Since we don’t eat a lot of grains, I’ve had to get pretty creative to find alternatives to eggs for breakfast. We’ve donecottage cheese crepesandchia seed pudding. This coconut granola recipe was created in an attempt to find something new. If you’ve been looking for a healthy “cereal,” this is a good option.
Granola Without Grains?
Granola and I have had a love/hate relationship over the years. I hated it when I was younger and it was just some weird health food my mom liked. Then I liked it in college when I thought it was a health food. Once I realized that grains and my stomach didn’t get along so well, granola was on the bad list again.
As a result, we haven’t had granola or any other type of breakfast cereal in the house in years. This recipe was created at the request of my kids to eat something besideseggs for breakfast. (Fun fact: I was originally trying to make granola bars, but the first few tries flopped. The crumbly result was perfect as cereal.)
I wanted it to be nutrient dense, grain free, and relatively easy to make. So I started experimenting.
The Solution: Coconut Granola!
After giving it some thought, I decided to use unsweetened coconut flakes as the base for my granola. Coconut flakes are wider and flatter than shredded coconut. Kind of like the difference between fettuccine and angel hair pasta. It’s usually pretty easy to find coconut flakes in health food stores or co-ops. Try the bulk section for a great price.
I toss the coconut flakes together with some nuts and dried fruit and drizzle a mixture of honey, coconut oil, and vanilla over it, and bake it until crispy.
Keep a close eye on it though. It’ll go from golden brown to burned in seconds. And keep in mind that it’ll get crunchier as it cools, so don’t worry if it seems a little soft when it’s still in the oven.
This isn’t an everyday food, but I don’t mind my kids eating it with raw milk or homemade coconut milk, or evenhomemade yogurta few times a week.
Customizing Your Granola
The beauty of granola is that it’s so easy to customize it to precisely suit your mood and available ingredients.
Sometimes I like to add nuts, sometimes dried fruit, and sometimes it just feels like we all need a little chocolate (just don’t add the chocolate until the granola is cooled!).
During the summer months when fresh berries are in season, I leave out the dried fruit and toss in a handful of raspberries or blueberries before eating. Or serve it with sliced mango. Mmm. So many possibilities.This posthas some interesting ideas.
Coconut Granola Recipe
A coconut based granola recipe that is easy to make and is a grain-free sub for regular breakfast cereals.
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 25 minutes mins
Calories 515kcal
Author Katie Wells
Servings
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small saucepan, melt the coconut oil with the maple syrup or honey.
Heat until it is starting to bubble and simmer.
Stir in the vanilla.
In a large bowl, mix together the coconut chips, nuts, cinnamon, and dried fruit and chia seeds.
Pour the honey/maple syrup/coconut oil mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well. The consistency will vary some depending on the honey, coconut chips, and coconut oil you use. If there is not enough of the honey mixture to lightly coat all of the ingredients, add slightly more melted coconut oil and honey in equal parts.
Spread on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 15-20 until starting to brown. Keep a close eye on it to prevent burning.
Remove and let cool, then crumble in to granola pieces.
Store in an air-tight jar and use within two weeks.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Coconut Granola Recipe
Amount Per Serving (0.5 cup)
Calories 515Calories from Fat 396
% Daily Value*
Fat 44g68%
Saturated Fat 26g163%
Sodium 17mg1%
Potassium 385mg11%
Carbohydrates 28g9%
Fiber 12g50%
Sugar 10g11%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 128mg13%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Notes
There are endless ways to make this granola by changing up the kind of nuts, dried fruit, and sweetener that you use.
Granola: Love it or hate it? Weigh in below!
FAQs
Bake low and slow.
Cook at 300 degrees F slowly for about 30 minutes or until it is golden brown and toasty. Cooking at too high of a temperature will likely burn the honey coating, the oats, and the nuts. A lower temperature ensures even baking for crispy, crunchy granola.
What ingredient makes granola stick together? ›
Clumpy Granola Method: Add Whole Wheat and Almond Flour
First, it adds a combo of whole wheat flour and almond flour (or almond meal), which act as a binder to hold the oat mixture together. Second is the bakeware. This recipe opts for a 9×13-inch baking pan instead of the standard rimmed sheet pan.
Is eating homemade granola healthy? ›
On the downside, granola can be high in added sugars, hidden calories, and saturated fat, making some options less healthy. Choosing the right type of granola, controlling serving sizes, and homemade options can make granola a part of a healthy diet.
What ingredients should you avoid in granola? ›
Check the ingredient list, avoiding products that list sugar or sweeteners —including natural sweeteners like honey — within the first few ingredients. Instead, the first few ingredients should be whole foods, such as oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. You may also want to look for varieties high in protein and fiber.
What was the downside to granola as a food? ›
Potential Downsides
Granola may seem like it's all about the grains, but it often boasts a hidden secret: Lots of sugar. Sugar varies by brand, but one example is a popular brand of low-fat granola, which packs more than 1 tablespoon of added sugar per serving.
What is the best binder for granola? ›
Nut butter is a super flavorful fat that serves multiple purposes in granola. It acts as a binding agent—along with additional coconut oil and whatever natural sweetener I've chosen—helping to pull the dry ingredients together into a wet, sticky mass for baking.
How can I get my homemade granola to clump? ›
There are other ways to achieve clumpier granola. You can add more fat (in the form of butter or oil). If you're shooting for a somewhat healthy result, you can add some other binder, like an egg white or applesauce.
How do you keep homemade granola crispy? ›
Don't bake the granola too long—just until it's lightly golden on top, as described. It might not seem like it's done yet, but it will continue to crisp up as it cools. Over-baking the granola seems to break the sugar bonds. Lastly, let the granola cool completely before breaking it up.
Why is homemade granola better? ›
Advantage homemade. Both granolas have whole oats as their main ingredient, but the Kellogg's is high in refined sugar and contains palm oil. The homemade version contains protein-rich pecans and uses only a small amount of honey, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. It took me an hour to make granola from scratch.
What is the healthiest way to eat granola? ›
Smoothie with Granola
Try adding it to your favorite smoothie to give it an extra boost of fiber from the whole grains, healthy fats and added flavor. It's also an easy way to increase calories in a smoothie. Personally, I think it would be a delicious addition to my Strawberry Peanut Butter Smoothie!
First, press the granola into an even layer before you put it in the oven. Then, stir it only once halfway through cooking. For really good clumps, press down on the finished granola before it cools and avoid jostling it on the pan until cooled completely.
Is granola better for you than Oatmeal? ›
Which One Is Better for Breakfast? Both oatmeal and granola make for a healthy, nutritious breakfast, but the winner for us is granola—the added nuts, seeds, and dried fruits give you a source of fiber and healthy fats that oatmeal can't quite compete with.
Does homemade granola spike blood sugar? ›
Because granola contains carbohydrates, it can spike blood sugar levels in some people with diabetes. However, whether or not granola spikes your blood sugar levels, and how quickly it may cause a blood sugar spike, will vary depending on what type of granola you eat and what you pair it with.
Which is the healthiest granola? ›
When Consumer Reports evaluated the protein, fat, fiber, added sugar and calories per serving in 38 granolas, these seven options emerged as the healthiest choices: Back Roads, Ancient Grains (unsweetened) Bear Naked Granola, Fruit & Nut. Kind Healthy Grain Clusters, Raspberry With Chia Seeds.
How to keep homemade granola crunchy? ›
Don't bake the granola too long—just until it's lightly golden on top, as described. It might not seem like it's done yet, but it will continue to crisp up as it cools. Over-baking the granola seems to break the sugar bonds. Lastly, let the granola cool completely before breaking it up.
Why is my granola still soft? ›
If your homemade granola isn't crunchy then it's most likely because it needed to bake longer. Also, be sure to store the granola in an airtight container. Leaving it out, particularly if the climate is humid, can cause granola to lose some of it's wonderfully crunchy texture.
How to make granola crunchy again? ›
A Hot Oven Is the Secret to Reviving Stale Granola
All it takes is spreading the granola in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and heating it in a 400 degree oven for five minutes — essentially re-baking it.
Does homemade granola harden as it cools? ›
NOTE: The granola will clump and harden while cooling - not during baking. Allow to cool before stirring in the raisins, cranberries, or craisins. If stored in an airtight container, your granola could last for 2 weeks.
