My Gorgeous No-Grain Granola

When first cutting gluten (and most grains) out of my diet, I found breakfast a tricky meal to switch to. Being a cereal and muesli lover, I knew I’d have to come up with a recipe that I could still store in the pantry, have with milk or yoghurt (I use almond milk and coconut yoghurt), and that didn’t cost the earth like the fancy packaged ‘healthy’ boxes of muesli.

After experimenting with just about every item in my pantry, I came up with this recipe. I make a batch at least once a fortnight and love knowing that what I’m eating is full of flavour, healthy fats and quality ingredients which doesn’t have any gluten, grains, sugar or additives. Sometimes I eat it by the spoonful secretly (well, not so secretly anymore) but my favourite way to have it is with a big dollop of coconut yoghurt and some frozen blueberries mixed through. Too good. Hope you enjoy!

How to Make Jenna's Gorgeous Grain-Free Granola

Makes 700g or 20 serves (35g or ⅓ cup each)

Ingredients

• 2 cups mixed nuts (eg. almonds, macadamias, Brazil nuts)
• 1 cup mixed seeds (eg. pumpkin, sunflower, hemp seeds)
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 3 cups dried coconut (flakes, shredded or desiccated)
• ½ cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Zest and juice of 1 orange (or any other citrus fruit you like)
• Optional: 1 cup dried fruit (e.g. blueberries, apricots, apple, goji berries – just look for dried fruit with no added sugar)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C / 340°F.
2. Use a food processor to process nuts, seeds and dried fruit (if using) in batches. (Don't process it too finely though – some chunky bits are good.) Transfer to a large bowl.
3. Add coconut, coconut oil, vanilla extract, cinnamon and orange zest.
4. Mix everything well with your hands, making sure coconut oil evenly coats all ingredients.
5. Line 1-2 trays with baking paper, making sure the sides are covered, and spoon mixture onto the trays evenly.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. (Note: At the 10-minute mark, remove from oven and mix well with a fork so that all the granola is exposed to the heat.)
7. Remove and let cool for 10-15 minutes. Transfer to a glass jar or air-tight container and store in the fridge for as long as it takes you to eat it! (Most people, a few weeks. Me, a few days...)

Notes

• This recipe doesn't include any grains, even gluten-free ones, as I prefer not to eat them. But if you're fine with them, you can bulk up the recipe (making it last longer) by adding 2-3 cups of oats, puffed rice, quinoa flakes, etc.
• Other recipes suggest adding a sweetener like honey or rice malt syrup. When I first started making this recipe I included a few teaspoons of either, but since trying to reduce my sugar as much as possible I don't do this anymore, and found it really doesn't need it anyway.

How to eat it

• Serve with your milk or yoghurt of choice. I like almond milk or coconut yoghurt. My husband eats dairy so for him I buy Greek yoghurt (full fat, organic, unsweetened).
• I love mixing through a handful of berries – in the summer frozen berries are great.
• I like sprinkling a few teaspoons on top of my regular smoothies for a lovely crunch, or a few tablespoons on my smoothie bowls.

If you give this recipe a go I just know you’ll love it. And if you do, post it on IG & tag me @jenna.westphal and #jennawestphal so I can see how you went!