Cinnamon Cherry Oil-Free Granola pictured with Green Dream Smoothie

I love granola. Always have. My mom used to make homemade granola when I was growing up and it was such a special treat when she did. Her version had oil in it and we never thought twice about it. Of course you had to use oil to get everything to stick together, right? Wrong!

When I switched to a plant-based whole foods way of eating and tried to minimize my consumption of processed foods I decided to try my hand at homemade oil-free granola. And do you know what I discovered? You don’t need to add oil to get everything to stick together, hooray! And it is still very delicious!

I’ve experimented with a number of different versions of oil-free granola and here is the first one I will post. Prepare yourself for a culinary delight at breakfast or any time. What makes this granola unique is the inclusion of millet, an ancient, naturally gluten-free whole grain that is considered easier to digest than most grains. It has a crunchy texture and provides about 11% protein by weight.

For a complete breakfast, try the Cinnamon Cherry Oil-Free Granola with some plant-based milk of your choice, some fresh fruit and our Green Dream Smoothie.

Cinnamon Cherry Oil-Free Granola

Author: Plantivores
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 45 mins
Yield: 24 1x
Category: Breakfast, Snack

Description

Try this Cinnamon Cherry Oil-Free Granola for a healthier version of a popular breakfast favorite.

Scale

Ingredients

8 cups oats (use certified gluten-free oats for a gluten-free version)
1 cup millet
½ cup shredded coconut
½ cup whole almonds
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons cinnamon
½ cup brown rice syrup
1 cup unsweetened apple juice
½ cup maple syrup
1 ½ cups dried unsweetened, oil-free cherries
1 cup golden raisins

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper or non-stick aluminum foil.
In a large mixing bowl combine the oats, millet, coconut, cinnamon and nuts.
In a small mixing bowl mix together the brown rice syrup, apple juice and maple syrup.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir carefully until everything is coated.
Scoop onto the baking sheets and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to avoid burning.
Remove from the oven and cool for 15-20 minutes. Pour back into large mixing bowl and add in cherries and raisins. Stir gently to combine.
Store in an airtight container. Will last for several weeks like this in the refrigerator (though ours NEVER makes it that long).

Notes

Feel free to cut the recipe in half if you don’t want/need quite so much granola on hand. We go through it so quickly that we make this in large quantities.

Recipe submitted to:

Gluten-free Fridays and