Easy Grain-Free Coconut Granola

I’ll be honest: I don’t didn’t usually make my own granola. I usually buy it at Costco because I’m lazy and it’s just too easy. However, considering we eat granola every day on our smoothie bowls, I figured I should start making it to save us some money (we have a kid now.) And homemade is always healthier and tastier than processed.

Most recipes out there for granola use oats, but what we usually buy is grain-free and I really like it, so I decided to try and recreate something similar. I started with the ingredients on the back of the package, but once I got going, I strayed pretty far by adding and subbing ingredients and just made it my own.

You can really throw any nuts and seeds into this and it’ll turn out okay. If you don’t have coconut nectar you can also use maple syrup or honey instead and just substitute equal amounts. I just like how sticky the coconut nectar is and found that it makes for great clumping which is I consider an important quality of any good granola.

The key to getting good clumps, whatever sweetener you choose, is to really smash those nuts before you add them in (see below) and smoosh everything together really well at the halfway point of cooking and again when you take it out of the oven. You also have to be patient and let it cool completely before scraping it up from the pan.

This recipe makes about 5 cups of granola. I store it in the fridge in big mason jars so it stays fresher longer.

Hope you guys like it 🙂 If you make it, we would love to know what you think in the comments!

Easy Grain-Free Coconut Granola

Print the recipe here

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups Crushed pecans
• 1.5 cup Sliced or crushed almonds
• 1/4 cup Whole flaxseed
• 1/3 cup Sunflower Seeds
• 1/3 Pumpkin Seeds
• 1 cup Shredded coconut
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/3 cup Coconut Nectar
• 1/3 cup Coconut Oil

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. If starting with whole pecans and almonds, put them in a large ziploc bag and bang them with a mallet or large spoon (I like using a large soup ladle) until no whole pieces remain.

Mix all dry ingredients (pecans – cinnamon) in a large bowl until well combined, then add coconut nectar and coconut oil and stir until everything is nice and sticky.

Spread the granola out onto a cookie sheet, then press it into the pan with a spatula or large spoon. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring and pressing the granola again at around 7 minutes.

Remove granola from the oven and stir and press together again. Let cool completely, then scrape the granola off the pan with a flat spatula and spoon into a storage container. There should be some good sized chunks in the mix, perfect for snacking.

If you store in the fridge for optimal freshness, it should be good for about two weeks.