Maple Cinnamon Grain-Free Granola

The secret to crunchy granola with big clusters is leaving out the oats! This Maple Cinnamon Grain Free Granola is made with nuts, seeds, coconut and maple syrup and bakes up into the flavorful, crisp clusters that you crave in a granola.

My favorite way to eat this is over yogurt with fresh berries or over blueberry coconut chia pudding for a little bit of crunch.

Why you’ll Love This Recipe

• Basically just a bowl of clusters – turns out the part of cereal or granola that I like best are the nutty clusters. This grain free granola creates a full bowl of nutty clusters
• Perfect crunch for yogurt bowls – Add crunch and flavor to yogurt bowls by sprinkling a handful of this over top along with some fresh fruit.
• Use what you have on hand! – You can basically use any nuts you like and have on hand in place of the ones listed in the recipe card. Its a good way to use up the end of raw nut bags.
• Give as a gift – bake a batch of this crunchy maple cinnamon granola and pour it into a glass jar. Then, add a cute bow and a tag and you have a delicious and thoughtful homemade gift.

Serving Suggestions

There are so many different ways to enjoy this delicious paleo granola. My favorite way is over full fat greek yogurt with some fresh fruit or jam. You could even make a fruit compote on the stove by simmering frozen fruit with a bit of water.

You can also enjoy it as a cereal with some almond milk and fresh fruit. It is so crunchy and delicious that it also makes a great ice cream topping.

I like to keep it on the counter for a quick snack with a good amount of protein and healthy fats from the nuts. Its a great compliment to my favorite afternoon drink – an iced shaken espresso.

Ingredients you’ll need

You will be amazed at how easy it is to make this grain-free granola recipe at home with just a few ingredients. PLUS, it will be cheaper than the one at the store.

• Sliced almonds: thinly sliced almonds create a nice, flat surface area when baking that mimics the shape of rolled oats.
• Unsweetened shredded coconut: when the shredded coconut mixes with the wet ingredients it helps bing everything together to make the clusters. You can use coconut flakes instead of shredded.
• Sunflower seeds: I love the texture that sunflower seeds add. If you want something slightly crunchier, use pumpkin seeds or pepitas instead.
• Pecans: chopped raw pecans add hearty nuttiness to the mixture. If you want to you could completely substitute these with walnuts or do half walnut, half pecan.
• Sea salt and ground cinnamon: mix some salt and cinnamon in with the other dry ingredients to add flavor.
• Pure maple syrup, coconut oil and maple extract: melt the coconut oil and maple syrup together. I add the maple extract for an extra boost of maple flavor, but if you don’t have it you can definitely just use vanilla extract.

How to make Maple Cinnamon Grain Free Granola

Step 1: Preheat oven to 300F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix nuts, seeds, coconut, cinnamon and salt in a mixing bowl.

Step 2: Warm coconut oil and maple syrup together. Then, stir in the maple extract.

Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and toss to coat everything evenly.

Step 4: Spread all ingredients onto the lined baking sheet in one even layer. You want all of the ingredients touching – this is how you get big clusters! Bake and allow to cool completely before breaking into clusters.

Storage

Allow this gluten free granola to cool completely and then transfer to an airtight container like a mason jar. Store at room temperature on the counter for up to 7 days.

Store for longer in the refrigerator. Place in an airtight jar and store in the fridge for up to 30 days.