Delicious nut free granola clusters with maple and coconut are are perfect to have for breakfast, in a yogurt parfait, or for snacking on in the afternoon! This easy-to-make breakfast (or snack!) can be made on the weekend, for use throughout the week.
The kind of granola I like can't be too sweet, it needs to be crunchy, and the granola has to be clusters (I'm not a big fan of loose, crumbly granola). This is why I usually have a batch of this nut free granola in my cupboard.
I think my love of granola dates back to my childhood when my mom kept a granola stash all to herself. It was a store bought box that she only got when it was on sale because it was a little pricey.
When she brought a box home, we all knew it was off limits because it was her special thing. I specifically remember it being the cluster kind of granola and it was delicious.
Perhaps it was extra delicious because it was off limits to everyone? Maybe.
Nowadays, my own food stash that's off limits to others consists of chocolate, not granola...because of this recipe. (What do you keep in your own off-limit stash?!)
To make these homemade granola clusters, all you need is a few simple ingredients you probably already have in your cupboards. And they're very easy to make.
They're delicious to have for breakfast, of course, but you can also enjoy them as school snacks, afternoon snacks, travel snacks...any time snacks. It also makes a nice addition to yogurt parfaits and any other recipe that calls for pre-made granola.
Why Nut-Free? Can I Add Them Anyways?
I chose to make my nut free maple coconut granola clusters without nuts, so my kids can bring them to school (their school is 100% nut-free this needed to be a tree nut free granola) but you can add nuts if you'd like.
I have not made a nut version (yet) but I would use raw, un-roasted nuts since the granola spends some time in the oven. That oven time will toast the raw nuts up nicely.
Easy & Delicious
My homemade nut free granola is simple to prepare, and it's not pricey to make so I can make enough for the entire family to enjoy. (In fact, it's cheaper to make your own granola than to buy the store stuff!)
And the best part? Because they're clusters, they're so easy to grab and eat while you're on-the-go. Don't you want to grab a few of these golden, crunchy clusters right now?!
What About the Add-Ins?
We can't not give the maple and coconut a mention, because they contribute the majority of the flavour to this nut free granola recipe.
I chose to add these two ingredients because the flavour combo is so wonderful and perfect for granola. The pure maple syrup adds a nice sweetness and the shredded coconut add a rich and nutty flavour.
A few of the reasons why this is one of my top choices for a snack 🙂
Before heading off to make your own granola clusters, click here for more delicious breakfast ideas!
If you make them, tell me about it below in the comments or share a pic on Instagram and tag me so I can see. You can also pin this recipe to Pinterest!
And finally! If you like this nut-free granola clusters recipe, you may also like these other recipes that use oats:
- Vegan Granola Bars
- Fruit and Yogurt Granola Cups
- Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Blueberry Oatmeal Bars
- Banana Steel Cut Oats
How to Make Nut Free Granola Clusters
Nut Free Maple Coconut Granola Clusters
Suggested Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 ½ cups (250g) rolled oats (gluten-free oats, if needed)
- ½ cup (60g) oat flour (see note below)
- ½ cup (40g) unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 tablespoons (19g) coconut sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (60ml) melted coconut oil
- ⅓ cup (80ml) pure maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C) degrees.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
- Prepare your flax egg by whisking together ground flax seeds and water. Set aside to thicken.
- Whisk together the rolled oats, oat flour, shredded coconut, coconut sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt until well blended.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed mixture, melted coconut oil, pure maple syrup, and the vanilla until combined.
- Add wet mixture to dry mixture and mix well so dry ingredients are coated.
- Scoop out the mixture onto the parchment-lined cookie sheet and press down to flatten. (see note below)
- Bake for 15 minutes and after 15 minutes, rotate the cookie sheet and bake for another 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it and if you see the edges getting a little too dark, take it out.
- Remove from the oven and cool. (The granola may seem soft to the touch, but it will harden more as it cools.)
- Once cooled, break into pieces. Make your clusters as big or as small as you'd like.
Video:
Recipe Notes:
- This recipe makes approximately 4 cups of granola.
- When flattening the mixture before baking, don't flatten too much or it will burn but flatten enough so it's not too thick. If it's too thick, the clusters turn out soft and not crunchy. You want it to be about ¼ of an inch thick. When pressing down, the mixture may not fill out your cookie sheet, that's OK. See image of granola in the pan above.
- You can save money by making your own oat flour by following the instructions in this post.
- Nutrition info listed below is for ⅓ cup (113 g) of granola and is only to be used as a guide. Click here to learn how nutrition info is determined on this website.
Fiona says
I have made these twice not and have loved it both times! I added raisins to the adult version and chocolate chips to the kids version. I also snuck in pumpkin seeds blended in the blender and chia seeds.....but don't tell them!
I also accidently put too much coconut oil in the first batch, but it still turned out delicious! We had friends over last night and they loved it too and asked for the recipe. Have added it to my yogurt, so delicious, thanks!
Gwen Leron says
Hi Fiona! It's a very versatile recipe when it comes to the add-ins, I love that you've tried so many variations and that you're enjoying it (and I won't tell anyone about the pumpkin and chia seeds 🙂 ). Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your note, I appreciate it very much.
Jackie says
Forgot to mention I also doubled vanilla.
Jackie says
Thanks for this recipe! I have a life-long severe nut allergy and have to be very careful. This is by far my favorite granola recipe. I love it more than store-bought granola. For my 2nd batch, I increased cinnamon and salt to 1/2 tsp each, used organic cane sugar, and increased baking time ~5 minutes. Amazing!
Gwen Leron says
It's my favourite, too Jackie, and yes, it's so much better than store-bought granola. I can't remember the last time I bought it from a store! I'm happy you were able to customize it to suit your tastes. Thank you so much for your message 🙂
Nadine says
Love this nut free granola recipe! The flax mixture and the oat flour make a huge difference when trying to get clusters! We have Anaphylactic allergies to tree nuts and peanut in our family so finally we can have delicious nut free granola! Thanks Gwen for this amazing, no sugar, healthy recipe! We love it!
Gwen Leron says
You're welcome, Nadine! I'm so happy to hear you like it, it's a favourite recipe over here, as well 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to leave your note and rating, I appreciate it very much!
Eva says
Hi, Can we use honey or maple syrup instead of sugar? Or will that change the consistency of the granola in any way? Thank you! :))
Gwen Leron says
Hi Eva, you can omit the coconut sugar for a slightly less sweet granola or you can replace it with 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup 🙂 The texture will still be fine. I hope this helps!