Grain-Free + Nut-Free
What is Paleo, Whole30, or healthy eating without nuts or seeds? Pretty miserable, actually, but something I had to endure during my recent Whole30. This Healthy Nut-Free Granola is my answer to this dilemma.
I used this small hurdle as an excuse to complain a lot during my Whole30 challenge. It definitely left me hungrier and scavenging for healthy fats that would fill the void of the nutrient dense nuts.
Although being nut-free created more challenges for me, it left me with a plethora of creative ideas for this blog! It’s really a lot of the inspiration behind some of my recipes, especially this Healthy Nut-Free Granola recipe.
It’s true, this recipe is not Whole30, but can easily be modified to a Paleo recipe while still packing a decent amount of protein and healthy fat. And it is nut-free and seed-free, which is important to my diet restrictions.
What is Granola Without Grain?
If you follow Paleo recipes at all, you know that there are a lot of Paleo n’oat granola recipes out there. With the Paleo diet, grains (rice, quinoa, oats, wheat, barley, etc.) are not consumed. However, people still want to enjoy many of those familiar foods, like granola. Which is why you may see Paleo granola recipes using nuts and seeds to create those sweet familiar clusters.
I know that coconut probably isn’t truly nut-free by definition. Read here to learn more about whether coconut is really a nut or not.
Grain-Free Ingredients:
- Use unsweetened shredded coconut. Trader Joe’s has my favorite…for both texture and the fact it’s always in stock.
- Banana chips are easy to come by at Aldi, but they are laden with sugar. I suggest unsweetened banana chips which are hard to find. Trader Joe’s has plantain chips which are Paleo, unsweetened, and delicious!
- Cocoa nibs. They are the raw inner meat of the cocoa bean before it is pressed into cocoa powder. They can also be found at Trader Joe’s. Cocoa nibs add more protein, fat, and a hint of caffeine too!
- Honey and coconut oil help bind this Paleo Coconut Granola recipe and create those delicious clusters that reminds me of granola. They also add some more healthy fat and, of course, some natural sugar for sweetness.
Well, I cannot get those healthy fats and proteins from nuts and seeds, so I’ve learned that I just have to find those essential nutrients elsewhere. This nut-free, seed-free granola is a great example of creating quality, nutritious food even with diet restrictions.
Let me know how you like it and what delicious foods you eat with this granola or what ingredients you add to make the recipe “yours.”
Did you try this recipe? How did you make it? What did you add or change? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
-Suzi
Paleo Coconut Granola
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded coconut unsweetened
- 2 cups crushed plantain chips or unsweetened banana chips
- 3 tbsp cocoa nibs
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1/2 vanilla bean (use scrapings from inside) sub 1 tsp of vanilla extra (not Paleo, however)
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Combine the shredded coconut, crushed plantain chips, and cocoa nibs in a bowl and stir.
- Combine the coconut oil and honey in a microwave safe dish. Heat for 1 minute or until it bubbles. Added to the dry mixture and stir together.
- Combine the wet and dry mixture until well incorporated. Spread onto a sheet pan and cook for 7 minutes at 375 degrees. Stir after about 4 minutes. Coconut will crisp and brown quickly, so watch closely. Can do more or less time depending on color and taste preferences.
- Let it dry and cool before storing in a sealable container.
Notes
