Gluten-free Maple Granola (nut free)

Gluten-free Maple Granola (nut free)
gluten-free | tree nut free | egg free | peanut free
by Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | June 1, 2023
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To be honest, this was kind of a ‘spur of the moment’ recipe, but I’m so glad I went through with making this granola! This gluten-free maple granola was super easy to make and has the perfect maple flavor with the classic granola-crunch! The smell of this granola while it was baking was heavenly, and the taste was even more satisfying. To make this recipe even better, it is allergy-friendly and made with wholesome, simple ingredients! Naturally sweetened with maple products… this granola will melt in your mouth!

Modern Pioneer Recipe

I classify granola as a modern pioneer recipe. The classic, modern granola recipe was developed around the same time that Kellogg cereal was being created and marketed. Granola was the first manufactured cold breakfast cereal to be produced and sold commercially. However, I like to take granola back to its roots. Instead of buying ‘manufactured’ granola that is sold ‘commercially’, I like to make granola from scratch!

I love making granola, and it truly is an easy food to bake. All of my granola recipes (like this gluten-free peanut butter granola) use wholesome, beneficial ingredients that not only taste good, but are healthy for you too! This gluten-free maple granola is no exception!

As a modern pioneer, baking from scratch is not just a life-skill for me… it’s a lifestyle. Making my own recipes and learning as I experiment with raw, wholesome ingredients is so much fun! Not to mention the challenge of making every recipe compatible with my anti-inflammatory diet. Of course, there’s the occasional splurge recipe, but recipes that I plan on making on a regular basis I try to keep healthy and nutritious.

I consider this gluten-free maple granola one of those recipes! I am always having granola as a quick breakfast or a filling snack, so having some nutritious, simple granola recipes that are easy to make is essential! As far as allergy-friendly goes, this maple granola is….

• gluten-free
• nut free
• dairy-free option
• egg free
• corn free
• naturally sweetened

Michigan Maple Days

Aside from peanut butter and mint, maple has to be one of my top favorite flavors! Here in Michigan, March and April are classically associated with tapping maple trees, making maple products, and visiting sugar shacks. Cool nights combined with the warmer days makes the sap flow. The sap then gets boiled down to make delicious maple products!

As a modern pioneer, I would love to try tapping maple trees and making my own maple products. It is definitely a pioneer life skill that is on my bucket list. I know of quite a few homesteaders who do go through the whole process, and I can’t wait to try my own hand at it some day! For now, I support my local sugar bush and look forward to buying fresh maple products every March and April.

Some of my favorite maple products include:

• Pure Maple Syrup– I love using the dark, rich stuff in baking (like these chocolate cookies) and for topping pancakes, waffles, and French toast!
• Maple Sugar– This is the perfect alternative to traditional granulated sugar. I love using both coconut sugar and maple sugar in my baked goods!
• Maple Candies– These soft and insanely sweet bites of maple goodness are classic Maple Days treats!
• Pure Maple Cream- Literally, the cream of the harvest! Maple cream beats any toast topping I’ve ever had and I love slathering fresh maple cream on cinnamon rolls, bagels, and toast!

Healthy Modern Pioneer Breakfast Options

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. For those of you who can start your day without breakfast, I don’t know how you do it! I wake up for breakfast. Some people crave coffee in the morning, I crave breakfast. It’s just that I love breakfast foods. In fact, I don’t just have breakfast in the morning. Often times my menu will include breakfast foods for lunch or dinner too!

For me, breakfast foods encompass a wide range of different items. My go-to breakfast food is always eggs. There is so many delicious breakfasts that I can make using eggs! I compiled a list of 50+ healthy ways to eat eggs, and there are plenty of breakfast ideas on the list! My favorite ways to have eggs for breakfast include making a breakfast egg sandwich with grain-free rolls or having fried eggs with bacon and a muffin.

However, eggs aren’t generally my breakfast of choice when I need a quick breakfast option. That’s when granola is helpful to have on hand! I find that having a bowl of granola for breakfast gives me plenty of energy to start the day off right. The protein from the oats, hemp seeds, and quinoa provide staying power, while the fiber in the oats makes you feel full after eating the granola.

Yes, there is sugar in granola, but that’s what makes it so delicious! And this maple granola contains natural sugar that is easy to digest. Not to mention, sugar does provide you with a source of instant energy. Instant energy is great…. until it runs out! That’s when the protein-rich ingredients in the granola come into play.

I frequently make both this gluten-free maple granola and this gluten-free peanut butter granola to have stocked in my pantry! Or the gluten-free blueberry cardamom granola recipe below is fun to make too!

Ideas for Serving & Storing Granola

Aside from how tasty this granola is and that it makes for a great breakfast, I also love the versatility of granola! Kind of like eggs, there are so many different ways to serve granola that I’m not sure if I’d ever get tired of having it on a regular basis!

Dairy-free Milk– Probably one of my favorite ways to have granola is the classic way, a good old bowl of granola with some milk (dairy-free milk mind you). Let’s stop and talk about milk here for a minute. I mostly use unsweetened coconut milk beverage in both my baking and when I have granola. I don’t use the full fat, from a can coconut milk because I find it too rich and thick. Instead, I like to buy Pacific or SoDelicious coconut milk that comes in a carton. I also love oat milk! Whether it be Pacific original oat milk or homemade oat milk, I love the sweet flavor of oat milk combined with granola!

Yogurt– Having granola with milk is not the only way that I like to enjoy granola though! I also like having granola with dairy-free coconut milk yogurt. I often find that having the granola with a bowl of yogurt is more filling for breakfast than having the granola with milk. Granola can also be used as an accompaniment to a fruit smoothie, as a topping to overnight oats, or sprinkled over a bowl of dairy-free coconut milk ice cream!

Storage Tips- I also love how easy and versatile granola is to store. It lasts for quite a while in the pantry and can easily be taken on small trips, hikes, or camping adventures. Stored in the fridge, granola can last even longer! Kept in an airtight container, I have found that homemade granola can stay fresh for up to a month in the pantry or two months in the fridge. I always pack granola on camping trips and it makes a great trail food too!

Granola Recipe Tips

Gluten-free maple granola is super easy to make! In fact, granola in general is really an easy recipe to whip up! I’ve made granola countless times and could probably do it by memory now. Here are a few tips that will ensure your granola turns out flavorful, crunchy, and with delicious granola clumps!

• Oat Types– Whole, rolled oats are the best to use in this granola recipe. I have not tried it with quick oats or any other type of oat.
• Dairy-free Option– Coconut oil can be used instead of butter to make the granola dairy-free.
• Maple Subs– There are no substitutes for the maple syrup or maple sugar! If you don’t want the maple flavor, then you could use honey and coconut sugar.
• Crispy Granola– If you have a convection oven, turning on the convection (on my oven it is called ‘speed bake’) really helps the granola crisp up. The granola has to bake for less time when convection is used.
• Granola Chunks– The key to getting good granola clumps is don’t stir the granola for the final few minutes that it bakes. Then don’t touch or mess with the granola at all while it cools. Let the granola cool completely undisturbed to maximize granola clumps!
• Cool Before Storing– Always make sure the granola is completely cool before storing it an airtight container!
• Storage Time– Stored in an airtight container and kept in the pantry, granola will stay good for 3-4 weeks. Kept in the fridge, granola will last for up to 2 months.

Gluten-free maple granola has the crunch and clumps of classic granola! Trust me, you won’t be able to resist the delicious maple flavor of this sweet and crunchy granola! Have it with a bowl of milk or use it as an oatmeal topping… maple granola makes any breakfast or snack better!

Where to Find the Ingredients

• Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free rolled oats
• Anthony’s organic sunflower seeds
• Organic hemp seeds
• Anthony’s organic white quinoa
• Anthony’s organic shredded coconut
• Barred Woods pure maple sugar
• Grade A 100% pure maple syrup
• Supplies: parchment paper, 11×15″ baking tray

Gluten-free maple granola is super easy to make, allergy-friendly, and bursting with flavor! It has the perfect granola crunch with delicious granola clumps… everything a mouth-watering granola should feature! I love that this granola contains wholesome ingredients that actually provide benefits such as being rich in protein, providing healthy fiber, and providing good sources of trace minerals and vitamins. The maple syrup and maple sugar add the perfect maple flavor to this granola and help sweeten this recipe naturally! I always have a jar of homemade granola stocked in my homestead pantry.

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