Well, hello there, new year! Good to see ya.
I know, I’m a few days late, but you can forgive me, can’t you? So far, you yourself have been a doozy, so I think you can give me a break.
We started off new year’s eve with dinner and a bit too much champagne at our good friends’ house, after which we made it home and into bed at 11:45 pm.
We just couldn’t make it to midnight!
But the next day, we found ourselves climbing up a 1700-foot hill between Morro Bay and Atascadero called Cerro Alto – literally “tall hill” in Spanish. We had a crew of four people and five (!!!) dogs. When we got to the top of the hill, it was freezing cold, so we went back down very quickly.
Then, AJ’s parents came into town after I worked the day after the new year (ugh…), and the plans and activities went on from there!
It’s a loooooong to-do list.
Are you feeling the same way this week?
So. Busy.
Good thing there’s granola, my on-the-go go-to!
It’s hearty, filling, and sustaining – I’ve happily eaten it for a snack, breakfast, lunch, and even dinner on occasion, when preparing a whole meal on a ridiculously packed day of work is totally impossible.
I kept this recipe simple. And simple can sometimes (most times!) be oh-so-delicious.
The recipe includes crunchy bites of almonds, coconut, gluten-free oats, and chia seeds.
This is just a bit on the sweet side, with both maple syrup and granulated sugar. So if you are super sensitive, then you can decrease the amount of sugar a little.
All in all, I LOVE this new recipe, and it’ll definitely become a staple around here… until, that is, I go and make a whole new one.
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Coconut Almond Chia Granola
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
Description
Coconut almond chia seed granola has plenty of crunch and flavor. It’s gluten-free, vegan, and perfect to munch on at any time of day.
Ingredients
- 3 cups gluten-free rolled oats
- 1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1/2 cup unsalted almonds, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup vegan granulated sugar
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Combine oats, oat flour, salt, coconut, chia seeds, and almonds in a large bowl.
- Melt the coconut oil in the microwave. Add the maple syrup and granulated sugar. Mix well.
- Pour the wet ingredients over the dry mixture. Stir together until completely incorporated. This takes a few minutes of stirring. Make sure there are no dry spots.
- Dump the mixture onto the prepared sheet pan. Press down firmly with the back of a large spoon or a spatula.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and stir the granola. Use the back of a large spoon or spatula to press it down firmly again. Return to the oven and bake for 6-8 more minutes, until it begins to brown on the edges. Keep an eye out – it’ll burn quickly!
- Remove the granola from the oven and stir again, then press down again. Let cool completely – it’ll crisp up as it cools. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 5 mintues
- Cook Time: 17 minutes
- Category: Granola
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Breakfast
Keywords: granola, super food, coconut, almond, chia seed, maple syrup, breakfast, snack
Stay Full, Even on Your Busiest of Days!
Lots to do this year?
Keep a batch of this nutty vegan and gluten-free granola packed into individual servings in your house, car, pocket, purse, wallet, jacket – wherever you need it while you’re getting things done, or out and about!
Biting into chunks of coconut, almonds, oats, and chia seeds lightly sweetened with maple syrup will keep you full and ready to take on the day’s tasks, from exploring your city with out-of-town visitors to conquering the first week of a new year.
What do you like to include in your homemade granola? And what do you think of this nutty combo? Give us your favorite mix of ingredients in the comment section below. And if you’re avoiding grains, you’ll love our grain-free option!
Or, try even more granola recipes with these fun variations:
Photos by Raquel Smith, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on January 7, 2015. Last updated: July 12, 2020 at 10:40 am. With additional writing and editing by Nikki Cervone.
Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Raquel Smith
Raquel is a whole foods enthusiast, an avid mountain biker, and a dog lover. She works by day at Food Blogger Pro and formerly maintained her food blog "My California Roots" (now merged into Foodal).
Hi Raquel. I just came across you site. What a wonderful blog you have here 🙂 I really like it
This recipe looks great – I love making my own granola.
Sounds like you’ve had an eventful start of the year. Happy 2015!
Thanks so much, Josefine! It has been quite the year. Happy 2015 to you, too!
Exceptionally well written! Thanks