Gluten Free Granola

Making healthy snacks for your kids can be a real challenge and while we are not a gluten-free family I try to use it gluten as a treat, which means I am always seeking out yummy alternative recipes when I can. And let’s face it, lots of kid’s snacks are gluten based such as: pretzels, chips, crackers, Chex mix and the list could go on and on.

Why we are gluten-light? Well we have no allergens or sensitivities in our family but gluten is a food that isn’t easy to digest so by reducing the consumption in our house we boost a healthier digestive tract. Gluten as we age an in individuals with inflammation or diminished brain function can actually exacerbate problems so we reduce our exposure.

Fun Fact? Our family Gluten Splurges are usually for an amazing baguette. So last year when we went to Paris you can guess what we enjoyed.

Gluten Free Granola

Our family loves to use granola in so many ways such as, with yogurt and fruit, on oatmeal, plain or with rice or almond milk. I love this recipe since it has less clusters and more muesli without being muesli which makes it even better for sprinkling on yogurt.

Ingredients:
4 cups Rolled oats (not quick cooking) gluten free
¼ cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup chopped nuts such as almonds or pecans (if you have younger children always use pecans they are not as hard)
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup canola oil
¼ cup maple syrup
1/3 cup honey
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup dried fruit (put in at the end after baking) Like acai berry for extra punch!

Steps:

Gather the ingredients.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper for easier clean up and baking.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, sunflower seeds, chopped nuts, salt and cinnamon.

In another bowl whisk together the canola oil, maple syrup, honey and vanilla.

With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until the oats appear wet.

Place the mixture on a large baking sheet and place in the oven.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until very lightly golden brown (not brown at all if you wait this long the granola will taste burned)

Remove from oven, let cool. When mostly cool, mix in the dried fruit and store in an airtight container for best results.

This recipe is based off one I found on the internet a while ago and love but when I printed it out nothing about the original source stayed on the print out. So thank you to the un-sung hero out there. We love the granola, and would love to give due credit if you are reading this blog.