Budget Friendlier Grain-Free Granola

Last updated on April 24th, 2023 at 05:21 pm

Get a nutty flavoured, grain-free granola in your bowl in around 30-minutes with half the nuts of most grain-free recipes.

Why? Because nuts are expensive. But they taste so gooooooood. So, I'm going to show you how to get that nutty good flavour without losing your shirt. Sound good?

Why We Love This Grain-Free Granola

• It's so dang tasty
• This granola is not only gluten-free, it's completely grain free
• You can make this granola in under 30-minutes
• Using seeds and some nuts, we can make a buttery, nutty granola without spending a fortune.
• Grain-free granola is la good source of protein and good fats from seeds and nuts
• It's endlessly adaptable - make it your own!

We make this grain-free granola because my husband was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis some years ago and after treating the condition with medications, we began working with an integrative specialist to better understand the affects of diet on the condition. During a flair up, we've found switching to a grain-free diet helps with the inflammation.

If, however, you love your grains, try my almond butter granola with maple or a toasted sesame granola that will rock your tastebuds!

I am not a health practitioner. Work with a specialist if you are looking to follow a grain-free diet for health reasons.

How is Grain-Free Different to Gluten-Free?

A gluten-free diet requires eliminating only grains with gluten from your diet - you can eat grains that don't contain gluten, such as quinoa or gluten-free oats. Grain-free, on the other hand, requires eliminating all grains from your diet. You can't eat wheat, bulgur, spelt, farro, quinoa, rice, millet while grain-free.

Sources: Eating Well and Natura Market

Ingredients

Nuts. I use about 2 cups of nuts in this recipe and love almonds and walnuts or pecans. If you have a favourite, use that. Or simply use two cups of one variety.

Buckwheat. I bulk up this grain-free granola with nutritious buckwheat groats. They are super cheap and perfect in granola. Despite their name, they are gluten and grain free; in fact they are more closely related to rhubarb.

Coconut flakes. I use flakes for their texture and to bulk up my granola. You can use shredded coconut too.

Maple syrup and sugar. Use them combined or simply use the maple syrup if you are trying to reduce your sugar intake.

Chia seeds. Optional but little nutritious powerhouses. If you are trying to save some bucks, leave them out.

Nut butter. This is where we get our nutty flavour without spending a fortune on raw nuts. By combining nut butter with our liquid mixture, the flavour coats the entire granola. So good!

Sunflower oil. I prefer sunflower oil but you can use olive oil or coconut oil. If you are using coconut oil, warm it with the nut butter and maple in a plan over low heat. Stir until the three are well combined.

Seeds. Instead of spending our mortgage on nuts, we are using seeds. They are delicious, so why not? I love sunflower and pumpkin seeds here.

How to Make Grain-Free Granola

You'll find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Step 1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees c (350 degrees F). Combine the first nine ingredients into a large bowl.

Step 2. Now, go ahead and whisk together the maple syrup, oil and nut butter until smooth and stir into the dry ingredients until well combined. Make sure everything is well coated in the wert mixture.

Step 3. Spread your granola onto a baking tray - use two if you need to - and bake in the oven for 20-minutes. Carefully, remove from the oven and stir in the sunflower seeds. Return to the oven for about 5-7 minutes or until your granola is dark golden.

Step 4. Remove from the oven, stir in any dried fruit you want to use, and allow to cool completely and crisp up before storing in an air-tight container for up to 3 weeks.

Recipe Notes.

Don't be tempted to bake your grain-free granola for longer than the recipe time. When you remove it from the oven, it won't be super crispy but that's OK. It will crisp up as it cools.

Add-Ins

I love a smattering of dried blueberries but you can add what you like. Try these -

Throw in some diced dried apricots or figs

Sprinkle cacao nibs for a chocolate-y hit

Try peanut butter in your mix rather than almond or cashew

Tumble in sweet slices of dried apple and a pinch more cinnamon

Chop in some chewy diced dates

Storage

Once completely cooled, store your granola in an air-tight container away from direct sunlight for up to 3 weeks.

After more breakfast ideas? Try these easy and delicious day-starters.