A quick and easy recipe for homemade gluten-free blueberry almond granola with chia seeds! It's healthy and uses brown rice syrup instead of sugar!
I'm a dinner and dessert kind of guy. Breakfast has always been just a required gateway to get to actual enjoyable eating.
Well, that's not entirely true. Growing up, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, we would scarf down one of my mom's chocolate chip muffins. A muffin that, even with her recipe, I can't seem to fully replicate. It's the only breakfast I would ever get excited for.
Cereal, no way. Pancakes, only if they were studded with a generous amount of chocolate chips. And don't even get me started on the whole "breakfast for dinner" thing. My mom tried that once. And only once.
And now, even as a grown up (and I use that term loosely), I'm not a breakfast person. Asheley's not either. So we've been in this greek yogurt phase for a while now. And after seeing this awesome looking granola recipe on my blogging friend's site Kitchen Apparel, I figured it was time to dress up our lame breakfast and be a little more sophisticated.
Just greek yogurt, eh. But greek yogurt with a handful of some healthy, gluten-free blueberry almond granola with chia seeds. Now that's a breakfast that we can both feel... grown-up about.
Unless there are my mom's chocolate chip muffins on the table. Then screw granola.
Granola is one of those things that has been on my list to make for a while now.
Do you guys have anything that always seems to be on your "I need to make that at some point" list, but then you never do? I have a whole google doc full of 'em.
It feels good to finally cross this off the list.
And it looks like this is going to be a staple in our house. Asheley is obsessed. Almost as obsessed as that box of Tagalongs she just downed in like, 4 days, although she swears that she's not even a fan of tagalongs. Weird.
But really, this makes a lot of granola. Like, more than I thought the two of us would ever go through. Wrong.
I was shocked, appalled, and yet extremely proud of how fast she made her way through the entire batch.
This granola isn't as sweet as some of the store bought varieties out there, which actually makes me scared to think how much sugar they actually lace their products with. And now that I know how easy it is to whip out a batch of homemade gluten free granola (and how much of it Asheley will happily inhale), I'll be experimenting a bit with some other flavor combos.
So, granola friends, what are your favorite flavor combos? Give me some ideas 🙂
adapted from Kitchen Apparel's Granola with Dried Lingonberry
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Gluten-Free Blueberry Almond Granola
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: About 6 cups of Granola 1x
Ingredients
- 4 cups old fashioned gluten-free rolled oats
- 1 ¼ cups slivered or chopped almonds
- ⅓ cup chia seeds
- 3 large egg whites
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¾ cup organic brown rice syrup
- ⅓ cup liquid coconut oil
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups dried blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, almonds, and chia seeds. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites and salt until frothy. Continue to whisk in the brown rice syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Add wet ingredients to the large bowl of dry ingredients and stir until all the oats are evenly coated. Spread mixture onto two baking sheets lined with parchement paper. Bake for 20 minutes, then using a spatula, toss the granola, moving the outer edges to the center. Place granola back in oven and bakc for an additional 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let granola cool completely in the pan, then transfer to a large bowl and toss in dried blueberries.
- Serve with plain Greek yogurt for one heck of a breakfast.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
Cate
This granola looks great! I love all the healthy ingredients that you used - so perfect for breakfast! Also, I love that you had a M/W/F muffin schedule! Your mom is obviously the best. Oh, and tagalongs don't stand a chance in our house either 🙂
Chris
M/W/F muffin schedule should be made law. It's pretty awesome!
Bianca
I love breakfast (and dinner and dessert - lunch is my only meh meal), and have a slight obsession with chia seeds so this granola is perfect for me!
Judit + Corina
Love a good granola! This looks so good with all that crunchy decadence. We have a few recipes as well from our mom's/grandma's kitchen that we can't duplicate either, and your mom’s chocolate chip muffins sounds heavenly.
J+C
Chris
I think it's part nostalgia, part they purposely leave out little details of their recipes so we always remember their version as the best! haha
Pamela
I bought a bag of chia seeds and I have no idea what to do with them as I feel like the bag never gets smaller. Great way to use them up, thanks!
Shashi
It's funny how it's so hard to replicate our mom's dishes! I am still struggling to replicate my mom's lentil curry!
This granola sounds awesome - I have never made my own, but you have made this sound good enough for me to add to my “I need to make that at some point list" 🙂
Looking forward to the day you replicate your mom's chocolate chip muffin recipe and share it on here - I ADORE chocolate!
Chris
I swear they leave out key pieces of info so that we'll never be able to replicate them fully!
Kelly - LEFT SIDE OF THE TABLE
Chris, granola totally is on my list of things to make...quite a long list of course! I sadly, never made homemade granola. See awesome recipes like this all the time. Pinned this one so it's ready when I am. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Chris
Aren't the lists just crazy?! Like, mine is never ending. Cross one off, add like 15 on!
Gloria // Simply Gloria
Chris, I'd take that chocolate muffin... but I'm all over this fun granola! Can't wait to try it over some creamy yogurt!
Chris
Thanks Gloria! Yes, the muffin is still #1 in my heart... and stomach.
Ashley
haha I tried breakfast for dinner a few times and my husband staged a mutiny : ) He's not a fan. I love making granola at home to have on hand for snacking or breakfast - love the blueberry almond combo!
Chris
Your husband sounds like a great person that I definitely want to be friends with, haha. We will stage a mutiny together!
Helen
First of all, Chris, I have to say that I LOVE the photos in this post ... especially the third one down 🙂 I'm also with you on the not-so-keen-on-breakfast thing, and I especially can't stand most cereal (cold cardboard-y stuff in a bowl first thing in the morning - yuck!) However ... granola is definitely excluded, especially on top of Greek yoghurt, and like you it's on my food bucket list to make some! So that means I just have to pin this for later!
Chris
Thank you SO much Helen for the kind words about the photos. It's much appreciated. I had a lot of fun taking these. And phew, glad you and I are on the same page about breakfast! Thought I was a weirdo, haha.
Kristi
I can totally relate to the not-a-breakfast person kinda thing! I'm a dinner and {small} dessert person myself - favoring the savory! I've never made granola before, but I have to admit - you've intrigued me - because this looks delish!
Chris
Glad I'm not the only one Kristi! Dinner is where it's at!
Ilona
I love Granola, I should make one with chia. Great pictures:)
Chris
Thanks for the kind words Ilona! It's definitely a great way to sneak some chia seeds into your life!
Liz
No store bought granola can ever compare to homemade...and your recipe looks terrific!
Chris
Thanks so much Liz! Hope you're having a great week!
Chrissy
I make my own granola every week! My favorite is fall-flavored with copious amounts of pumpkin pie spice. Fall all year!
Chris
Pumpkin spice in granola sounds like a winning combo to me!
Erin
I'm a die hard breakfast fan, and this granola looks AMAZING. I love cherry and coconut in mine too. Any chance your mom's muffin recipe is up for grabs? I love chocolate chip everything!
Chris
Cherry and coconut sounds like a great combo! Haha, funny thing is, she gave me the recipe, but I swear she left off an ingredient or something. Or maybe she put just slightly the wrong measurements, just so I would have to rely on her for the muffins for all time!
Alyssa
This granola looks fantastic!! Blueberry + almond is such a great combo. And I love that it's not as sweet as store-bought granola. I like to add cereal to my yogurt in the mornings, but tend to shy away from granola because of all the hidden sugar. This one looks great!!
And macarons have been on my "gotta make" list for awhile now. I've tried them twice but both times they tasted fine but looked pretty awful. So, they're staying put on the list until they're just right!
Chris
My wife and I took a macaron making class as soon as we got back from our honeymoon in Paris a couple years ago. The guy made it look so simple and with his guidance, ours came out great. But I just know that once I try it by myself, I'm going to run into all sorts of problems! Can't wait to see your recipe once you get them mastered!
Mike
Amazing Granola recipe man and great pictures too, this recipe is going on my to-do list!
Chris
Thanks Mike... and wait, you have a "to do" list... that's sorta a Type A personality trait my friend! Maybe your not Type Z after all?!!
David
Granola! This looks amazing, Chris. Great minds must think alike because I am posting my favorite granola recipe later this week (I played with the recipe to turn them into bars, but the flavors are all still there). I've also been thinking I need to expand my granola skillz. I challenge you to a granola bake-off. Winner take all. (All of what I'm not sure, but they get all of it.)
Chris
Great minds do think alike. What am I thinking right now... how about now... hahaha. Can't wait to see your recipe. Granola bake-off?! Sounds great. I don't care what "all" is, I just want it.
whatjessicabakednext
This looks amazing as ever, Chris! Love making homemade Granola. This blueberry and almond granola is delicious- definitely going to try the recipe out! 🙂
Chris
Thanks so much Jessica! Hope you're having a great week!
Nicole ~ Cooking for Keeps
Gorgeous pictures Chris! It looks SO scrumptious! I've been looking for different gluten free granola recipes, and this one looks perfect!
Chris
Thanks so much Nicole! Hope you're having a great week!
Sandra
Looks great! Now your blog is complete...you have granola and a kale salad 😉
Glad you liked it and yes, not overly sweet like the processed stuff. You can always add a drizzle of maple syrup over your breakfast...that's what we do!
I am so ready for blueberries again..spring needs to hurry on up already.
Chris
Granola, kale salad, and kimchi quesadillas, hahahaha. Thanks so much for the awesome recipe Sandra! Adding a drizzle of syrup is a fantastic idea! Trying that with the next batch I make... ever since posting this Asheley has been bugging me every second to make it again!
Kelly
Love homemade granola and this one looks fantastic Chris! I love that you were able to cross granola off your list 🙂 Haha, it's amazing how fast a batch can disappear if you're not careful - oh except of course if your mom's chocolate chip muffins were on the table too 😉
Chris
Thanks so much Kelly! Crossing things off of lists makes me feel incredibly accomplished and happy 🙂 And absolutely... mom's muffins always get eaten first haha!
Taylor
Ahhh! How can you not be a breakfast person!!! I could eat it always. 24/7, 365!
I'm actually not a huge granola person (I guess we're even?)
BUT yours does look fannnntastic...and the hubs is granola obsessed, so I gotta try it! Pinned
Chelsea
Chris, this granola is awesome!! I love granola, but with blueberry almond and chia seeds? PERFECT! Pinned 🙂
Beth
I LOVE these photos. I'm totally a breakfast food person and could eat it all day everyday, but somehow I've never made granola before. I'm going to add this to my things to make for breakfast list. Looks amazing!
Chris
Thanks for the kind compliment Beth! Really appreciated! You totally need to make your own granola! It may change your life.
Consuelo
I have one of those list too, and you're right: it feels so good to cross stuff off the list!
Also, I cannot believe you're not a breakfast person. So, such people exist?? ;--) Oh kidding haha.
Anyway, I really like the sound of this oatmeal, and seeing that almond and blueberry are two of my favorite flavors, I'll have to try this soon!
p.s: my favorite flavor of granola is cookie dough. Oh that stuff is killer!
Chris
I know, I'm a bit of a weirdo. Cookie dough granola?!?!?! Where is this recipe for cookie dough granola hiding?!
Krista
Totally all over this one Chris, love the chia seed addition. Granola has been my go to breakfast the past two weeks, its time to change up the recipe a bit. Great idea on the gluten-free rolled oats too!
Chris
Thanks Krista!
Nicole
Whoa, Crazy! This morning I bought a package of the dried blueberries for a granola recipe. No joke! We must be on the same foodie wave length this week. It looks delicious!
Chris
Me. You. Granola greatness. Heck yes.
Ashley - Baker by Nature
I am waaaaaay overdue for some homemade granola! This blueberry/almond situation looks amazing!
Juliana
Such a beautiful granola...like the idea of chia seeds in it...I sure would love to have this fro my breakfast.
Thanks for the recipe Chris...hope you are having a fabulous week 😀
Chris
Thanks Juliana! Much appreciated!
marcie
I'm a huge granola fan, and I love that you've added chia seeds. I'm going to have to try that! With yogurt, this would be the perfect breakfast. 🙂
Tina
Not a breakfast person?! I thought I knew you. 😉
I love making granola and this looks fabulous! 🙂
Chris
Haha just when you think you know someone!!! I know, shocking as it may be, it's the truth!
Laura Dembowski
I make granola every couple weeks. It is my favorite breakfast. I actually love topping a smoothie with some. I always add quinoa, lots of nuts, and my latest fave is almond butter. So good. Also dried blueberries are so underrated - yummy!
Stacey Teel
Hi Chris,
I just made a double batch of this granola and ate a bowl right out of the oven. I LOVE it!! I did, however, change a few things because I wanted to use ingredients I already had. I used half hazelnuts half almonds and dried cranberries instead of blueberries (I will next time for sure). YUMMO!! I make granola all the time and try to use different recipes. All of them are sweet. I love that this one is more nutty and earthy. Thank you so much! I'll be making this for awhile.
Chris
You totally made my day Stacey! Thanks so much for the kind and thoughtful comment! Love the idea of using what you already had on hand... hazelnuts, almonds, and cranberries sounds like a fantastic combo! Yes, this is definitely less sweet than others. Glad you enjoyed that aspect of it! 🙂
Lindsay
Wow! This looks delicious! Beautiful photography, too!
Chris
Thanks so much Lindsay! Much appreciated!