Easy Grain-Free Granola is made with nuts, seeds and nut butter. It’s crunchy, sweet, full of healthy fats, and delicious on its own or on top of yogurt.

Healthy snack recipes are my jam these days, and my current obsession is this grain-free granola. 

You know how the saying goes: if you keep healthy food in your fridge (or in this case, pantry), you’ll eat healthy food. Keeping this granola around is absolutely a good idea, not only because it’s delicious but because it’s good for you, too!

While granola is good on its own, it’s even better on top of yogurt, cottage cheese or eaten as cereal, kind of like my chocolate chickpeas and this homemade Nutella.

Recipe features

• Made without oats or whole grains and instead utilizes nuts and seeds as the base for the BEST texture.
• This granola is gluten free, vegan, dairy free, and paleo.
• It can easily be customized based on what you have in your pantry. 

Ingredients

Coconut – Shredded coconut or thick coconut flakes add texture to this granola; I recommend unsweetened coconut as the granola itself is already sweet enough. 

Nuts – I used a combination of almonds, pecans and walnuts; however, feel free to substitute your favorite nuts instead. 

Seeds – Pumpkin seeds and chia seeds add nutrients and texture; you could also use sunflower seeds if you’d like to add a bit more saltiness to the mix. 

Sweeteners – Maple syrup, almond butter, coconut sugar, and cinnamon sweeten the granola, and the nut butter plus coconut oil help to bind everything together so you end up with nice clumps. Honey can be used in place of maple syrup if you prefer. 

Add-ins – Ground flaxseed and dried cranberries were my add-ins of choice; see below for other options! 

Instructions

Step 1: Stir dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, stir the coconut, almonds, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, ground flaxseed, cinnamon, sugar, and sea salt together. 

Step 2: Whisk wet ingredients. Add the maple syrup, coconut oil, and almond butter to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until the oil has melted, then stir everything together until the mixture is smooth. 

Step 3: Combine and bake. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined. Spread the granola onto a large baking sheet that’s been sprayed with nonstick spray and bake for 15-20 minutes or until it’s slightly golden on top. Optional: With 5 minutes left, add the dried cranberries or other optional add-ins.

Step 4: Cool. Remove from the oven and allow the granola to cool completely, which will allow it to harden and become the correct texture.

Tips and tricks

• I opted to spray the baking sheet with nonstick spray. If you’re worried about the granola sticking, opt to line your baking sheet with parchment paper instead.
• The health benefits of granola are undeniable, but this one in particular is full of healthy fats from the nuts and fiber from the seeds.
• If you want to add oats to this, opt for gluten free rolled oats and don’t add anymore than 1/2 cup as to not alter the dry to wet ingredient ratio. 

Optional add-ins:

• Dried cherries
• Mini chocolate chips
• Raisins
• Chopped freeze-dried strawberries

Can this be made with less sugar?

Yep! As written, the recipe calls for 1/4 cup maple syrup and 2 tablespoons of coconut sugar. However, if you want to cut down the sugar, you can omit the coconut sugar altogether and the recipe should still turn out the same. I wouldn’t omit the syrup, but if you want it to taste less sweet, you could use liquid monk fruit or stevia instead. 

Storage

Room temperature: Store cooled granola in an airtight container or jar on the countertop or in the pantry for up to 6 months. 

Freezer: Wait for granola to cool, then transfer it to a freezer-safe bag. Just be sure to thaw it at room temperature for 1 hour before eating. 

More granola recipes

• Lavender Granola
• No Bake Paleo Granola Bars
• Cinnamon Raisin Granola

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!