Crispy Paleo Granola
This paleo granola is crispy, grain free, gluten free full of protein & fiber and low in sugar. It’s a healthy grain free snack that’s perfect over yogurt, chia pudding or on top of a smoothie bowl.
Yogurt and chia pudding are my go-to breakfasts, both together and separately. But they’re never complete without something crunchy, and this homemade paleo granola is always a winner.
It’s made with a bunch of nuts and seeds and sweetened with just maple syrup, so it’s much healthier than most store bought granolas! It’s paleo, vegan, low carb and can be made keto with one simple swap.
With delicious flavors like cinnamon, vanilla and either honey or maple syrup, this recipe is bound to put you in a good mood in the morning! Instead of oats, we’ll be pulsing/chopping some walnuts and almonds to use as our base, which is surprisingly so good I promise you won’t even miss the oats.
This high protein recipe is perfect to meal prep for the week and can be easily customizable depending on what you have on hand. If you love this recipe, try my peanut butter protein granola or serve it on top of my pumpkin pie chia pudding!
Key Ingredients
Walnuts and Almonds. These two make up the base of the granola since it is made without oats, which is traditionally found in granola.
You can swap for other nuts such as pecans, but I personally like walnuts and sliced almonds best!
Pumpkin and Chia Seeds. Again, this is a really versatile recipe, so feel free to swap in or out any other seeds you like. Sunflower seeds, flax seeds etc. will all work well!
Coconut Flakes. These are a non-negotiable! They get nice and toasty while in the oven and I swear they add such a good flavor. It’ll put you in good mood for the rest of the day.
Maple Syrup. You can use either maple syrup or honey for this recipe, but I don’t recommend a granulated sweetener. The liquid sweetener is necessary to bind the ingredients together, so stick with honey or maple syrup for best results.
Both are considered refined sugar free! If you want to make this a keto granola, feel free to use a sugar-free maple syrup alternative.
Cinnamon & Nutmeg. These two spices plus some salt and vanilla add so much flavor to this paleo granola.
How to make paleo granola
Add the walnuts to a food processor and pulse a few times to break up. If you don’t have a food processor, just chop the walnuts/almonds with a knife or add to a zip lock bag and smash them with a heavy object, I usually use a meat tenderizer.
Add in the sliced almonds and pulse a few more times. You don’t want to completely blend these nuts, but you just want them finely chopped since this is what will replace oats that are commonly used as a base in traditional granola.
Transfer to a bowl with all remaining ingredients aside from the cranberries. Mix well to combine. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
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Bake for 15 minutes, mix with a spoon, then bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
It will continue to crisp as it cools, but when you take it out it should be fairly crispy. You can always turn the oven off and let the granola sit in the off oven to get really crispy.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely and then break up into clusters. Transfer to an air tight container for storing.
How to make granola crispy
The key to crispy granola is a slightly lower oven temperature and longer bake time.
This recipe is baked at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes, which ensures it gets super crispy but doesn’t burn. Just keep an eye on it and stir it up as needed!
I also suggest packing it down into one even layer so it can form lots of crispy clusters in the oven.
Spice it up!
This recipe is very customizable. I opted for a simple blend of cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg for the spices, but you can really add whatever you like.
Pumpkin pie or apple pie spice are delicious in the Fall, or even a mix of ginger, cardamom and orange extract or zest make a delicious combination.
How to store
Once prepared, this paleo granola stores well at room temperature! Be sure to let it cool completely, then transfer to an air tight container for up to 2 weeks.
It will keep for longer in the fridge but the colder temperature can make it a bit less crispy. You can pop it back in the oven for a few minutes to get it crispy again.
Try these next!
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Crispy Paleo Granola
by: claire cary
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups walnuts
- 1 ½ cup sliced almonds not whole or slivered
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- ½ cup coconut flakes not shredded
- 2 tablespons coconut oil melted
- ⅓ cup maple syrup*
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup dried cranberries or other dried fruit
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add the walnuts to a food processor and pulse just a couple of times to break up. Don’t skip this step! It’s important for the texture of the granola and it’ll be used to replace grains that are typically found in granola
- Add in the sliced almonds and pulse a couple more more times. You don’t want to completely blend these nuts, but you just want them finely chopped since this is what will replace oats in traditional granola.
- If you don’t have a good processor, just add to a ziplock bag and smash with a meat tenderizer a few times.
- Transfer to a bowl with all remaining ingredients aside from the cranberries.
- Mix well to combine.
- Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 15 minutes, mix with a spoon, then bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. It will continue to crisp as it cools, but when you take it out it should be fairly crispy. You can always turn the oven off and let the granola sit in the off oven to get really crispy.
- Remove from the oven, toss in the cranberries and let cool completely. Transfer to an air tight container for storing.
Notes
Comments
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Delicious😊. I don’t miss the oats at all. About to make my 4th batch, might double this time. I store the extra in the freezer, keeps very well. I add flax seed and psyllium husk powder too. I eat it with my homemade yogurt every morning.
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Love those additions! Thanks, Tracy!
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This sounds really good, but I am allergic to coconut everything, what could I use in place of the coconut oil?
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Butter or another kind of plain oil!
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Great recipe!! Added almond butter. Really good.
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Delish. My first try at making granola and it’s a hit!
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So happy you enjoyed it!
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Absolutely terrific! I’m testing whether gluten and/or oats are bothering me, so this recipe is a perfect one, and I didn’t miss those ingredients. I live down the street in Wellesley. Stephanie H told our book club about you. Your recipes are spot on, thanks for all you do!
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So happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing Stephanie 🙂
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Thank you for sharing. You have not mentioned when to add maple syrup, and coconut oil. Or I can’t find it?
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When I say to add all remaining ingredients, that’s when you’ll add those in!
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