Quinoa? In granola? Yes.
Why have I never tried this before?
After making my Dark Chocolate Quinoa Breakfast Bowl, I had extra quinoa to play with so I figured another breakfast recipe was in order – my favorite.
I’d remembered seeing that it’s possible to add quinoa (raw) to granola! How cool is that?
The result is a crispy, crunchy, nutrient-packed granola that’s simple, healthy, and delicious.
This recipe is simple, requiring just 30 minutes and 7 ingredients you likely already have in your pantry right now.
Plus, it’s naturally sweetened with coconut sugar and maple syrup, and it’s (vegan) butter-free, thanks to coconut oil.
This may be a big statement, but I think this may be my favorite granola yet! And that’s saying a lot considering how many granola recipes I’ve made for Minimalist Baker. Although the sweet potato and peanut butter come in a close second and third…
I hope you guys love this granola. It’s:
Crispy
Crunchy
Nutty
Nutritious
Hearty
Simple
& Satisfying
This would make the perfect granola to have on hand for quick weekday breakfasts and snacks. The quinoa provides extra staying power, with one 1/2-cup serving containing 9 grams protein!
If you try this recipe, let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and taking a picture and tagging it #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see what you came up with. Your photos always make our day. Cheers, friends!
7-Ingredient Quinoa Granola
Ingredients
- 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats (gluten-free for GF eaters)
- 1/2 cup uncooked Bob’s Red Mill White Quinoa
- 2 cups raw almonds (roughly chopped)
- 1 Tbsp coconut sugar (or sub organic brown sugar, muscovado, or organic cane sugar)
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 3 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (or agave nectar)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 340 degrees F (171 C).
- Add oats, quinoa, almonds, coconut sugar, and salt to a large mixing bowl – stir to combine.
- To a small saucepan, add coconut oil and maple syrup. Warm over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, whisking frequently until the two are totally combined and there is no visible separation.
- Immediately pour over the dry ingredients and stir to combine until all oats and nuts are thoroughly coated. Arrange on a large baking sheet and spread into an even layer.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Then remove from oven and stir/toss the granola. Turn the pan around so the other end goes into the oven first (so it bakes evenly) and bake 5-10 minutes more. Watch carefully as to not burn. You’ll know it’s done when the granola is deep golden brown and very fragrant.
- Let cool completely before enjoying. Store leftovers in a sealed bag or container at room temperature for 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Video
Notes
Nutrition (1 of 7 servings)
This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill, though all opinions remain our own. We love this brand and the integrity of its products. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Minimalist Baker.
Sam says
Hi!
I love your recipes. Could I use aquafoba in this recipe like in one of your other recipes ?
Thanks
Aw, thanks, Sam! We aren’t sure if it will turn out quite as crunchy, but we’d say it’s worth a try!
Colleen says
Any suggestion to sub for oats? Looking for grain free.
Hi Colleen, you could try more nuts and quinoa instead of the oats. Or add pumpkin seeds and/or sunflower seeds. We also have a grain-free granola recipe here. Hope that helps!
Tia Malkin-Fontecchio says
I love this recipe in theory but I had a few issues with the recipe as written. I definitely think that the quinoa should be rinsed (and dried) before making this granola. The bitter protective coating was definitely a turnoff. Second, the oven temp was too high and my granola started burning. I typically bake granola at 250 for an hour (rotating the pan) and I will go back to that approach. I will make this again with the changes above.
Sorry you didn’t love this one as written, Tia! It’s usually a reader favorite! Is it possible you’re using a fan-assisted oven? Was the baking sheet on the center rack?
Vera (from Lisbon, Portugal) says
This granola definitely has a crunch!, which is great!!🙂
Next time, I will cut a bit on the coconut oil and on the syrup. For my own taste, we don’t need that much.
I also omitted the cocunut sugar and added some dehidrated mango, to try to absorb some the excess oil.
Keep up with this amazing work!!🙂👏🙏
Thank you for your encouraging words and for sharing your experience, Vera! xo
Raiman says
This was realllly good. I haven’t made any other granola recipes before so I can’t compare, but this is reallllly good. My wife doesn’t do well with coconut oil and we’re not vegan, so we just substituted that with butter — worked like a charm. And I substituted 90g of almonds with pecan nuts which worked absolutely no problem. Surprised there aren’t any comments on this recipe yet especially since the author of this has even said “This may be a big statement, but I think this may be my favorite granola yet!” — I don’t doubt it! Thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed this granola, Raiman! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications!
Anju says
Hi! I am watching my cholesterol/saturated fat intake and try to avoid oils as much as possible -can this be made without coconut oil? Will it be crispy/harden up without oil?
Hi Anju, we haven’t tested this one without coconut oil, but we do think it will impact the texture. We would recommend trying our oil-free granola instead, adding quinoa instead of shredded coconut, if desired. Hope that helps!