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This Paleo Granola is loaded with healthy nuts and seeds. It's also crazy delicious, and you won't believe how easy it is to throw together!
"Paleo Granola?" "No thank you." That's probably what I would have said, not long ago.
Do you ever have to eat your words? How about your thoughts? Just wondering... cause I never have that problem.
Oops, excuse me, I might have to stop writing this post because, well, I can't see the screen anymore; my nose is growing. Really long...
Okay, to be honest, I do have that problem occasionally quite frequently.
For example, there was "Google". I remember my son, Nick talking excitedly about Google. It seems like it was a hundred years ago (I mean really, who remembers life before Google?), but it was only about fourteen or fifteen. "What in the world is Google?" I asked him, "That is probably the dumbest word I ever heard".
Then here's a really embarrassing one. When my daughter, Cait announced seven or eight years ago, that she was going to start a blog, that was another dumb word. "Blog?" I mean really, who dreams up words like that?
I'm the dumb one here! Not only do I now have my own blog, but I'm infamous in our family as, "The Google Queen". In fact, a few paragraphs ago, I googled "When did Google start?", so I wouldn't sound so dumb when I told you how many years ago it was that I thought Google was dumb. Sheeeesh!
I have to admit, the same thing occurred when I learned about the "paleo" diet, which promotes "Returning to the diet of our early (paleolithic) ancestors.", meaning lots of lean protein, seeds nuts, berries, fruit, etc. There's nothing wrong with this concept, in fact, we should all be eating more of these healthy foods. There are, however, lots of restrictions with the paleo diet. The exclusions include all refined and processed foods, most grains, legumes (beans and peanuts), dairy, fruit juice, tubers (sweet and regular potatoes) and salt.
I would describe our dietary philosophy here at The Café more along the lines of "balance". We eat healthy for the most part, with a few fun indulgences thrown in. But we do enjoy most of the things that are on the "no-no" list for paleos. We love whole-grain breads and oatmeal, eat lots of Greek yogurt and peanut butter, enjoy fresh orange juice, use all kinds of potatoes (both sweet and regular) and absolutely love bean soups, chilies and all kinds of international cuisines that have legumes (beans) as a staple. And then there's sugar (a refined food product). Although we try to limit our intake, my nose would be crashing through my computer screen, yet again, if I said we didn't enjoy sweet treats (quite obvious in my last post - Best Ever Chocolate Pound Cake).
All this to say, I haven't really given recipes labeled as "paleo" a whole lot of attention, thinking they would be a little too extreme for my more middle-of-the-road style of cooking, and probably not super tasty either. Until now, that is.
Last week I found myself eating my words/thoughts (once again!). My sister, Annie sent me a recipe for Paleo Granola. My first thought was, "Hmmm, probably not." But Annie is one of the most wonderful cooks I know, and in her email, she said, "It's really delicious. I like it better than our fabulous granola recipe."
To myself: "Better than our old standby granola we've been making for a zillion years? Really?"
So I tried it. "Oh, my word!" is what flew out of my mouth when I snitched a little handful right off the sheet pan. It's crunchy, sweet and utterly delicious! I've made it a couple more times, and each time, I adjust it just a bit. The original recipe calls for 3 teaspoons of cinnamon which was a lot for our taste. I reduced the cinnamon to 1 teaspoon and added a pinch of cloves and ginger. I added some extra seeds and nuts and also reduced the coconut oil slightly, with great results.
We've been enjoying this paleo granola on yogurt and oatmeal as well as snacking on it right out of the jar. And speaking of snacking, try this: slice a banana in half, lengthwise. Smear it with peanut or almond butter and scatter a handful of this paleo granola over the top. It's fantastic, and also makes a delicious, quick, and very satisfying breakfast-on-the-run. This same little technique is also great on crisp apple slices.
So there you have it, probably the best granola you've ever had the pleasure of meeting. And, dumb me, I would have turned my nose up at it, if it hadn't been for my sister. Thanks, Annie! I'm truly "eating my words" because I have a feeling that this recipe will go into our "All-time favorites" folder. But you know what? I really don't mind eating my words, if it involves something as crazy delicious as this Paleo Granola.
Now, if I could just figure out a way to keep this nose of mine out of trouble! Hmmm..
Café Tips for making this Paleo Granola...
- Feel free to experiment with different types of nuts and seeds. Keep the total proportion about the same, but have fun with your favorites. A favorite combination of ours is 2 cups sliced almonds, 2 cups slivered almonds, 1 cup broken up pecans, 1 cup sunflower seeds and ½ cups sesame seeds.
- The spices are quite flexible. We like this combination, but you could also use nutmeg, allspice, pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice in amounts to suit your taste.
- Sometimes I make it with no spices, just a little extra vanilla, it's wonderful that way too!
- One last thing, if you like your granola more clumpy, don't stir it right after it comes out of the oven. Just let it cool on the sheet pan and then break it apart.
- If you like it looser, give it a good stir when it comes out of the oven and again after about 10 minutes.
- 2 cups blanched sliced almonds
- 1 cup pecans
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup sunflower seeds
- 1 cup pepitas shelled pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- ¼ cup ground flax seed or flax seed meal you can also use almond meal in place of the flax
- ¾ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- ½ cup honey
- 6 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ to 1 cup dried cranberries raisins or other dried fruit
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Preheat oven to 275˚F. Lightly grease a sheet pan or, for easy clean up, line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil. If you use foil, lightly grease it.
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Combine all the nuts and seeds as well as the coconut in a large bowl.
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Over low heat, combine honey and coconut oil until heated through. (You can also heat the honey and coconut oil in the microwave on high heat for 90 seconds.) Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, cinnamon and cloves, ginger and salt.
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Pour over nut/seed mixture and mix well. Be sure to scrape all the good honey/oil mixture that's left in the bowl. Spread mixture onto prepared baking sheet.
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Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown (may take longer, depending on your oven), stirring every 15 minutes to keep granola at the edges of the pan from burning. Watch carefully after 30 minutes as ovens vary. Once the granola is a nice golden brown, remove it from oven and allow to cool.
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Add dried fruit after granola has cooled.
Kristine says
I tried this recipe about two years ago and loved it so much I shared it with friends who also loved it. I thought I had lost the recipe forever when my phone factory reset itself and I lost all my recipes I saved on it. I did some digging and here I am about to make it again..... so excited and happy I found it!!!
I also have to mention I usually don't read the blogs just jump to the recipes but I did read this one and I completely embrace the same food-ilosophy. Eat healthy MOST of the time but totally enjoy life and eat the cake too!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Kristine! I'm glad you found us again! 🤗
Meghan says
Thank you Chris for the delicious recipe!! The refined sugars and grains are not missed at all because this is so so delicious 🙂 What a better and healthier option, thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Meghan!
Rebecca K. says
Hello, Chris! Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I am intrigued by the idea of converting it into granola bars (ideally with a chocolate drizzle!); do you happen to have any ideas on how to do so? 🤔 I appreciate any suggestions you might have!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Rebecca, I have used rice syrup to make granola bars and that seems to work well as a "glue".
Jeannie says
This granoła is fantastic! I added a 1/4 cup of Hemp Hearts and used pumpkin spice instead of all the individual spices, it turned out amazing. Thanks so much for this recipe⭐️
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Jeannie! I'm so happy you have enjoyed this granola as much as we do. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Tina says
Hi, this recipes sounds great, but I'm wondering -- is the coconut oil a must? Can I swap out for canola or olive oil? Will it make a difference in consistency or taste, or both? Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Tina, you certainly could sub a different type of oil for the coconut oil but the flavor imparted from the coconut oil is delicious!
Yang says
Thank you so much for this recipe! This is my favorite snack to make at home. It's really healthy and really easy to make.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Yang! We love this as a snack too. It's quite addictive, isn't it? But not such a bad thing to be addicted to 🙂
Kerryfh says
Hello, This is a delicious recipe. However, why are the almonds blanched and do you have to blanch them?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Kerry, that's just how slivered almonds (that aren't roasted) usually come. If you purchase them and they are not blanched, no problem. You don't have to blanch them.
Brenda says
Could I use a have in place of the maple syrup?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Brenda, I think you meant to say agave. Yes, you could definitely substitute agave for the honey/maple syrup. Enjoy!
Marsha BeDen says
Hello,
My granola is in the oven as I’m writing this. I read this post and saw the maple syrup mention and thought I missed something when reading the recipe. I went back and reread the recipe, but didn’t see any maple syrup listed in the ingredients listing. Was maple syrup used in the original recipe?
Thank you,
Marsha BeDen
Clinton, Maine
Chris Scheuer says
You're correct, Marsha. The recipe just calls for honey. Enjoy the granola!
Kelly Maxwell says
This was amazing! I brought it to a brunch today with yogurt. I used raisins and dried (unsweetened) apricot for the dried fruit. Delicious!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! I love the idea of apricots in this granola!
Amy says
Hi Chris
How long do you think this will keep once sealed? I think it could be a wonderful Christmas gift, how far in advance could I make it?
Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Amy, you could make it now and freeze it. It freezes so well and no one would ever know. Or you could make it a week to 10 days ahead and keep it in an airtight container. Enjoy!
Emily says
Hi! I made this and loved it! Took it with me while in a very hot humid camping environment for over a month in a large freezer bag. Ate it every morning with a couple spoonfuls of peanut butter for breakfast. Kept me going all day and stayed fresh until the very last bite was gone. Making even more to take with me on my next trip 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
That's so awesome Emily! Thanks for sharing your results. Sounds like you were on a wonderful adventure!
Shallen says
So delicious! Thank you. You include nutrition facts, but I don't see a serving size. What is the serving size for the nutrition facts included?
Chris Scheuer says
The serving size is 1/4 cup.
Drew says
What % of the fiber in this is soluble vs insoluble? Added some chia seeds as well, which stick into the honey coating nicely.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Drew, being a cook vs a nutritionist, I can't answer that question but I love your idea of adding chia seeds.
Andis says
WOW! This is DELISH! Five stars! I followed the recipe exactly as is, and man oh man is this good. I actually needed to leave mine in the oven for the full 45 mins (removing every 15 mins to toss it around). I found your recipe by googling paleo granola, because although I'm not a meat eater, I'm trying to remove grains and refined sugars from my diet, which paleo aims to do. This recipe is perfect, because it doesn't use grains, and it uses natural honey for the sweetener. Nothing refined or artificial! Actually, I did say that I followed this recipe as is, but I will confess that I used a sweetener made from concentrated organic apples (it's called Dolcedi) that I used in place of the honey 1:1, and it still came out perfect.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Andis, for such a detailed review! So happy you enjoyed it! You might want to also try the Double Almond Paleo Granola https://thecafesucrefarine.com/double-almond-paleo-granola/ It's also wonderful!
Paula says
This is AMAZING! My granddaughter made it today & we agreed “best granola ever”!!! Thanks for sharing!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome!
Amber says
I pulled my batch out of the oven after 30 minutes as it was very brown. I think another 15 minutes it would have been scorched. Other than that, it was delicious!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Amber, I amended the directions a bit to reflect your results. Ovens are so variable!
Riki Potter says
i baked mine until golden brown and after cooling it is still wet...a little greasy. I used the right amount of oil and even less honey. Should I bake it more? Any suggestions...tastes good just a little wet.
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, just put it back in the oven for a little longer and stir halfway through. It should be nice and crisp.
Misha says
Any advice on turning this recipe (which I love and have made many times) into granola bars? I'd love to have a portable snack to pack!
Chris Scheuer says
Hmmm, that's a great idea, I would have to work on it though before I could give you suggestions. You might want to try this recipe: https://thecafesucrefarine.com/dried-cherry-and-almond-energy-bars/
stefanie says
Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe. I substituted chia seeds for the sesame seeds, and added candied ginger and dried apricots to the cranberries. My sister went crazy for it, and now I am getting requests from the family and making it as gifts! I too am doubling and tripling the batches and storing in airtight foodsaver bags in the freezer. It is awesome by itself or with Greek yogurt in the morning. I store just enough in air tight jars in the pantry for about a week. When needed, I pull fresh batches from the freezer because I also worry about the oil in the nuts getting rancid.
I sure love when people share their favorites for the all to enjoy!! Thank you.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much Stefanie, I'm so happy you've enjoyed it and I LOVE your variation! It sounds delicious!
Holley says
Just made this last night, and it turned out great. I didn't have ground ginger, so I just used cinnamon and cloves. I also subbed date paste for the honey, and it worked great to make this Whole 30 compliant (minus the vanilla). I didn't add any dried fruit, because I want to eat this over fresh fresh fruit.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Holley, I love your improvisations! So happy you enjoyed it!
Louise says
Are the sunflower seeds used in this recipe, salted or unsalted? Have you used the bagged coconut pieces from Costco (the second ingredient listed on that bag is sugar). Haven't tried the recipe yet, but will be picking up the ingredients to do so in the next day. Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Louise,
I use unsalted sunflower seeds for this recipe and I really like the coconut from Trader Joes. Haven't tried the Costco coconut.
Louise says
Are the sunflower seeds used in this recipe, salted or unsalted? Haven't tried the recipe yet, but will be picking up the ingredients to do so in the next day. Thanks!
Pat Vaughn says
A Five-Star winner all the way! Excellent flavor, blend of textures and ingredients. Thanks to all the comments, my batch turned out perfectl! It won't last long with my house full of guests! Thanks again for sharing!
Chris Scheuer says
yay! So happy you enjoyed it 🙂 Thanks!
Janis L Stewart says
This was my first time to make granola, but it will certainly not be the last! The granola has a wonderful flavor and is so easy to make. I look forward to making many more batches in the future and can't wait to try some of the other variations. Thanks for sharing!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much Janis for taking the time to leave a comment. So happy you enjoyed it ! 🙂
Polly says
Absolutely delicious! I made it as directed except swapped out 1 cup of oatmeal for 1 cup of the oatmeal. The spices taste like fall. Will definitely make more next time to give as gifts.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Polly, your version sounds great!
Ezra says
Just when I was about to pour the wet mixture into the nuts, I said to myself 'this better not be one of those recipes where all my nuts go to the bin, they are not cheap!'. It came out perfectly! Cannot to wait to try variations of this. Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Haha Ezra! I know what you mean, I hate throwing nuts in the bin. You really can't go wrong with this recipe! If you like this one, I bet you'll really enjoy this one too! https://thecafesucrefarine.com/2016/05/double-almond-paleo-granola/