This Gluten Free Granola is packed full of five different types of nuts, raw cacao nibs, raisins and peanut butter. It has tonnes of protein from almonds, brazil nuts, pecans, peanuts and hazelnuts and is sweetened with pure maple syrup, this is a breakfast option that will fill you up until lunch time, tastes totally delicious, and is easy and quick to make ahead! It’s also naturally gluten free and vegan (just make sure you’re using gluten-free certified oats, as some oats are processed with wheat). What more could you want from a breakfast? Watch the recipe video now!
If you follow me on instagram , you may have seen that I started a diet this week (or a “lifestyle change” as my BFF would make me say!) and that diet is Weight Watchers. I did it last year and lost over 30lbs, which was pretty awesome (and my BFF has lost 53lb and counting since September ’16!!). I didn’t get to my goal weight though and I kind of fell off track, and I’ve put about 5lb of that weight back on. Which isn’t really a big deal, I’m not all that unhappy with my weight. However, I do want to eat healthier and not put so much processed crap in my body, and losing a little weight would be nice too!
If you want indulgence, check out these GF Cookie Dough Salted Caramel Brownie Bombs!
As you may have noticed from all my super indulgent recipes, I like my treats! I eat a lot of sugar and butter, which is yummy and fine as a treat – but not so great for my health or my waistline when it’s all day, every day. So, I thought I’d give a slightly healthier recipe a go. Don’t worry, this definitely will not be turning into a health food blog and the sugar and calorie laden treats you’ve come to know and love from Giraffes Can Bake will still make up like 99% of the recipes on this blog – but every now and then I’m sure we can all appreciate a slightly lighter recipe, right? This Gluten Free Granola with all those yummy nuts was supposed to be that first “healthy” recipe for y’all… except it didn’t really quite work out to planned.
This Gluten Free Nutty Chocolate Granola is totally delicious and so easy to make, that part went very much to plan. It was the healthy part that I didn’t quite nail down. This is naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup, so there’s no added processed sugar which is definitely a good thing. It’s also packed full of nuts, five different nuts in fact, so it’s got lots of protein and healthy fats – yummy and filling! The problem is, nuts are super high in fats (healthy and otherwise) and calories – which means it makes this Gluten Free Granola about 12 smartpoints per serving, that goes up even higher when you add it to Greek yogurt like I do! Oops!
Despite its high points, calories and fat numbers – it’s still a whole lot healthier than most of my other recipes, so I’m considering it a win anyway! It just may not be the best daily breakfast option for you if you’re doing the Weight Watchers plan or trying to keep your fat and calories down. That being said, this Gluten Free Granola is still a really delicious breakfast option that’s full of good stuff, so you can feel pretty good about eating it. And once you try it, you won’t care about those numbers – you’ll just be very happy you made it and will be wanting a second serving!
Making granola at home is ridiculously quick and easy, and you can make big batches at once to keep you going for a while! And not only is it more delicious than the store bought stuff, it’s not going to be packed with loads of sugar like that box from the store. And it’s cheaper, especially with the inflated prices of gluten free. Oats are gluten free technically, however they are usually processed with wheat so if you need to be gluten free for health reasons it’s important that you make sure you buy gluten free certified oats to make this Gluten Free Granola (how many times can I say gluten free in one sentence?!). Make sure you check out my recipe video below to see how quick and easy this granola is to make – you’re totally gonna love it!
Gluten Free Nutty Chocolate Granola
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 5.5 Cups
Gluten Free Granola that's full of nuts, raisins, chocolate goodness and sweetened with maple syrup. It's so easy to make and totally delicious - it's the perfect breakfast option
Ingredients
- 3 cups (345g) quick cook oats
- 1.5 cups (250g) unsalted nuts and dried fruit mix (I used hazelnuts, pecans, peanuts, almonds, brazil nuts and raisins)
- 1/2 cup (60g) shredded or desiccated coconut
- 1/2 cup (80g) cacao nibs
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup (250g) natural peanut butter (I use crunchy, but smooth is good too)
- 1/2 cup (12oml) pure maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325F/160C and line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Put the oats, nuts and raisins, coconut, cacao nibs, cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl and mix to combine. I like to use a whisk as I feel like it combines it better. Set aside
- Put the peanut butter and maple syrup in a heat proof bowl and microwave until the peanut butter is melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir the vanilla extract into the mixture.
- Pour the peanut butter and maple syrup mixture into the oats and nuts mixture, and use a wooden spoon to stir until combined and all the mixture is wet
- Spread out onto baking trays (depending on the size of your trays you may need up to three).
- Bake for 35-45 minutes, stirring halfway through, until it's a deep golden brown.
- Break up into bite size chunks if they clump together
- Leave to cool completely, then store in a sealed container for up to a month
Notes
Will keep for up to a month, if stored in a sealed container in a cool, dry place.
The raisins make swell up as they bake, but they will go back down to normal as it cools
If you prefer big chunks of granola, put it on the baking sheet in a thicker layer and then break up into bite size chunks.
You can use any mix of nuts that you like - I like lots of different kinds in mine!
Courses Breakfast
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1/2 cup
Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
Calories 508 | ||
% Daily Value |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
This is one beautiful recipe. I love granola on my yogurt or just as a great snack. Your video is great too!
Thank you Julie! I could snack on granola all day long!
I love granola, and it seems so healthy, but we know it is stealthily calorie laden! But it is worth it, because this looks amazing! Love that it has peanut butter and chocolate, my favorite combo!
At least a lot of the calories are from healthy fats, right?! Haha!