Easy Gluten-Free Granola Recipe

This is a bit outside of my skincare norm but about four months ago I was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease (seriously 2020? My bread-loving body wasn’t ready for that…) and I don’t think I’m being dramatic when I say it’s been difficult. Bread, pasta, biscuits, cakes, cereals, pies, and pastries pretty much sum up my favourite food group – if it’s beige, I’m going to want it – so it’s taken some practise to make the best out of all that the Gluten-Free world has to offer.

But the meal that really threw me was breakfast. I’ve always loved my toast or cereal in the morning, but with both of those no longer options for me, I had to get a little creative. So I started making my own Gluten-Free Granola and I thought I’d share my recipe that I’ve been tweaking over the past few months. I’m a bit of a fuss-pot when it comes to what I eat, so I prefer to make my own things from scratch, but I also like to keep it simple so hopefully, this Gluten-Free Granola recipe can be enjoyed by gluten-eating (lucky devils!) and gluten-free people alike.

Ingredients:

DRY:
– 250g of raw buckwheat
– 50g of linseed/flaxseed
– 50g of sunflower seeds
– 100g of nuts, chopped (I like a mix of almonds and pistachios, but use your favourites)
– 50g of moist coconut (available in the Baking aisle, you can always use desiccated coconut, I just think it dries out too quickly)
– 35g of puffed multigrain (you’ll find these in the Health Food aisle, you could alternate with rice bubbles if you can’t find them)

WET:
– 40g of rice malt (maple syrup or golden syrup can work too, just adjust the cooking time)
– 60g of butter
– pinch of flaky salt (just helps to keep the sweetness down but you can leave it out)

Recipe:

1. Preheat a regular oven to 160°C.
2. Line a rimmed baking tray with either baking paper or a Silpat mat.
3. Combine all the dry ingredients for the Gluten-Free Granola on the tray and mix so they are evenly distributed.
4. Combine all the wet ingredients into a small pot and place over a medium heat. Stir until the butter has melted and the syrup mixture has begun to bubble.
   HINT: place your pot on the scales and weigh your syrup and butter directly into the pot. Much easier, and less washing up!
5. Pour the hot syrup mixture over the dry ingredients on the tray (the mixture will be extremely hot, so work carefully).
6. With a metal spoon, stir the ingredients through to ensure the wet syrup mixture has coated everything evenly.
7. Flatten out the Granola into an even layer and place in the oven.
8. You want the Granola to get golden and crispy, which will take about 25-30 minutes, depending on your oven, but you need to stir the mixture every 10 minutes. This is super important to make sure you get a consistently golden Granola, and don’t end up with some bits burnt and others undercooked.
9. When you take the tray out of the oven for the final time, do not stir the mix. Leave it to cool in the tray on a wooden board for at least 20 minutes. As it cools, you’ll get clusters of Granola that stick together #goals.
10. Once cooled, transfer the Granola into a large container or jar (anything with a good seal) and it’s ready for breakfast time. Although I have been known to have a bowl on a Sunday arvo because I just can’t wait.

The biggest advantage of this Gluten-Free Granola recipe is that although it’s super tasty on its own, it can be mixed in with basically any extra nuts, fruits, and cereals, which means that with 30 seconds of effort each morning you’ve got a nutritious, delightful bowl of goodness that tastes (and looks) completely different to what you had the day before.

Some of my favourite ways to jazz it up are:
– Blueberries and Greek yogurt
– Dried Cherries and Protein Crunch with almond milk
– Kiwi and Coconut flakes with almond milk

I’m still fairly new to the world of Gluten-Free, but I’m finding that many of the recipes that are out there remove the Gluten and the flavour and texture along with it. I honestly find this Granola just as delicious as the oat-filled muesli I’m used to eating so I really hope you give this a go and enjoy it just as much!