An easy recipe for grain free granola, made with an assortment of nuts and seeds, lightly sweetened with cinnamon and pure maple syrup. There’s no oats or other grains in this grain free granola recipe, just nutty, wholesome goodness. This granola is wonderful sprinkled over a bowl of yogurt and berries.
You might also love these recipes for toasted trail mix, crunchy caramel popcorn, and low sugar frozen chocolate almond butter bites.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Low Sugar + Low Carb. Most store bought granolas are loaded with sugar. When you make your own, you can control the amount of sugar in the recipe. I sweetened mine with just two tablespoons of pure maple syrup for a whole pound of granola.
Grain Free. It’s difficult to find a grain free granola at the grocery store, i.e. one that doesn’t contain any oats. For quite a while, I was buying Nature’s Path Organic Maple Almond Grain Free Granola, but it hasn’t been available lately. So I thought, why not make my own oat free granola? And that’s how today’s recipe was born. Not only can you control the amount of sugar and other ingredients, but it’s less expensive to make it yourself, too.
Nutrient Dense. With lots of seeds and nuts, you’ll get plant based protein, healthy fats, fiber and vitamins. This is a crunchy, toasty snack that’s great on its own or sprinkled over yogurt and fruit.
Allergy Friendly. This easy granola recipe is vegan, gluten free, dairy free, and grain free.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
- Nuts. I used a combination of sliced almonds, pecans and walnuts. Hazelnuts would also be a good addition. You should only raw, unsalted nuts that don’t contain any salt, oil or other seasonings. I also recommend buying your nuts in bulk. You’ll spend less buying bags of nuts at Costco than at the grocery store. I keep all of these nuts on hand, stored in clear containers in my refrigerator.
- Seeds. For the seeds, I chose raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds and some chia seeds.
- Coconut Oil. The oil will coat the nuts and seeds, giving the salt and cinnamon something to stick to.
- Pure Maple Syrup. Sweetens the granola. I only used two tablespoons, and it was plenty sweet for me. The syrup won’t add much maple flavor, which is why I also added a little maple extract and vanilla extract, for more flavor.
- Cinnamon + Salt. Adds flavor.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.
- Roughly chop the walnuts and pecans, then combine the almonds, walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds and chia seeds on a baking sheet. (If using whole almonds, instead of sliced almonds, you should chop those, too.)
- Drizzle with the melted coconut oil and maple syrup, then add the cinnamon, salt, vanilla and maple extracts. Use a spatula to evenly combine everything, then spread out into a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Bake for about 15-20 minutes, stirring once, until very fragrant and the nuts and seeds are toasted.
- Let cool completely. The granola will become crunchy as it cools.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does this recipe yield?
Yield is about 1 pound.
What’s the recommended serving size?
With just nuts and seeds, this is a very nutrient rich and calorie dense granola. Recommended serving size is about 1/4 – 1/3 cup.
Can I use honey instead of maple syrup?
Yes, you can use any type of syrup such as honey, pure maple syrup, brown rice syrup, or agave to sweeten your granola.
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Maple Vanilla Grain Free Granola (GF)
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sliced almonds (raw, unsalted)
- 1 cup pecans (raw, unsalted)
- 1 cup walnuts (raw, unsalted)
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds (raw, unsalted)
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 2 tbsp extra virgin solid coconut oil, melted
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp maple extract, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.
- Roughly chop the walnuts and pecans, then combine the almonds, walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds and chia seeds on a baking sheet. (If using whole almonds, instead of sliced almonds, you should chop those, too.)
- Drizzle with the melted coconut oil and maple syrup, then add the cinnamon, salt, vanilla and maple extracts. Use a spatula to evenly combine everything, then spread out into a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Bake for about 15-20 minutes, stirring once, until very fragrant and the nuts and seeds are toasted.
- Let cool completely. The granola will become crunchy as it cools.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
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