This Gluten Free Honey Almond Granola won’t last long. You’ll want to eat spoonful after spoonful of this clustery, crunchy, sweet and healthy granola. There’s no refined sugar which makes it an even better snack!
ME BEFORE THE RECIPE…
The girls are each performing a dance at our local county fair tomorrow. They are both beyond excited. I’m not so sure if they’re more excited about performing on stage or robbing their mama blind riding on all the overly priced and seemingly sketchy carnival rides. Either way, they’ll be happy.
Poor Emry, though. That kid is a train wreck to watch perform. Am I allowed to say that being her mother? I mean, I know I’m supposed to be supportive and all, but I gotta be honest. Besides, she’ll never read this. For all she knows, this mama right here thinks she’s a dancing superstar.
Here’s the deal. This kid has no memorization skills whatsoever. It was bad enough that it took her nearly a year to memorize only half her ABC’s. Oh, and don’t even get me started on sight words. But, apparently her lack of memory doesn’t just apply to academics.
Emry’s mini dance class has literally been learning their dance for months. If the teacher is cuing them, or she’s watching the other little girls that have the dance memorized, she’s fine. Well, if fine means dancing a beat behind everybody else. But, stick that kid in the living room and ask her to practice her dance all by herself and she stands there like a deer in headlights. She can’t even remember the first move. Oh boy. Solos are NOT in this girl’s future.
However, I will say that she is the darn cutest dancer I’ve ever seen. I mean, her pint sized little body prancing around in sequins and toole is just enough to make my heart melt. It’s also enough to burn a substantial hole in my wallet. It’s worth it, right???
HERE COMES THE RECIPE…
So here’s what I’m gonna do tomorrow. I’m going to treat it like a testing day at school; fuel my kids up with a hearty, healthy breakfast and hope that it somehow triggers some extra brainwaves. What do you think? Does Emry have chance in the world of remembering her dance moves if I feed her some kind of magical breakfast??? Maybe I’m better off scribbling the dance moves on her hands and arms for quick reference. Oh wait, she can’t read. We’re doomed.
Well, whether this kid nails her performance or not, we can all be happy munching on our Gluten Free Honey Almond Granola for breakfast tomorrow. Yep, that’s gonna be my brain busting breakfast of choice for their big day. Both my kiddos LOVE homemade granola, and this one is an all-time favorite.
HOW TO MAKE GRANOLA
- Choose your favorite mix-ins: Homemade granola is so versatile. You can choose any mix-ins you prefer. I love a mixture of nuts, some kind of dried fruit, and coconut flakes. Of course my girls love chocolate chips in their granola because what kid wouldn’t???! I allow it every once in a while.
- Use the right oats: If you’re gluten free, make sure you are buying designated gluten free oats. Otherwise, they are most likely contaminated with wheat. Also, use an old fashioned rolled oat or other thicker oat. Quick cooking oats will absorb too much moisture and bake into something chewy rather than clustery and crunchy.
- Pick your sweetener: Granola is an easy breakfast/snack that can be made healthier based on the sweetener you choose. Most store-bought brands use refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Opt to mix in honey, pure maple syrup, or coconut sugar instead.
- Bake low and slow: You need to bake your granola at a low temperature for at least an hour to achieve a crunchy texture. If you bake it too high, it will burn and brown on the outside before it is cooked through.
- Let it sit: Once your granola is done baking, let it sit without stirring until it is completely cooled. This will form clusters that you can later break apart. This is the best part!
HOW TO USE GRANOLA
- Mix with cereal: Granola is high in calories and very filling, even when made with healthier ingredients. So, I choose to mix it with a lighter cereal when eating it for breakfast. My favorite cereals to mix granola with are Rice Chex, Corn Chex, gluten free crispy rice cereal, and Cheerios. Add some sliced banana and fresh berries for a perfect bowl of good morning goodness.
- Build a parfait: My girls love yogurt bars in the morning. I’ll set out some plain Greek yogurt and all kinds of toppings. They throw a handful of granola and a drizzle of honey in their yogurt for some sweetness.
- Top a smoothie bowl: Granola is perfect for sprinkling on top of a smoothie bowl for a little texture and added substance. Drizzle with some peanut butter and call it heaven.
- Sprinkle on toast: I like to add a spoonful of homemade granola to the top of my fruit toast or bagel. I like the added crunch and touch of sweetness.
- Plain old snacking: Skip the other creative uses and just eat granola by the handful. It’s a great snack on the go and gives the perfect energy boost when you’re feeling that midday struggle.
LET’S TALK GLUTEN FREE HONEY ALMOND GRANOLA
This Gluten Free Honey Almond Granola is my most favorite granola I’ve ever made. It clumps together like a dream, has just enough crunch, is loaded with all kinds of goodies, and has the perfect amount of sweetness. I just can’t get enough of it.
The main thing I love about this gluten free honey almond granola is how easy it is to make. I always have all the ingredients on hand and it’s a simple mix and bake recipe. It really takes hardly any effort at all. All you do is dump your ingredients in a bowl and stir. Then throw it into the oven for an hour and forget about it.
Wait, I take that back. You can forget about it for 20 minutes at a time, but then you have to STIR. Don’t forego that step please. I’m not quite sure what you’ll end up with if you forget to stir, but I’m pretty sure it won’t be granola.
The taste of this gluten free honey almond granola is absolutely heavenly. It’s got the sweet hint of honey coupled with a touch of cinnamon and a splash of vanilla. I mean, can the flavor combos get any better??? Then you have subtle flavor pops of toasted coconut and mixed nuts. And lastly, you get the sweet, chewy bites of raisin that just make you wanna smile. It’s that kind of simplicity in life that make me happy.
So the next time you’re perusing the grocery store and find yourself reaching for a bag of granola…DON’T!!! Go home and make it yourself. It’s soooo much better and soooo deeply satisfying. You can thank me later. Or just bring me a few scoops of granola when you’re done.
YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY…
- Gluten Free Granola and Yogurt Grapefruit Breakfast
- Gluten Free Sunrise Honey Granola
- Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Spiced Granola
- Paleo Granola and Fruit Parfaits
- Coconut Almond Granola
- 3 cups gluten free old fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking oats)
- ⅓ cup dry quinoa
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 cup coarsely chopped nuts of your choice (I used pecans, pistachios, and cashews)
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil
- ½ cup honey
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla
- ⅓ cup raisins
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a jellyroll pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together gluten free oats, quinoa, coconut flakes, chopped nuts, ground flaxseed, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk together melted coconut oil, honey, and vanilla until smooth. Pour over oat mixture and stir until well combined.
- Spoon mixture onto parchment lined jellyroll pan. Spread into an even layer. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Add raisins the last 20 minutes of baking.
- After baking for 1 hour, turn oven off and prop oven door open. Let cool for 1 hour in oven. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Break into pieces.
- Store granola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month or in freezer for up to 3 months.
