Healthy Homemade Granola Recipe (Free of Dairy, Gluten & Refined Sugar)

Granola is one of my favorite crunchy sweet treats.

You can eat it as cereal, use it as a topping or just toss it in a portable container to snack on while traveling.

Unfortunately, most of the pre-made granola sold in stores is loaded with sugar, has unhealthy fats and is packed with health-sabotaging ingredients like fillers and preservatives.

The good news is making your own granola is SUPER easy, and you can customize it to your personal taste. Plus, you can rest easy knowing it isn’t full of garbage ingredients that can harm your health. SCORE!

The Start Ingredient of Traditional Granola: Rolled Oats

The main component of this traditional granola recipe is rolled oats.

Oats are full of fiber, high in protein and contain important vitamins and minerals like folate, iron and magnesium.

It’s important to use 100% whole rolled oats (AKA “Old Fashioned Oats”) and nothing that says “instant” or “quick,” because those tend to be highly processed (AKA not so healthy).

There is a lot of confusion around whether or not oats have gluten, so please allow me to clear that up…

Oats themselves do NOT contain gluten and are not a type of wheat, barley or rye grain (the three groups of whole grains that naturally contain the protein gluten). Rather, oats have a protein called avenins.

The complication with oats and gluten is the result of how some oats are grown and manufactured. In many cases, oats are grown on the same land in rotation with gluten-containing crops (wheat, barley and rye).

When this happens, it’s possible for gluten grains from the previous crop to grow within the oat crops, in which case the oats can become contaminated with gluten.

It’s also very common for oats to be handled in the same facilities that manufacture wheat-containing products. In these cases, there’s always a chance that oats can become contaminated with gluten during the packaging process.

Fortunately, there are oats grown in “gluten-free crop zones” and manufactured in gluten-free facilities. These oat products will state “gluten free” on the package like these.

If you have a gluten allergy or sensitivity, it is very important to use gluten-free oats to ensure they have not been contaminated with gluten.

Like all the foods you consume, it’s also important to buy organic oats to avoid harmful chemicals like pesticides and herbicides that are used to grow non-organic crops.

The Co-Star Ingredients: Healthy Oil, Nuts / Seeds & Natural Sweetener

For the crunch factor: Granola needs a fat source like oil to help it get nice and crunchy during the baking process. Extra virgin coconut oil, a very healthy fat that’s full of nutrients, works perfectly for granola because it adds a rich and naturally sweet flavor.

For the texture factor: Raw nuts and seeds add a nice texture and heartiness to your granola, as well as a good dose of healthy fat and protein. The most healthful options are raw almonds, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.

For the sweet factor: For sweetener, you need something sticky to help bind the granola together. Pure maple syrup and raw honey are perfect natural options. I personally prefer maple syrup. Just make sure it’s 100% pure, preferably organic and doesn’t have any added ingredients – this one is a great option.

The Base Recipe

~ Yields 3 Cups of Granola  =  6 Servings at 1/2 a Cup Each ~

Base Ingredients:

Optional Ingredients:

  • For a fruity flare: Add a 1/2 cup of unsweetened dried fruit like cherries or raisins. (NOTE: The only ingredient should be the dried fruit – no added oil, salt or sugar!)
  • For a chocolatey flare: Add a 1/2 cup of raw cacao nibs.
  • For a coconuty flare: Add a 1/2 cup of shredded coconut.
  • For a cinnamony flare: Add 1 tablespoon of Ceylon cinnamon.

Directions: 

  1. Preheat the oven to 300° F.
  2. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and use your cleaned hands to toss and mix everything together. It will be sticky and messy, but that’s kind of fun.
  3. Spread the mixture in a thin layer over a baking sheet. Put it in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, until the granola is lightly toasted. (NOTE: Burned granola tastes gross. Be careful not to overcook it.)
  4. Let the granola cool completely before serving or storing. This granola can be kept in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 weeks.

My Favorite Customized Recipes

Below is the granola recipe I use most of the time, because I love the flavor profile and always have these ingredients on-hand:

Cinnamon Raisin Delight

I also love this recipe, but don’t make it as often since I don’t always have pecans and dried cherries in my pantry:

Cherry Pecan Deliciousness

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Cheers to enjoying healthy and delicious homemade granola!

With love and gratitude,

Kandi

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