Crunchy Homemade Granola Recipe (gluten free)

Crunchy homemade granola; just a little sweet and a whole lot of crunchy. I've baked boatloads of my homemade granola recipe for clients, friends and family. Now everyone can bake their own using healthy ingredients. My clients say it's the best granola! The house smells incredible while it is baking thanks to the maple syrup, coconut, and cinnamon. Gluten-free with GF oats, or not.

Granola is a staple for many families, but store-bought granola is often not so healthy. This is a gluten-free granola recipe (if you buy gluten-free rolled oats), and you can make it standard or lower sugar to meet your needs.

Jump to:

• Why You'll Like This recipe
• Recipe Ingredients
• Substitutions and Variations
• Recipe Instructions
• Tips on Choosing Dried Fruit
• Serving Ideas
• Recipe FAQs
• More Breakfast Recipes
• ⭐️Did you Make This Recipe?
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Why You'll Like This recipe

• You control the ingredients, no refined sugars or high fructose corn syrup.
• It's an easy recipe, mostly hands off time.
• Add fruit or not, for less sugar.
• Oats are whole grains.

For a fun and more portable version of healthy homemade, granola try my chocolate chip granola bites recipe. They are sort of like granola bars but round.

Recipe Ingredients

• Rolled oats: If you follow a gluten-free diet, be sure to purchase certified gluten-free oats. Oats can be contaminated with gluten during growing (crop rotation), processing, packaging, or shipping. Get the standard oats, not the extra thick or quick cooking.
• Coconut: Buy the unsweetened shredded coconut, not the sticky, sugary sweetened stuff, or use coconut chips.
• Nuts: You'll need chopped walnuts and blanched slivered almonds. They provide, nice crunch, protein, flavor, and healthy fat.
• Sunflower seeds: By raw not roasted or flavored.
• Flax seeds: I keep whole flax seed in my pantry and grind them fresh. You can buy pre-ground if preferred. Whole seeds keep longer than ground. Use an inexpensive coffee/spice grinder like this.
• Hemp seed: Buy whole, raw seeds, not powder or ground. They are sometimes labeled hemp hearts.
• Maple syrup: Buy pure maple syrup, not the fake stuff made with corn syrup. Read the label. The real stuff is more expensive, but better tasting and better for you. Note for lower sugar below.
• Fat: Extra-virgin unrefined coconut oil provides healthy fat and great flavor, or use a light, neutral oil like this one. Another option, MCT oil.
• Vanilla: Use either vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. Vanilla bean paste holds up better to heat than extract does and tastes terrific. If you love vanilla, you'll love the paste. It's great to add to your pantry.
• Spices: Use pure cinnamon or a blend such as Chinese Five Spice.
• Dried fruit: Dried fruit is optional. Skip to reduce sugar. It's still delicious! See my notes below if you want to include it.

Please see the recipe card for measurements.

Substitutions and Variations

To change up gluten-free granola:

• Swap pecans for walnuts.
• Try almond extract instead of vanilla.
• Add chocolate chips (but they might melt in hot weather). Try these sugar-free chocolate chips too.

Chef's tip: To reduce sugar, use this maple keto syrup. It tastes great. Use it half and half with real maple syrup , reducing the sugar by 3 grams per serving.

Recipe Instructions

Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, measure out the dry ingredients: oats, nuts and seeds. A kitchen scale makes it easy.

Step 2: Whisk together the wet ingredients: maple syrup, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and your spices of choice, and a pinch of salt. Pour the maple syrup mixture into the dry mix and stir until the oats feel uniformly heavy. A large non-stick silicone spatula makes it easier. Stir really well! There should be no dry areas left.

Step 3: Spread granola mixture evenly onto a rimmed baking sheet (no parchment paper required) and bake for 2 hours in total until golden brown, turning the maple granola over at 1 hour.

I use a metal spatula (sometimes called a turner) to loosen the granola from the pan and my hands to mix. The pan is hot but the granola is not too hot for your hands.

Step 4: Cool gluten-free granola completely after baking, then mix in dried fruit if desired. See tips on choosing dried fruit below, or skip it to reduce sugar. It's delicious either way. Store in an airtight container.

Tips on Choosing Dried Fruit

Other dried fruit options not shown above are chopped pitted dates and dried cherries. Read package labels for added sugar and sulfites or look for unsweetened brands of dried fruit.

Golden berries and dried white mulberries are lower sugar options and they taste great. Tart golden berries are lower in sugar than many dried fruits at only 2 grams of sugar per ¼ cup.

What About Sulfites in Dried Fruit?

If you have asthma or sulfite sensitivity, read labels and choose dried fruit without sulfur dioxide. Sulfur dioxide is a preservative in many dried fruits. It also keeps many dried fruits (like dried apricots) a pretty color. Sulfite-free dried apricots are usually brown. Not as nice looking, but sulfite-free if you need it.

Serving Ideas

Sprinkle homemade granola over yogurt, eat some at snack time, or create beautiful breakfast parfaits with Greek yogurt. Enjoy it like cereal with almond milk, coconut milk, or dairy milk. It's delicious over frozen yogurt or ice cream for dessert.

Skip the dried fruit and serve this crunchy gluten-free granola with fresh fruit like raspberries, blueberries, strawberries or blackberries.

Chef's Note: Homemade gluten-free granola is a terrific gift from the kitchen for a hostess or holiday gift. Package it in cello bags and tie with a ribbon. Another terrific homemade gift? So are these roasted cashews. Alway a hit.

Recipe FAQs

More Breakfast Recipes

For more breakfast ideas, check out the breakfast category for inspiration.

⭐️Did you Make This Recipe?

If you make this recipe, please add your comment. I appreciate your feedback and enjoy hearing from you. If you loved it, please give it a 5-star rating! They really help other readers.

📖 Recipe