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
Higher temperatures can cause ingredients like nuts, seeds, and coconut to burn before the batch has a chance to properly dry out and crisp up, Perry says. Stick with a low temperature, keep an eye on your mixture, and stir it from time to time to help it brown evenly.
What ingredient makes granola clump 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.
What can I use in place of coconut oil in granola? ›
You can use extra-virgin olive oil instead, if you'd like your granola to be a little more on the savory side. If you're watching your saturated fat intake, olive oil is a better choice!
What keeps granola together? ›
Make sure that whichever granola recipe you use, it calls for some liquid, typically oil of some kind (I recommend olive oil for a subtle earthy, floral flavor, or melted unrefined coconut oil for subtly coconutty flavor). The liquid will help the chia seeds to gel, ensuring the granola sticks together.
Does homemade granola get crunchy as it cools? ›
Your homemade granola will continue to crisp up as it cools. It's tempting to start eating it as soon as it comes out of the oven, but if you let it rest for 15 minutes on the sheet pan, it'll be extra crisp and toasty – totally worth the wait!
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.
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.
What is the best binder for granola bars? ›
Chia seeds are often praised for their binding powers. In fact, they secure ingredients so well that they can even be used as an egg replacer. Adding just a spoonful of chia seeds to your favorite granola bar recipe will make a huge difference in its texture.
How do I get my homemade granola bars to stick together? ›
Honey – Along with the nut butter, it helps all these ingredients stick together! I love its warm amber flavor in this recipe. Vanilla extract – It amps up the bars' warm flavor.
Why is olive oil better than coconut oil? ›
The clear winner in this matchup is olive oil. That is because it is rich in good fat (polyunsaturated fat) and low in bad fat (saturated fat). Coconut oil contains 80 to 90 percent saturated fat. According to the experts, a tablespoon of coconut oil contains about six times as much saturated fat as olive oil.
Additionally, you can also use applesauce, mashed bananas, or Greek yogurt as a substitute for coconut oil in certain recipes. By using these substitutes, you can create delicious and healthy baked goods without sacrificing flavor or texture.
What was the downside to granola as a food? ›
Granola may prompt weight gain if eaten in excess, as it can be high in calories from added fats and sugars. What's more, sugar is linked to chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.
How do you keep homemade granola bars from falling apart? ›
If your granola bars are falling apart or seem too crumbly, here are a few tips. Make sure you use honey or another sticky sweetener such as maple syrup in the liquid part of the recipe; this recipe calls for honey. This will help bind together the ingredients and keep that signature bar shape.
How do you make granola taste better? ›
Granola with Fruit
Granola makes a delicious addition to a variety of fresh fruit, from bananas and apples to peaches and berries. Option 2 Slice your favorite fruit if needed. Drizzle peanut butter and a small amount of honey on the sliced fruit, or seasonal berries. Top with granola.
Why is my granola still soft? ›
I aim to let it hit room temperature, whatever that may be; the real point is to give it ample time to shed excess heat and steam. This should take about 45 minutes; if left out indefinitely, the granola can turn sticky or soft, so do try to put it away as soon after cooling as you can.
How do you fix soft granola? ›
Not only can you transform that soggy, chewy granola back to being blissfully crunchy, but it's easier than you might think. 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.
Why won't my granola dry? ›
Using a low oven temperature helps dry out the granola without over-baking it. Keep in mind that the granola won't be dry right out of the oven — it will dry as it cools. So take it out of the oven when it looks lightly toasted and smells like cooked honey.
Why is my granola bar not crunchy? ›
For really crispy bars, you can either bake them all the way to 32 or more minutes or you can take the bars out after 25 minutes, let them cool for a bit, slice them up into the bars, and then put them back in on a baking sheet to bake for 5 to 10 minutes so that they get more crispy.
