Coconut Granola Recipe (2024)

Since we don’t eat a lot of grains, I’ve had to get pretty creative to find alternatives to eggs for breakfast. We’ve donecottage cheese crepesandchia seed pudding. This coconut granola recipe was created in an attempt to find something new. If you’ve been looking for a healthy “cereal,” this is a good option.

Granola Without Grains?

Granola and I have had a love/hate relationship over the years. I hated it when I was younger and it was just some weird health food my mom liked. Then I liked it in college when I thought it was a health food. Once I realized that grains and my stomach didn’t get along so well, granola was on the bad list again.

As a result, we haven’t had granola or any other type of breakfast cereal in the house in years. This recipe was created at the request of my kids to eat something besideseggs for breakfast. (Fun fact: I was originally trying to make granola bars, but the first few tries flopped. The crumbly result was perfect as cereal.)

I wanted it to be nutrient dense, grain free, and relatively easy to make. So I started experimenting.

The Solution: Coconut Granola!

After giving it some thought, I decided to use unsweetened coconut flakes as the base for my granola. Coconut flakes are wider and flatter than shredded coconut. Kind of like the difference between fettuccine and angel hair pasta. It’s usually pretty easy to find coconut flakes in health food stores or co-ops. Try the bulk section for a great price.

I toss the coconut flakes together with some nuts and dried fruit and drizzle a mixture of honey, coconut oil, and vanilla over it, and bake it until crispy.

Keep a close eye on it though. It’ll go from golden brown to burned in seconds. And keep in mind that it’ll get crunchier as it cools, so don’t worry if it seems a little soft when it’s still in the oven.

This isn’t an everyday food, but I don’t mind my kids eating it with raw milk or homemade coconut milk, or evenhomemade yogurta few times a week.

Customizing Your Granola

The beauty of granola is that it’s so easy to customize it to precisely suit your mood and available ingredients.

Sometimes I like to add nuts, sometimes dried fruit, and sometimes it just feels like we all need a little chocolate (just don’t add the chocolate until the granola is cooled!).

During the summer months when fresh berries are in season, I leave out the dried fruit and toss in a handful of raspberries or blueberries before eating. Or serve it with sliced mango. Mmm. So many possibilities.This posthas some interesting ideas.

Coconut Granola Recipe (1)

Coconut Granola Recipe

A coconut based granola recipe that is easy to make and is a grain-free sub for regular breakfast cereals.

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Servings

6

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  • In a small saucepan, melt the coconut oil with the maple syrup or honey.

  • Heat until it is starting to bubble and simmer.

  • Stir in the vanilla.

  • In a large bowl, mix together the coconut chips, nuts, cinnamon, and dried fruit and chia seeds.

  • Pour the honey/maple syrup/coconut oil mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well. The consistency will vary some depending on the honey, coconut chips, and coconut oil you use. If there is not enough of the honey mixture to lightly coat all of the ingredients, add slightly more melted coconut oil and honey in equal parts.

  • Spread on the prepared baking sheet.

  • Bake for 15-20 until starting to brown. Keep a close eye on it to prevent burning.

  • Remove and let cool, then crumble in to granola pieces.

  • Store in an air-tight jar and use within two weeks.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Coconut Granola Recipe

Amount Per Serving (0.5 cup)

Calories 515Calories from Fat 396

% Daily Value*

Fat 44g68%

Saturated Fat 26g163%

Sodium 17mg1%

Potassium 385mg11%

Carbohydrates 28g9%

Fiber 12g50%

Sugar 10g11%

Protein 8g16%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 128mg13%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notes

There are endless ways to make this granola by changing up the kind of nuts, dried fruit, and sweetener that you use.

Like this recipe? Check out my new cookbook, or get all my recipes (over 500!) in a personalized weekly meal planner here!

Granola: Love it or hate it? Weigh in below!

Coconut Granola Recipe (2)

Coconut Granola Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my homemade granola not crunchy? ›

Higher temperatures can cause ingredients like nuts, seeds, and coconut to burn before the batch has a chance to properly dry out and crisp up, Perry says. Stick with a low temperature, keep an eye on your mixture, and stir it from time to time to help it brown evenly.

What ingredient makes granola clump together? ›

Clumpy Granola Method: Add Egg White

About this method: According to Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen, “Nothing glues like protein.” While there are many granola recipes that include an egg white, I got this tip from the Big Cluster Maple Granola recipe in The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.

What is a substitute for coconut oil in homemade granola? ›

I prefer unrefined coconut oil, which is delicious (you can barely taste the coconut, if at all) and produces the perfect texture. You can use extra-virgin olive oil instead, if you'd like your granola to be a little more on the savory side. If you're watching your saturated fat intake, olive oil is a better choice!

What keeps granola together? ›

When added to your homemade granola bars, honey acts as glue that sticks all the pieces together. Another upside of adding honey to your recipe is that it is a natural sweetener, meaning you won't have to add any artificial sweeteners to your recipe.

How do you make homemade granola crisp? ›

Not only can you transform that soggy, chewy granola back to being blissfully crunchy, but it's easier than you might think. All it takes is spreading the granola in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and heating it in a 400 degree oven for five minutes — essentially re-baking it.

Does homemade granola get crunchy as it cools? ›

Your homemade granola will continue to crisp up as it cools. It's tempting to start eating it as soon as it comes out of the oven, but if you let it rest for 15 minutes on the sheet pan, it'll be extra crisp and toasty – totally worth the wait!

What is a good binder for granola? ›

When dampened, chia seeds gel and swell to several times their original size, plus they get very sticky. Since they're already used as egg alternatives in baking, it's not surprising that chia seeds act as the ideal granola binder, but it is strange that they do it better than eggs.

What is the binding agent for homemade granola? ›

Nut butter is a super flavorful fat that serves multiple purposes in granola. It acts as a binding agent—along with additional coconut oil and whatever natural sweetener I've chosen—helping to pull the dry ingredients together into a wet, sticky mass for baking.

How do I get my homemade granola to stick together? ›

Add an egg white.

The whites act as a kind of glue that binds the ingredients together. To ensure that the egg whites coat all the ingredients, I beat them with a whisk until foamy and increased in volume, which makes it much easier to fold into the granola.

Can I use butter instead of coconut oil in granola? ›

You can also use butter, regular refined coconut oil, vegetable or canola oil–simply choose which fat you prefer or have on hand.

Why is my homemade granola dry? ›

You need fat. If you're not using some type of fat to make granola, you're going to have a pile of dry oats. We use olive oil at Marge, and it gives the granola a toasty quality I really love.

Can I use banana instead of coconut oil? ›

Additionally, you can also use applesauce, mashed bananas, or Greek yogurt as a substitute for coconut oil in certain recipes. By using these substitutes, you can create delicious and healthy baked goods without sacrificing flavor or texture.

What was the downside to granola as a food? ›

Granola may prompt weight gain if eaten in excess, as it can be high in calories from added fats and sugars. What's more, sugar is linked to chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

How do you make granola taste better? ›

Use yogurt and cream cheese as your base, then add fruit like kiwi, banana, orange and frozen berries. A bit of honey and cinnamon rounds out the flavors and excites the taste buds! If you're in a hurry, you can also try this Maple Sea Salt Granola Parfait, which calls for just two ingredients!

Why is my granola still soft? ›

I aim to let it hit room temperature, whatever that may be; the real point is to give it ample time to shed excess heat and steam. This should take about 45 minutes; if left out indefinitely, the granola can turn sticky or soft, so do try to put it away as soon after cooling as you can.

Why won't my granola dry? ›

Using a low oven temperature helps dry out the granola without over-baking it. Keep in mind that the granola won't be dry right out of the oven — it will dry as it cools. So take it out of the oven when it looks lightly toasted and smells like cooked honey.

Should granola be soft when it comes out of the oven? ›

One important thing to know is that at the end of two hours of baking at the low 225F temperature, the granola will still be soft to the touch. That's how it's supposed to be! Go ahead and pull it out of the oven as long as the color looks nice and golden. And then let it rest for 20 minutes on the countertop.

References

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