and pecans is my favorite.
- Dried Fruit. Wait to add this until the end so that the fruit doesn’t burn. If the fruit is small (like dried cranberries or raisins) you can leave it whole. If you are making gluten free granola with dates, or another larger dried fruit like apricots, chop the fruit into smaller pieces first.
- Seeds. Pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are both sooooo yummy in granola. Add them with the nuts.
- Chocolate Chips. Obviously. Be sure to let the granola cool completely before adding them so that it doesn’t burn.
Ingredient Intelligence: Are Oats Gluten Free?
- Yes, oats are gluten free. The oat grain, on its own, does not contain gluten.
- What causes gluten issues with oats is that there is often cross contamination in factories where the oats are produced. If you are making this gluten free granola for someone who cannot have any gluten whatsoever (someone with celiac, for example), be sure you are using certified gluten free rolled oats like these
Storing Gluten Free Granola
One of the best things about making a big batch of granola is how long it lasts! If you can keep your hands off of it anyway.
- To Store: Your gluten free granola will keep for 1 to 2 weeks, if placed in an airtight container in a cool, dry spot.
- To Freeze: This granola can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Place it in a resealable freezer bag, and push out any excess air before placing in the freezer.
More Fantastic Homemade Granola Recipes
- Crock Pot Granola
- Gingerbread Granola
- Looking for gluten free granola bars? Try these yummy no bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars.
Crispy, crunchy, and sweet, but not too sweet, this stellar gluten free granola is here for healthy, happy snacking! Enjoy it for breakfast with yogurt, sprinkle it over ice cream for dessert (it’s phenomenally good on top of Baked Peaches), and be sure to snitch generous handfuls in between meals.
Gluten Free Granola
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 20 servings (about 6 3/4 cups)
The most crispy and delicious Gluten Free Granola. This easy, healthy recipe is made with simple ingredients and is great for breakfast and snacking! See notes for a vegan option.
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Ingredients
- 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats use certified gluten free oats to ensure the granola is truly gluten-free; see blog post above for more info
- 1 cup raw nuts of choice I use a blend of pecans and almonds
- 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground pumpkin pie spice optional; or try a pinch ground cardamom
- ½ cup pure maple syrup or honey
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or light olive oil
- 1 large egg white whisked until frothy (see notes to make vegan)
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes or swap an additional ½ cup raw nuts
- ½ cup dried fruit optional; chopped if large (I used dried cranberries)
- ½ cup chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F. For the easiest clean up, line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, nuts, flaxseed, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir to combine.
- Pour in the maple syrup, oil, whisked egg white, and vanilla (do not add any of the coconut, dried fruit, or chocolate chips yet). Stir well until every part of the mixture is lightly moistened. Pour the granola onto the prepared baking sheet. With a large spoon or the back of a rubber spatula, spread it in an even layer, and lightly press it down.
- Bake for 12 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven. Stir in the coconut flakes. With the back of your spatula, spread the granola back into an even layer, and lightly press it down. Return to the oven, and bake 10 to 12 additional minutes, until it is very lightly golden and smells irresistible.
- Let the granola cool completely on the pan, undisturbed (at least 45 minutes). The granola will continue to crisp as it cools, and this will help the clumps set. Once cooled, top with the dried fruit and optional chocolate chips. With your fingers, break the granola into clumps (if you aren’t in to the clumps, you can simply stir it). Munch away!
Notes
- TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE: Make sure you're using certified gluten free oats.
- TO MAKE VEGAN: Omit the egg white, and increase the amount of oil to ½ cup total.
- TO MAKE NUT FREE: Use seeds, such as pepitas, in place of the nuts.
- TO STORE: Store leftover granola in an airtight container in a dry, cool place for 1 to 2 weeks.
- TO FREEZE: Place in a sealed freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5cup (without mix-ins)Calories: 177kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 4gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gPotassium: 139mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gCalcium: 25mgIron: 1mg
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This was DELISH. Quick, easy, customizable. We enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Anita! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
it was so amazing tasting, and everone in my family absolutely loved it!
Yay! Thank you Adrianna!
Loved it! Was so easy to make and for the first time my gluten free granola came out crunchy and jot sticky! And I didn’t have to wait 45 min
Great to hear, thank you Michal!
My first time making granola! It was delicious! I added chia seeds and 2 cups of nuts instead of 1 cup. Thank you!
Great to hear! Thank you Marian!
I love your recipe but will stick to it microwaved sans CC (add it later)
I am currently eating a mixture of oats, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, nuts (using chopped walnuts), and dried fruit (raisins or dried cranberries)
I LOVE it for breakfast but eat it sans milk because
I am not only wheat intolerant (fortunately NO gluten problem) but dairy
(I have bottomed out on any NON dairy ‘milk’. ALL horrible.
I have come to love it. It is much like a hot granola bar
Thanks again for this recipe
Thanks Rosalee!
I have been making this once a week for months now. It is SO delicious and better than any store bought granola. So simple to make, I love this recipe so much! Thank you so much for sharing!!
Love it! Thanks Kaela!
You don’t say when to add the coconut oil, unless I missed it ??
Hi Deb! It’s in Step 3 after the maple syrup! Enjoy!