This Healthy Granola Recipe with Pecans & Coconut is made with only 8 ingredients and ready in 30 minutes! It’s gluten-free, dairy-free vegan and has no refined sugar! The perfect healthy breakfast or snack!

Every Wednesday before we go grocery shopping I ask my kids what they want to put on the list. Without fail, the first item they shout out is, “YOGURT!” They love it. The problem is, yogurt isn’t a very filling breakfast on it’s own, so it needs a companion.

But not just anyone will do…most store-bought granolas aren’t worthy because they are loaded with sugar.  However, this Healthy Granola Recipe definitely meets the qualifications of a suitable partner for every kind of yogurt!

I don’t like yogurt…I know, I might be am weird. It’s a texture thing! But I L-O-V-E granola, especially this Healthy Granola Recipe. I sneak bites during every step of the baking process and have to remind myself to save some for my kids. The list of ingredients is short and they’re all nutritious!

I love this Healthy Granola Recipe because it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, and has no refined sugar! It’s also E-A-S-Y to make!

Make-Ahead Breakfast Granola

The mornings in my house are so sweet. Bethany, Gabe and Naomi waddle down the stairs in their cute PJs with their crazy morning hair and want to eat…immediately. You would think I starved them the day before because of how hungry they say they are. They also always have something very interesting to say.  I learn so much about what’s on their sweet little hearts by listening intently to what they tell me when they first wake up.

I think those precious morning moments are so important that I want to be fully present for them. I don’t want to be distracted by cooking breakfast everyday, so I choose to have lots of healthy, make-ahead options on hand and ready to go, like this Homemade easy granola recipe .

My kids are into sweet breakfasts, so I tend to stick to granola, muffins, breakfast bars, etc. No joke, recently Gabe cried when he had to try scrambled eggs. He put the first bite in his mouth, looked at me like I pinched him, and tears started streaming down his face. Even ketchup didn’t make them edible to my sweet  boy.

Ritch and I cracked up because…it was hilarious. What kid doesn’t like scrambled eggs? Apparently mine. We could tell it was a legitimate dislike and he wasn’t just trying to get out of eating…so we let him forgo the eggs. We have a general “rule” in our family that everyone can have three foods they don’t like. Brussels sprouts is definitely on the list for everyone except for me. Zucchini is on Bethany’s list. And we learned scrambled eggs is on Gabe’s.

How do you make healthy Granola? 

This healthy granola recipe takes about 5 minutes to put together and 30 minutes to bake! So let’s

1. Mix dry ingredients. Start by mixing the dry ingredients together, then set them aside!
2. Combine & warm the wet ingredients. The trick here is you want to gently warm them either in the microwave or on the stovetop until they are just warm enough to be smooth and combined.
3. Add Vanilla. be sure to add the vanilla to the wet ingredients after they have been removed from the heat!
4. Mix it together! Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well! Be sure everything is evenly distributed!
5. Bake! This is the most important step! If you want chunky granola be sure to press the granola together in the pan. Bake for 30 minutes.
6. Test for doneness. The granola usually feels soft to the touch when it first comes out of the oven, but hardens as it cools. To test for doneness take a few pieces of granola off the baking pan and let it cool. If it hardens and becomes crunchy then it’s done!

How do you store healthy granola? 

Store this healthy granola recipe in an airtight container for up to two weeks (if it lasts that long)! It can also be frozen!

How to reheat/crisp granola? 

If the healthy granola becomes soft during storing (this can happen if it wasn’t baked all the way). Simply reheat it in the oven at 300 degrees F for 5-10 minutes, or until is passes the doneness test!

Healthy Granola Recipe: Substitutions

Here are a few acceptable substitutions for this recipe. As always I recommend making it exactly as written.

• Coconut oil. Butter can be used in place of coconut oil as long as it complies with your dietary needs!
• Honey. Any liquid sweetener should work great in this recipe. I have used honey and maple syrup {for a vegan option} with great results.
• Old-Fashioned Oats. Quick-cooking oats can be substituted but you might need to add an extra TBS or two of coconut oil or sweetener! Steel cut oats do not work in this recipe.
• Pecans. Chopped almonds or walnuts are also delicious options to use in this recipe. If you are allergic to nuts, simply increase the amount of oats/coconut by 1/2 cup.

IF YOU MAKE SOMETHING FROM JOYFOODSUNSHINE I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOUR CREATIONS! DON’T FORGET TO RATE THIS RECIPE AND LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW! ALSO, FOLLOW ALONG WITH ME ON INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, FACEBOOK AND TWITTER FOR MORE RECIPE INSPIRATION AND A GLIMPSE INTO OUR EVERYDAY LIFE!

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5 from 6 votes

Healthy Granola Recipe (Gluten-Free)

Healthy Granola Recipe with Pecans & Coconut is made with only 8 ingredients and ready in 30 minutes! It's gluten-free, dairy-free vegan and has no refined sugar! The perfect healthy breakfast or snack! #homemade #granola #healthygranola #granolarecip

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword gluten-free granola, healthy granola, healthy granola recipe, homemade granola, vegan granola

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 12 servings

Calories 173.1kcal

Author Laura

Ingredients

• ¼ cup coconut oil
• ¼ cup honey or pure maple syrup for vegan option
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• ½ cup raw pecans chopped
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet, set aside.
• In a large bowl mix together oats, coconut, cinnamon, salt and pecans. Set aside.
• Melt honey and coconut oil together in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat until smooth.
• Remove from heat and add vanilla to warm coconut oil/honey mixture. Stir until combined.
• Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients until all dry ingredients are evenly coated.
• Spread on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown, stirring the granola half way through baking time. It may feel soft when you remove it from the oven, but it gets harder and crunchier as it cools so please be careful and do not over bake!
• Allow the granola to cool and eat it with your favorite yogurt or milk! Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 173.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 16.7g | Protein: 2.4g | Fat: 11.5g | Saturated Fat: 6.8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2.4g | Sodium: 45.7mg | Potassium: 26.5mg | Fiber: 2.5g | Sugar: 6.6g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.3mg

On a side note. Yesterday was one of those days where everything that could go wrong, did! I even had to leave church early because Gabe peed all over himself (and we aren’t even potty training yet, Lord HELP me)! Then at the end of the night I saw that one of my favorite bloggers at Ambitious Kitchen had regrammed a picture I took of her paleo chocolate chip cookies. I love her blog and all her recipes!  It’s just a picture, I know, but it was a sweet surprise at the end of a pretty crummy day.

*Note: this post and has been updated with new photos because it’s one of our favorites! It was originally posted February 22nd, 2016*

Question: have you ever made your own granola at home?! 

If you like granola try this Healthy Peanut Butter Granola Recipe {one of the most-loved recipes on my site}!