Easy Grain-Free Granola with Nuts, Seeds & Coconut

Name: Easy Grain-Free Granola with Nuts, Seeds & Coconut
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 cups organic unsweetened coconut flakes; 1 cup sliced almonds; 1 cup shelled raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas); 1/3 cup pine nuts; 1 cup raw walnuts; 1 cup raw cashews; 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds; 3 Tablespoons chia seeds; 3/4 teaspoon sea salt; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom; 1 Tablespoon flaxseed meal; 1/2 cup Pure Organic Maple Syrup; 2 Tablespoons Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil; Raisins (quantity of your choice); Dried banana chips (quantity of your choice)

Published: Apr 15, 2020 · Updated: Jan 28, 2024 by Carlos Leo · 24 Comments

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5 from 12 reviews

Easy Grain-free Granola is a 30 minute recipe inspired by using only ingredients that are already in my pantry, so I don't have to go to the store. The five categories of pantry staple ingredients in this granola are nuts, seeds, spices, liquids, and dried fruits. This flavorful, nutritional, and crunchy granola recipe is grain-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, paleo-friendly, and vegan.

Grain-free granola in glass mason jar — *Recipe post may have affiliate links; read our* *disclosure policy*. *Photographs ©Carlos Leo, Spoonabilities*

Hello my friends. Surprise! We are releasing a second recipe in a week. Yes, I have a lot of extra time recently since I’m part of the group of people that work in the hospitality industry, and I got furloughed two weeks ago. So you are lucky because I will spend full-time working on Spoonabilities until July. Since this pandemic started, society has been shaken by the uncertainty of the short-term future, and wondering what will be the new normal for all of us.

Inspired by our current situation, I created a series of recipes using some of my pantry staple ingredients, or half-empty jars left behind in my pantry and fridge. This easy grain-free granola is the first recipe resulting from using only the ingredients that I found in my pantry. Our motto is “No jars left behind” so this is a perfect time to re-practice what we preach.

Pantry ingredients ready to be made into an easy grain-free granola with nuts, seeds, spices, dried fruits, maple syrup & olive oil. Available at Spoonabilities.com

Five Ingredient Categories in this Easy Grain-free Granola

The important part to remember as you read through this list is that your goal is to empty the half-used, half-empty jars and packages of items that have been there for a little while. If you don’t have the exact ingredient in your pantry already, look to see what else you have within that category. Granola is a “cooks choice” recipe so whatever you put in there will most likely be wonderfully delicious.

Nuts: This recipe uses any or all the nuts you can find in your pantry. I use sliced almonds, raw walnuts, raw cashews, and a few (all the leftover ones I had) pine nuts.
Seeds: Shelled raw pumpkin seeds, raw sunflower seeds, chia seeds, and flaxseed meal.
Spices: Ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, and sea salt.
Dried Fruits: Raisins, unsweetened coconut flakes, and dried bananas. Those dried fruits are what I had in my pantry, but you can add any other dried fruits, or if you don’t have, it’s ok to leave out. But coconut flakes are essential in this recipe because they act like oats due to the similar texture.
Liquid: I use Maple Syrup and Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

You'll notice this granola doesn't contain oats which you find in most granola; that's what makes it grain-free. If you have oats in your pantry, feel free in include them. You can also find more about the different types of oats in our recipe for Chocolate Oatmeal with Honey & Hazelnuts.

Light blue bowl with Greek yogurt, grain-free granola with strawberries and raspberry with a drizzle of maple syrup. Recipe at Spoonabilities.com

Ingredient Suggestions & Variations:

I like to use raw nuts and seeds because I want to control the amount of salt in my food. If what you have in your pantry is salted nuts, it’s ok to use, just omit the salt that I added in the recipe card.
This recipe is very versatile because you can add or omit any of the ingredients listed above and adjust it to what you currently have in your pantry. The idea is that you don’t have to leave the house to get anything. Also, you don’t need to measure ingredients precisely. Add the amount that you have or wish to use.
Substitutions: Olive oil is an essential pantry ingredient in every household, but you can use organic unrefined coconut oil if you wish. Also, the maple syrup can be swapped out for honey. But be aware if you want to keep this recipe vegan, use another sweetener like date syrup, agave nectar (not paleo), brown rice syrup (not paleo) or coconut sugar.
For the brown rice syrup, if you want to keep the recipe gluten-free, check the label of the brown rice syrup and make sure it says “gluten-free.” The fermentation process must be done using fungal enzymes and not barley enzymes to be gluten-free syrup.
The maple syrup and olive oil are ingredients used to bind the granola and help to create the clusters and add the crunchiness. If you omit these, be sure to use something else that will perform the same effect.
If you don’t have coconut flakes, you can substitute with raw buckwheat groats. Clarification: buckwheat is NOT a grain. It’s a seed and is also gluten-free. Read more about buckwheat. If you don’t have either one, leave it out.

Overhead photo with a bowl of granola, berries, yogurt and maple syrup. Recipe at Spoonabilities.com

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Is this Easy Grain-Free Granola Healthy?

This easy grain-free granola is “healthy-ish” because it has wholesome ingredients like raw seeds and nuts, and is naturally sweetened with maple syrup and extra virgin olive oil. I could call this recipe “healthy granola,” but I don’t like to add the term “healthy” to my recipes so easily. I’m not an expert in nutrition, but the idea of a healthy eating lifestyle is for you to be aware of the quality and kind of food that are you putting into your body, and how much you are consuming is what matters.

Nutritional facts on recipes or ingredients are based on very small portions that most people (including us sometimes) never follow. This is why it is so important to eat in moderation, exercise and try to eat less processed food, and less sugar, and eat more wholesome food that your body appreciates. Listen to your body and eat what makes you feel good and healthy. That being said, if you know me personally... do what I say, not what I do ;)

Table presentation with three bowls. One in the front with yogurt, easy no-grain granola with strawberry, raspberry and a drizzle of maple syrup. The back bowls have granola and in betwen the bowls there is a jar of maple syrup which is available at Spoonabilities.com

What makes this Granola Grain-free, Gluten-free, Refined Sugar-free, Vegan & Paleo?

Grain-free: Grains are tiny, hard dry seeds that are planted and harvested for us to eat. They include corn, rice, oats (found in most granola), and wheat (flour). As per this article on a grain-free diet, a grain-free diet helps to ease digestive issues, relieve inflammation, and balance gut health. The grain-free diet is a step farther than the gluten-free diet. Grains are known to raise blood sugar and contain anti-nutrients, or plant compounds that hinder the body’s ability to absorb essential nutrients.
Paleo-friendly: This grain-free granola is paleo-friendly because all the ingredients are unprocessed and some are in their raw state, with no added sugar, and no grains. For the dried fruits, the only sugar is the one coming from the fruit. The maple syrup is pure and organic in its most natural form. We use Pure Organic Maple Syrup.
Vegan: All the ingredients come from plants, and no animal-derived substances or refined sugar is in the granola.
Gluten-free: This recipe does not contain grains or any ingredients with gluten.
Refined sugar-free: Extra sugar in any form is not good for you. Sugar in all forms is a carbohydrate that the body converts into glucose and uses for energy. But if your body doesn't need the energy at that time, it converts it to fat to use for another time. Refined sugar is made through a long process to remove the impurities and to give the white color. Read more about it in this article: What Is Refined Sugar?

Light blue bowl with vegan granola recipe with a olive oil spoon in the bowl. Recipe at Spoonabilities.com

How to Make Easy Grain-Free Granola

#1. In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients including the spices, except the liquids (olive oil & maple syrup). Mix to combine. I didn’t chop any of the nuts, but if you prefer smaller pieces, you can do it.

A large glass mixing bowl with pantry staples food like nuts, seeds, spices, coconut flakes. And, next to the bowl a bottle of Greek EVOO and maple syrup, both products available at Spoonabilities.com

#2. In a smaller mixing bowl, combine the olive oil and the maple syrup.

Small glass bowl the wet ingredients for the easy granola recipe with Greek extra virgin olive oil and a hand pouring maple syrup. Both products available at Spoonabilities.com

#3. Add the liquid mixture to the large mixing bowl with the grain-free granola. Mix to combine.

Gluten-Free granola mixture in a large glass bowl and a hand pouring the liquid mixture into the large bowl. Recipe available at Spoonabilities.com

#4. Spread the granola on a lined baking sheet. Try to spread the mixture evenly using the whole tray.

Baking tray with the granola mixture before go to the oven. Recipe at Spoonabilities.com

#5. Bake for 25 minutes and stir once halfway through. When it’s done baking, let it cool down.

Baking tray with the granola mixture after came out of the oven. Recipe at Spoonabilities.com

#6. Add the dried fruits and mix to combine.

Baking tray with the baked granola with the dried fruits. recipe at Spoonabilities.com

#7. Store the granola in mason jars. See my favorite jars after the recipe card below.

The granola will last four weeks in your pantry.
This granola is freezer friendly. The granola will last up to three months in the freezer.

Granola packed in two glass jars on top of a wooden board and next to the front jar, there is a small bowl with some granola. Available at Spoonabilities.com

Honestly, this is the best, tastiest, easiest granola that I ever made. Full of wholesome ingredients with a wonderful nutty taste, every crunchy bite is naturally sweetened and perfectly balanced. Rich in nutrients, this quick recipe is very customizable because you can just throw in anything that you currently have in your pantry, and no need to measure. Serve on top of yogurt, ice cream, or cereal with milk, or as-is for a quick on-the-go snack. I serve mine with dairy products, but you can use this easy granola with whatever matches your diet.

More Pantry Staple Recipes:

Enjoy this homemade granola and if you make this recipe, share your comments and photos below or in social media tagging @Spoonabilities and using the hashtag #Spoonabilities.

Wishing you safe and healthy week,

Carlos Leo
Your Recipe Concierge

Update: This recipe is part of our Homemade Healthy Snacks for Virtual School Breaks collection that are also great for work-at-home virtual office breaks too!

Easy Grain-Free Granola with Nuts, Seeds & Coconut

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 12 reviews

Author: Carlos Leo
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 8 cups = 16 serving (½ cup serving) 1x
Diet: Vegan

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Description

This easy grain-free granola recipe has essential pantry staple ingredients like nuts, coconut flakes, seeds, Greek extra virgin olive oil, and it’s naturally sweetened with maple syrup. This granola is Paleo, vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, and refined sugar-free. This recipe is very versatile because you can add or omit any of the ingredients or adjust to what you currently have in your pantry. The idea is that you don’t have to leave the house to get anything. Also, you don’t need to measure ingredients precisely. Add the amount that you have or wish to use.

Ingredients

Units Scale

3 cups organic unsweetened coconut flakes
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup shelled raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
⅓ cup pine nuts
1 cup raw walnuts
1 cup raw cashews
½ cup raw sunflower seeds
3 Tablespoons chia seeds
¾ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 Tablespoon flaxseed meal
½ cup Pure Organic Maple Syrup
2 Tablespoons Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Raisins (quantity of your choice)
Dried banana chips (quantity of your choice)

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Toss coconut, almonds, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, salt, cinnamon, flaxseed meal, and cardamom in a large bowl.
In a separate small bowl, add maple syrup and olive oil, and combine.
Add wet mixture to the nut/seed mixture and stir to combine.
Spread mixture evenly on prepared baking sheet and bake until golden-brown and crisp, about 25 minutes. Stir once halfway through.
Once cooled, add dried fruit and combine.

Notes

Store the granola in mason jars.
The granola will last four weeks in your pantry.
The granola will last up to three months in the freezer.

Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 25
Category: Breakfast
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

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Easy Grain-Free Granola with Nuts, Seeds & Coconut