Easy Gluten-Free Granola

This easy homemade gluten-free granola recipe is the perfect meal prep breakfast. Try it on yogurt, chia pudding, smoothies, and more!

Happy New Year! I hope you’re ringing in the new year with people you love and being gentle with yourself as we ease into things. What better recipe to start with than a yummy breakfast? I’m thinking: our best granola recipe.

This gluten-free granola has been a long-time family favorite staple at our house, since our very first gluten-free days. It’s simple, it’s delicious, and it’s SO VERSATILE. Exactly the kind of recipe I love!

If this is your first time making a homemade granola recipe, you might be amazed by how easy it is! You only need a handful of ingredients and one bowl to make it, and this granola will make your whole house smell incredible.

Here’s all you need for this easy recipe…

Simple Ingredients For Homemade Granola

• Gluten-Free Rolled Oats. Rolled oats work best for granola because of their size and thickness. Steel cut oats will NOT work, and quick oats won’t work as well as rolled oats.
• Raw Almonds or Pecans. Yes, please! I usually reach for almonds or pecans, but you can mix and match with your favorite nuts. Try walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, and more!
• Raw Pumpkin Seeds or Sunflower Seeds. For some crunch and extra nutrients!
• Coconut Chips. I love unsweetened shaved coconut (the big shards!) rather than finely ground coconut, but you can use either. Just keep in mind that finely shredded coconut will cook faster and may brown more.
• Ground Flax. This adds healthy Omega 3 fatty acids, and fiber, and ALSO helps hold the granola together. I prefer golden flax for its milder flavor and color.
• Cinnamon & Salt. My go-to combination is cinnamon, vanilla, and a pinch of salt, but you can absolutely add other warm spices, like ginger, chai spice, pumpkin spice, nutmeg, etc.
• Coconut Oil. This helps the oats toast and helps hold the granola together. If you don’t tolerate coconut oil well, you can use avocado oil or light-tasting olive oil, though the flavor profile will be a little different.
• Pure Maple Syrup. For sweetness. Feel free to use agave, if that’s easier for you! Either option is great for gluten-free vegan granola.
• Vanilla Extract. Always!

Key Ingredient: Gluten-Free Oats

Oats themselves don’t naturally contain gluten, but they are often farmed and processed in ways that cause cross-contamination. If you are gluten intolerant of have Celiac disease, you must ONLY use certified gluten-free oats. We like the oats from Trader Joe’s, Bob’s Red Mill, and One Degree.

(Another caveat: not all people with Celiac tolerate oats well, so if you need a gluten-free granola without oats, we recommend this grain-free granola recipe instead!)

How To Make This Gluten-Free Granola, Step By Step:

1. Preheat & Prep. Start by preheating the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine Dry Ingredients. In a large bowl, combine gluten-free oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, coconut, flax, cinnamon and salt.
3. Add Wet Ingredients. Pour coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla over the dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula to combine well until everything is evenly coated and blended.
4. Pack Down On Baking Sheet. Transfer the granola mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and pack down tightly into an even layer with the back of a spatula. (You want the mixture as tightly packed as you can–this will make for bigger granola clusters later!)
5. Bake Granola 40-45 minutes, but do NOT stir during the bake time. (Again, this helps with big clusters!) 
6. Cool Completely. When the granola is golden brown, remove the pan from the oven and let the granola cool COMPLETELY (about 1 hour) before touching it. Break granola into clusters when it’s cool. 
7. Serve & Store. Enjoy right away with milk, yogurt, smoothies, or chia bowls, or store leftover granola in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 weeks. (Or, freeze up to 2 months) 

3 Tricks For Big Granola Clusters

I’ve always loved big, crunchy granola clusters, and if you’re like me, you might be wondering just how to make them yourself. I’ve got you covered:

1. Pack It Down Before Baking. The tighter you can pack the granola before you bake it, the larger the clusters will be later!
2. Do Not Disturb. The less you stir or disturb homemade granola, the bigger your clusters will be. Leave it alone as it bakes, and as it cools for best results.
3. Use A Binder. What makes granola stick together? A binder! Some recipes use an egg white to help create big clusters, but for a vegan version, I find that using ground flax or almond flour does the trick! (You’ll also get the healthy fats and fiber!)

Yummy Ways To Eat This Granola

• With Yogurt. My goal with this recipe was an easy granola recipe for yogurt! I love a little crunch with my yogurt, and this one’s great on both our Lime Greek Yogurt and Chocolate Protein Yogurt! Or, you can dress up your own yogurt bowl with granola, fresh fruit, and almond butter or peanut butter & other goodies! 
• In Parfaits. Layering granola, yogurt, and fresh fruit makes for one delicious breakfast. We love using this berry sauce for parfaits!
• On Chia Pudding. If yogurt’s not your thing, this crispy granola is amazing on creamy chia pudding. Try our Vanilla Chia Pudding, Chocolate Chia Pudding, or Creamy Coconut Chia Pudding!
• Smoothies. Add a pretty finish to your favorite smoothie recipes.
• Acai Bowls or Smoothie Bowls – yes please!
• As Cereal. Or, just go for it and pour your favorite milk on top. (Almond milk, dairy milk, whatever you drink!) I love to add some sliced bananas or fresh berries, too!
• As A Snack. Or, pack it to go and eat it by the handful while hiking or playing at the park. I like to pair it with a side of protein for a more well-rounded snack. (Jerky sticks, cheese sticks, etc.)

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Gluten-Free Granola:

What Makes Granola Gluten-Free? Most granola is NOT naturally gluten-free since it doesn’t use certified gluten-free oats. Additionally, some granolas use wheat germ, or other wheat-containing grains. To make gluten-free granola, you MUST use certified gluten-free oats, and only gluten-free ingredients.

What Brands Of Granola Are Gluten-Free? I really do love homemade gluten-free granola, but if you need a store-bought gluten-free granola, I like options from Purely Elizabeth, Kind, Bear Naked, Bob’s Red Mill, Back to Nature, and Nature’s Path. Keep in mind many of these brands also offer options that are NOT gluten-free, so read your package and labels carefully before buying!

Variations To Try:

• Can I Make This Nut-Free Granola? Absolutely. Either swap in more coconut (not a nut!) and seeds (like pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds) for the nuts, or omit them all together. Easy!
• Can I Add Dried Fruit? You bet! When you’re making homemade granola, I recommend only adding the fruit once it comes out of the oven. Otherwise, I find the fruit hardens too much.
• What Else Can I Add To Gluten-Free Granola? The best part of making your own granola is all the options you have for mix-ins! Try adding chocolate chips to cooled granola, or add dried cranberries, dried cherries, dried mango, dried pineapple, different nuts & seeds, etc.

⭐ Don’t forget to leave a star rating and comment below when you make our Gluten-Free Granola recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!

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