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This low-carb, gorgeous grain-free granola is a cinch to make! You can even make this a sugar free granola for a quick and easy breakfast, or any-time snack!
*Please note* this post was originally published in 2019 but I have since redone the text. The original recipe remains the same.
You guys. We spent all weekend moving ALL of the furniture, clothes, FOOD BLOG PROPS, paintings and – well – JUNK out of our bedrooms. We’re starting renos today! We’re re-doing the carpets, baseboards, trim, closet and bedroom doors, ceilings, and paint. Phew. It’s going to look SO great when it’s all said and done though!
The upside to all of this effort is that I get the opportunity to get rid of so much junk that we’ve had crammed into closets for years. It puts a whole other spin on “spring cleaning” 😉 I mean, do I really need 800 spare hangers? Or 30 sippy cups? Well, I guess you never know. I might host a party for 30 babies one day.
We also tossed Wally’s crib and ordered some bunk beds for the boys and I think they’re going to love them! I am so, so excited for the finished product. I’ll post a few updates on my Insta stories if you’re interested in following the progress!
As you can imagine, our life is going to be a bit chaotic over the next couple of weeks. We’re going to have contractors coming in and out, starting at 8am every morning. This makes the breakfast rush a bit busy! I think I’ll be resorting to a lot of quick fixes, like cereal and milk for the kids and overnight oats or this grain-free granola for me!
What is grain-free granola?
I have a few granola recipes on the site, but this is the first grain-free one. I have been trying to eat a bit more low-carb these days, so I’ve been experimenting with grain-free granola bars and granola. Grain-free granola is exactly how it sounds. Most granola recipes are made with rolled oats, but a grain-free granola is a combination of nuts, coconut flakes, seeds and usually spices. You can make it with oil and sugars as a binder, or in this case, an egg-white to hold everything together. More about that later!
How do you make grain-free granola?
So, after some tweaks, I found a winner with this recipe, and I’ve been making it on repeat!
It’s a wonderful mix of nuts, coconut, seeds and spices. The turmeric adds a gorgeous golden glow (and antioxidants) and the cinnamon compliments the nutty flavor perfectly. The mixture comes together super quickly in a food processor!
Now, the binding agents. You have a couple of options. If you’re following a keto or strict low-carb diet and you want to keep things sugar-free, you can substitute in your favorite sweetener for the maple syrup.
You’ll notice that I use an egg white in this recipe. I know it seems strange, but it is the perfect binder for this grain-free granola! Don’t leave it out! It helps makes those beautiful, big clusters we all love. Look at these beauties!
The other key to the big, crunchy clusters? Letting the granola cool COMPLETELY before breaking it apart.
How should you serve grain-free granola?
My favorite way to enjoy this granola is all mixed up in a bowl of Greek yogurt, with some thawed frozen raspberries tossed in, along with the juices. Thawed, frozen raspberries are also a new obsession of mine. I just love the natural juiciness that comes along with thawing the berries! Have you tried my raspberry coconut bites?!
Oh, last thing. Don’t forget the chocolate chips 😉 Toss them in the granola after breaking it up. You can definitely use sugar-free chips too!
Some other low-carb recipes and granola recipes from the site:
- low-carb blueberry smoothie
- keto peanut butter cookies
- coconut chocolate pecan granola
- Nutella walnut granola
Grain-Free Granola
- Total Time: 3 hours 35 minutes
- Yield: 3 cups 1x
- Diet: Diabetic
Description
This low-carb, gorgeous grain-free granola is a cinch to make! You can even make this a sugar free granola for a quick and easy breakfast, or any-time snack!
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw, whole almonds
- 1 cup raw, whole walnuts
- 1 cup raw, whole pecans
- 1 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp ground tumeric
- 1 egg white
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup maple syrup*
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips**
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Add the almonds to a food processor. Pulse a few times to break them up a bit. Add the walnuts and pecans, and pulse all of the nuts together until they’re all fairly broken up. You don’t want them to be too small – about 1/3 of their regular size is perfect. Add the coconut, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flaxseed, cinnamon and turmeric. Pulse a few more times to combine everything. Pour the egg white into the food processor and pulse a few times.
- Â Whisk together the melted coconut oil with the maple syrup (or sweetener). Pour over the mixture in the food processor, and pulse again to combine everything. You want the mixture to look thoroughly coated.
- Pour the granola onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, and spread out in an even layer. Press it all together to create a bit of a rectangle. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Don’t stir the mixture! You want the edge of your rectangle to be lightly browned. Remove the granola from the oven and let it COMPLETELY cool (2-3 hours) before breaking it into chunks. Toss in the chocolate chips.
Store your grain-free granola in an airtight container, at room temperature for 1-2 weeks.
Notes
* You may substitute the maple syrup for honey, agave, or 1/4 cup sweetener (erythritol, etc)
** Use sugar-free chocolate chips for keto-friendly!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: breakfast
- Method: oven bake
- Cuisine: american
The mess will be worth it, I’m sure. And, like you said, gives ya a chance to clean out some stuff, which is always a good thing. Though, I have to be in the right mood for it! This granola looks delicious, Katherine! Love how jam packed with goodies it is! Cheers to a wonderful week ahead! XO
It will totally be worth it, Dawn! I have gotten rid of SO much stuff, it feels good. It’s amazing how much stuff we HAVE?!?! Anyway, this granola is great. It’s full of goodies! Thanks my friend – have a great week!! XO
I need a big bowl of this today! Nothing beats granola for breakfast–except granola as a snack :). I’ll be following along in your stories and I’m excited to see the end result of the renos! Have a great, and hopefully not too chaotic, week!
Hah, granola is my favorite snack. I eat it waaaay too much – especially at night in front of the TV! Thanks Kelsie – we’re hanging in there!!
Katherine! You know what a granola-head I am so I love this recipe, awesome use of turmeric, too! It looks so crunchy, which is always a necessity for granola! Good luck on the renovations, I’ve been putting them off a bit, I need some inspiration!
Haha, Laura. I’m a granola-head too!! The turmeric adds such a nice golden colour to the mix! Thanks my friend – its pretty crazy in here right now but it’ll be worth it in the end! XO
How exciting to be in the middle of a renovation! Well, I guess the exciting part is what you’ll get to enjoy on the other side of it…lol.
Love this grain free granola. It really does look gorgeous and sounds delicious!
Yes, Marissa! I’m looking forward to the other side, haha! But it is kind of exciting, amidst the chaos. Thanks my friend – it’s a really great one!!
Good luck with the renovations Katherine. My boys loved their bunk beds growing up! Love this granola! Homemade is always better than store bought. And the ingredient list looks fabulous!
Thanks Mary Ann – they are so excited for them! Homemade is definitely always better. Cheers!!
Renos are hard! We redid our kitchen when the boys were little and it was complete chaos. It’s all worth it in the end right?! This granola is gorgeous between those big clusters and that pretty hue. I love that you tossed in some turmeric! I still haven’t made my own grain free granola so I’m adding this to the list!
Wow, that’s a big job!! Thankfully I have access to my kitchen. It’ll definitely be worth it when it’s all said and done 🙂 You’ve got to try the grain-free granola, Marcie!
Granola makes such a great snack, I’m always looking for a new recipe to try 🙂 thanks for sharing!
Thanks Dani! I snack way too much on granola, haha. Hope you love it!
Well, you’ve emphasized your food blog props that way that I assume this might have been the most tedious part of your temporary relocation (I can easily imagine this. In my case that would certainly have been) 🙂 And now this granola loaded all the nuts, seeds, and maple flavour? That’s that situation when where’s no grain needed!
It was VERY tedious, Ben. You picked up on that correctly! So many breakable things! Thank you my friend!!
You know I love a good granola recipe, and I’m all about grain-free recipes these days! I never thought to add an egg white to granola as the binding ingredient. I really need to make this granola soon! Good luck with the renos Katherine!
I thought you might be into this one, Leanne! I was so happy with how well the egg white worked, you have to give it a try. Thanks my friend!!
Dear Katherine, I promised myself to turn the closets upside down and get rid of all the useless stuff and it seems the moment has arrived for me too …. although no renovation planned. Good luck !
Aah good for you! It’s a tedious job but so worth it in the end!!