This yummy quinoa granola is a great way to enjoy the classic recipe! The quinoa gives the recipe crunch, while the seeds and raisins add nutrition and texture. NO oats or nuts needed!
This delicious granola is surprisingly good, and it's a great option for someone avoiding oats and/or nuts.
One of my primary goals with this recipe, aside from making quinoa the base, was to keep both the sweetener and the fat to a minimum.
Everyone in the house enjoys this recipe, though the girls balked a bit at pairing it with milk.
The texture gets a bit soggy that way, so hands or yogurt were the preferred vehicles!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Uncooked quinoa
- Pumpkin seeds - Any nut or seed you like can be used.
- Sunflower seeds - Again, any nut or seed can be used.
- Coconut
- Sea salt
- Cinnamon - Optional.
- Maple syrup
- Olive oil - Melted coconut oil or grapeseed oil can be substituted.
- Raisins - Optional.
How to make quinoa granola
Begin by thoroughly rinsing the quinoa.
Mix together the maple syrup, olive oil, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
Stir in the seeds, coconut, and quinoa. Don't add the raisins until after baking!
Bake 10-15 minutes, or until the quinoa takes on a golden color. Stir the granola one time, about half way through.
Cool for about 10 minutes; this time allows it to crisp up!
Recipe notes
After rinsing and draining the quinoa, let it sit in the sieve to air-dry for a bit to remove any excess water. It's okay if the quinoa is still a bit wet upon mixing, you just don't want it dripping with water.
Feel free to use different seeds, nuts, or dried fruit in place of what is used, if you prefer.
Other oat-free granola recipes
In addition to this, I have a few other recipes you might enjoy if you're unable to eat oats.
Red Lentil Granola (a house favorite!)
Chocolate Buckwheat Granola (another favorite, it tastes like Cocoa Crispies!)
Quinoa Granola
Ingredients
- ¾ cup uncooked quinoa rinsed, drained, and air-dried a bit
- ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 2 Tablespoons raw sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup unsweetened grated coconut
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 ½ Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil or melted coconut oil
- ¼ cup raisins optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- In a medium bowl, mix the oil, syrup, salt, and cinnamon until well combined.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients MINUS the raisins until everything is coated well.
- Pour the mix onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, spreading it out into a thin layer.
- Bake 10-15 minutes, or until golden, stirring once about halfway through.
- Sprinkle the raisins atop the granola and let it all cool on the baking sheet for another 10 minutes to crisp up.
Notes
Nutrition
If you have a chance to try this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below letting me know how you liked it!
dawn
can't WAIT to try this!!!!
Lauren
Thanks Dawn! xo
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
It looks so super crunchy!
Celeste
This looks yum. How many cups does this recipe make?
Lauren
Thanks! I've never measured it, but just judging by the ingredients, about 1 1/2-2 cups. 🙂
Patti
Hi Lauren. Thank you for such amazing recipes! I'm looking forward to giving this a try. Yum!
Stupid question, but ... Is the quinoa to be boiled/cooked before using it in this recipe?
Lauren
Thanks Patti! Not at all stupid, there's no cooking required for the quinoa, just rinse, drain, and let it air-dry in your sieve a bit. 🙂
Tammy
Just out of curiosity, what is the purpose of rinsing and drying the quinoa? I've seen this before in a few other recipes. This looks great, btw! Maple and cinnamon are right up my alley.
Lauren
Thanks Tammy! Quinoa has a component on it (saponins?...) that makes it bitter-tasting, and rinsing helps wash it off. 🙂
Patti
Hi again, Lauren
Thanks for this awesome recipe!! Love it!! It's delicious, crunchy & nourishing. Makes a satisfying snack.
Congratulations on your new 'bundle of joy'! Glad that the birth went well for you, that both of you are ok & that your hubby could make it for the birth.
Lauren
Thanks so much Patti! 🙂
June
Love this granola! Thank you for sharing.
June
Lauren
Thanks June, glad you liked it!
Laxla
I loved this recipe! I have a question not really relating to the recipe: what homeschool curriculum do you use for your girls? If you don’t use one can you please tell me how you do it? I really want to homeschool my kids but I’m not sure how 🤓😕😝
Lauren
Thanks, Laxla! I use a combination of different things, but right now we're using the Good and Beautiful quite a bit. Easy Peasy is an online (free!) program, which is what I started out with. I was really intimidated initially too, but gradually, I got into a groove, and it's fun for me to learn along with them! 🙂
Laxla
Do those ones go up to high school? Also does the good and the beautiful have math? When did you start to decide to homeschool the girls and why? I’m sorry for all the questions. I think I’ll homeschool my kids but I’m just so unsure that I might not be a good teacher.
Mandy
this is the BOMB!!! I really miss granola. I have celiac but don’t do well with oats. Yay!! thanks for sharing.
Lauren Goslin
Thanks, Mandy!
Ellen
Than you for this! My husband can't eat oats or whole wheat. So this is a great way for him to get healthy grains. I added sesame seeds and slivered almonds. Was thinking of adding peanut butter next time.