It seems as though I am continuing with the breakfast theme for now, will it ever end? Who knows! I just had to share this gluten free granola recipe because it’s brilliant. It is so simple to throw together, it consists mostly of ingredients you will likely have in your kitchen already, and it is SO MUCH HEALTHIER and cheaper than store bought granola.
Have you ever looked on the back of a cereal packet at the list of ingredients or the nutritional value table? No matter how healthy you think you are being in selecting your cereal, even if you pick the one with raisins in (blergh!), it’s still like 90% processed sugar. It’s pretty grim. Reading the nutritional content of cereal inevitably makes me picture my arteries gently clogging as I consume my breakfast.
So, if you can spare 5 minutes (that’s literally all the time this takes) I really recommend making your own granola. Once you start you’ll be a convert, because not only is it healthier, it’s also so much tastier too! Go on, if there’s one thing you do for yourself this week, do this. You’ll feel so proud of yourself, I promise!
Story time.
When I was in my early 20s, Morrisons did this amazing gluten free chocolate granola cereal, and, I’m not joking when I say it comprised about half of my diet. I loved it. Despite having diagnosed my dietary issues, it took a long time for my digestive system to reacclimatise after cutting out gluten and dairy. My stomach was still incredibly sensitive and for some reason this specific gluten free granola from Morrisons was one of the few things I could eat without any issues (and it happened to be delicious too because it contained chocolate. Win!). I genuinely had a bowl of this stuff for my Christmas dinner one year, while everyone else had their plates piled high with roast potatoes, turkey, sprouts etc.
Until, one terrible, terrible day I went to my local Morrisons as usual to stock up on gluten free chocolate granola. I skipped on down to the Free From section, and, to my horror, discovered they had decided to discontinue my granola product (yes, by this point I considered it ‘mine’). I was utterly bereft. I emailed them, I even tried to start a petition, but nobody ever got back to me, and so, I had to continue on in life without my favourite gluten free granola.
Now, I’ve never forgiven Morrisons for this, and after a quick perusal on the Morrisons website I would like to point out that they Still haven’t rectified things by reintroducing the cereal, shame on them. However, I’m thankful that I no longer need to rely on granola for most meals, and, more than that, I learned how to make my own! Now, I do sometimes cheat, because (gluten free people out there, hold on to your knickers) Marks and Spencers do a pretty delicious triple chocolate granola. I have to say though, that this homemade granola recipe is way better. Sorry M&S, your granola is a little lacklustre - work on it and do better. People on gluten free diets deserve food that is equally as tasty as those who don't have to live with dietary restrictions.
The great thing with this granola recipe is that it’s delicious as it is, or, if you are feeling fancy, you can dress it up however you want! If you want it to be chocolatey, then add some dark chocolate curls or milk chocolate chips . If you like cranberries floating in your milk in the morning, throw a handful in before baking. It’s so easy and versatile.
One of our favourite ways to eat granola is with “fruity ice cream” which is literally just mixed frozen fruits blended into a sorbet with a little splash of water. Add some granola, yoghurt, almond butter, fresh fruit on top and a squeeze of honey and you’ve got yourself an amazing breakfast!
The easiest gluten free granola in the world!
5 min to make
30 mins to cook
Ingredients
2 cups gluten free oats
1 1/2 cups mixed chopped nuts (I like a mixture of chopped almonds and hazelnuts)
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp Madagascan vanilla extract
1/3 cup honey or maple syrup (either one works)
1/4 cup coconut oil or other flavourless oil (canola or olive oil)
Method
1.) Prepare a baking tray by lining it with baking paper, and preheat your oven to 150°c (or 130°c fan oven).
2.) In a glass bowl, warm the coconut oil in the microwave until melted and warm. Then, add the honey (or the maple syrup if you prefer to use that) to the bowl as well, mix together and microwave them again until they are very warm.
3.) Add vanilla extract to the glass bowl and mix it all to combine.
4.) In a separate bowl, add the oats, chopped nuts, desiccated coconut and cinnamon, and mix well.
5.) Pour the oil and honey mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until they are fully combined.
6.) Put the granola into the prepared baking tray and spread it out evenly. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, until it's starting to turn a golden colour.
7.)Take the granola out of the oven and let it cool. It will harden and become crunchy as it cools. Then, break it into pieces and store in an airtight container. Or, alternatively, dig right in!
Comments