This nut free granola recipe includes flavorful, crunchy clusters of sweet, toasted oats and chewy dried fruit. Best of all, it’s oven-ready in just 10 minutes!
A Nut Free Granola Recipe that Everyone Can Enjoy
I have made many, many varieties of granola over the years, but this recipe is our absolute favorite. I developed it back in 2010, when we thought that my oldest son had a nut allergy. I was struggling to find a store-bought granola that was safe for him to eat, so this crunchy granola recipe was our easy solution.
It turns out that this allergy-friendly version is better than any other previous recipes I had tried. Although we have since learned that Gibbs is not allergic to nuts, the granola is here to stay! Feel free to adapt the ingredients to suit your family’s preferences, too. I’ve included a list of possible variations at the bottom of the post.
This recipe worked great for me…clumps and all! I’ve tried other recipes and had no success in achieving those yummy hunks of granola. I used maple syrup in place of honey, coconut oil, sweetened shredded coconut, and dried bananas! I may use dried pineapple or mango next time, in addition to banana.
– Raquel
How to Make Nut Free Granola
- First, combine the oats and wheat germ in a large bowl.
- Next, bring the honey, brown sugar, oil, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat, and pour the sweet syrup over the oat mixture. Stir until all of the oats are coated.
- Add any dried fruit of your choice (I love dried cranberries here, but chopped, dried apricots are also a favorite) plus shredded coconut. Remember, some folks with nut allergies are allergic to coconut as well. If that’s the case, substitute with additional dried fruit or seeds of your choice.
- Spread the oat mixture in an even layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. I like to use the back of a wooden spoon or spatula to press down clumps of granola. After about 15-20 minutes in a 325-degree oven, you’ll have a beautiful, golden brown, fragrant batch of crunchy, nut free granola! The honey and oil mixture help the oats stick together. By pressing the oat mixture into clumps with a wooden spoon or spatula before and after baking, you’ll score those coveted crunchy clusters that we all love best!
- Allow the granola to cool completely before storing it in an airtight container. The granola will continue to get crispier and crunchier as it cools.
Serving Suggestions
This simple granola recipe is perfect when consumed by the handful — like a snack mix! It’s also delicious as a cereal with milk in the morning, or on top of a hot bowl of oatmeal. For snack, try topping your yogurt with the granola and fresh fruit. It’s a satisfying combination of protein, carbs, and healthy fats! Ready for dessert? Nut free granola adds a delicious crunch when sprinkled on top of ice cream, too!
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Nut Free Granola
Ingredients
- 4 cups old-fashioned oats
- ¾ cup wheat germ
- ½ cup coconut oil, canola oil, or avocado oil
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup dried cranberries (or other dried fruit of your choice)
- ½ cup shredded sweetened or unsweetened coconut (or sub with seeds instead, such as pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, or sunflower seeds)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or aluminum foil and spraying with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the oats and wheat germ.
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the oil, honey, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Once the honey mixture boils, remove the pan from the heat. Pour the honey mixture over the oats and stir until the oats are completely coated.
- Add the cranberries and coconut; stir to combine. Spread the oat mixture evenly onto the prepared baking sheet. I like to use a wooden spoon to gently press together clumps of the oats to get those great crunchy clusters at the end!
- Bake until golden brown, toasted, and fragrant, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove the pan from the oven, press the oats gently again with a wooden spoon to form those clusters, and allow to cool completely (it will get crispier and crunchier as it cools).
- Once cool, transfer the granola to an airtight container.
Notes
- I’ve used dried cranberries here, but you can swap them out for your favorite dried fruit. Try raisins, chopped dried apricots, dried cherries, dried blueberries, or chopped dates (or a combination).
- No nut allergies? You can stir in some chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds during the final few minutes of baking. Just don’t add them at the beginning, because they will probably burn.
- Safety Note 1: If you are dealing with nut allergies, make sure that all of your ingredients are not processed in factories that also process tree nuts or peanuts. While there are no nuts in this recipe, some ingredients can be cross-contaminated if they are processed alongside nuts. This can cause problems for folks with very sensitive nut allergies.
- Safety Note 2: Some folks with nut allergies are also allergic to coconut. If that is the case, omit the coconut and substitute with additional dried fruits or seeds of your choice (such as sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds). Do not use coconut oil, but instead choose another neutral oil (like canola).
Nutrition
Recipe Variations
- Swap out the honey for maple syrup if you prefer.
- Add other warm spices along with the cinnamon. Good options include ground ginger and nutmeg. You can make a fall version of the granola with pumpkin seeds, bits of dried apples and cranberries, and pumpkin pie spice. YUM!
- Mix it up and use a variety of dried fruits. In addition to the cranberries, we also love raisins, chopped dried apricots, dried cherries, dried blueberries, and chopped dates.
- We prefer the sweet taste of the sweetened shredded coconut, but unsweetened coconut flakes also work well.
- Instead of the coconut flakes, use sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, or pumpkin seeds. Chocolate chips would also be delicious!
- No nut allergies? You can stir in some chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds during the final few minutes of baking! Just don’t add them at the beginning, because they will probably burn.
- Wheat germ is the nutrient-rich core of the wheat kernel, packed with protein, fiber, and essential vitamins. It adds extra flavor and nutrition to the granola. If you would like a substitute for the wheat germ, try an equal amount of ground flaxseed. You can also sub with an equal amount of additional oats (though the texture may be slightly less crisp).
Storage Tips
- Let the granola cool fully before storing to prevent trapped steam from causing sogginess or mold.
- Store in a tightly sealed container (like a glass jar, plastic container, or zip-top bag) to keep out air and moisture. Do not refrigerate the granola, which can cause it to become soggy. Instead, a cool, dry, dark place (like a pantry) is ideal.
- Granola can be frozen in an air-tight container for up to 3 months. Let it come to room temperature before eating.
A Quick Tip from Blair!
This nut free granola recipe makes a great holiday gift for neighbors or friends, a simple yet thoughtful teacher gift, and a nice option to share when taking food to someone in need (after all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day)! Use mason jars, paper bakery bags, or little plastic storage containers to measure out individual portions. With a festive ribbon and a cute personalized tag, it’s an edible treat that’s always well received!
This granola recipe is delicious! I have made it several times for family and to give as gifts to teachers and friends. I reduce the brown sugar by about half and use 1/2 honey/pure maple syrup. I bake for a longer time at a lower temp. I get good sized crunchy clusters after letting it fully cool and then break it up. I have two trays in the oven as we speak. Making a batch for my oldest daughter who requested more, even though she just left 4 days ago to return to college with a bag of this granola!
– lynda
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Originally published in November, 2012, this post was updated in July, 2025.
A point of consideration for people with tree nut allergies. Many of us are allergic to coconut. You may wish to qualify this in your postings. Fortunately, with this recipe it is easy enough to leave out the coconut and substitute the coconut oil. But, all too often I am searching for nut-free recipes and many people do not know or acknowledge that coconut is a tree-nut.
Great point, Deanna! Thank you! I’ll make a note of that! 🙂
This granola recipe is delicious! I have made it several times for family and to give as gifts to teachers and friends. I reduce the brown sugar by about half and use 1/2 honey/pure maple syrup. I bake for a longer time at a lower temp. I get good sized crunchy clusters after letting it fully cool and then break it up. I have two trays in the oven as we speak. Making a batch for my oldest daughter who requested more, even though she just left 4 days ago to return to college with a bag of this granola!
That’s amazing, Lynda! I love to hear that you’re sharing it with friends and family, too. I always think that granola is a great gift as well. It’s something that most people really enjoy, but we don’t always make ourselves. Thanks for taking the time to leave such a kind note!
My whole family loved it and it came together great!
Wonderful! Thanks, Olivia!
Made a half batch to try. It was super easy, clumped well, and tastes great, but is a bit sweet for my taste. Do you think it would be still clump well if I reduced the amount of brown sugar, leaving the honey amount the same?
Hey, Jenn! I think that would probably work fine. Let me know if you give it a try!
I am looking for a recipe that does not use nuts or raisins (most recipes have one or both) and only honey or maple syrup as the sweetener.
The ingredients I am considering include rolled oats, wheat germ, honey, likely canola oil, and vanilla extract all of which will more than likely be organic.
A couple questions, do I need the salt/sea salt? I am not a fan of coconut or their oils, but would love a better suggestion, that doesn’t affect the flavor. Also, is there a way to adjust the amount of honey to use so that no other sugars have to be added, but it’s not overly sweet like some have suggested? I also will not be adding any fruits or nuts, if that helps, at all.
I like the recipe, and just not good at adjusting these things 🙂
Hi, Kris! You do not need the salt at all. I much prefer the taste with the salt, but leaving it out won’t impact the consistency or texture of the granola.
Any other oil will work in place of the coconut oil, so pick your favorite. I’ve listed avocado and canola oils as options as well in the recipe, because they’re both mild in taste.
If you’re omitting the dried cranberries and you only want to use honey, I would test it first with just the 1/2 cup of honey and see how the texture works. Since you don’t want it too sweet, that will probably be enough sweetener. I haven’t tried it without that little bit of brown sugar, so I’m not sure how the texture will vary.
Hope I’ve answered all of your questions. Enjoy!
Couldn’t get cranberries so tried dried mango. Less chewy more crunchy and the whole family loved it!
Oh, yum! That sounds amazing!
i enjoyed this very much but can you add a storage note.
This recipe workwd great for me… clumps and all! I’ve tried other recipes and had no success in achieving those yummy hunks of granola. I used maple syrup in place of honey, coconut oil, sweetened shredded coconut, and dried bananas! I may use dried pineapple or mango next time, in addition ro banana.
Sounds delicious, Raquel! I’m glad that you can use the recipe as a base and then adjust the flavor combinations to suit your mood and tastes! Enjoy! 🙂
can the cocoNUT be left out, thus making it nut-free? allergies, you now…
Absolutely! Granola is very forgiving in that way. 🙂 You might want to throw in something else in place of the coconut — extra oats, extra cranberries/raisins/dried fruit, etc. I just finished making a batch of this a few minutes ago. It’s definitely a favorite!
On my third batch. Kids who usually hate granola now take to school as a snack! Replaced dried raisins with dried mango which makes extra crunch. Delicious.
That’s wonderful, Mary! Thanks for letting me know. I bet the mango is delicious!
Is there something I could substitute for wheat germ? we are avoiding gluten. Do you think flax would work? Looks so good!
Hi, Julie! Yes — the ground flax would be a perfect substitute! Enjoy. 🙂
Thanks for the note on a gluten free alternative. I’m giving granola as a Christmas gift – one of the recipients has a nut and gluten allergy.
Wonderful! Hope you all enjoy! Merry Christmas. 🙂
A little on the sweet side for me. I have been making this almost same recipe for years. However, I use a heaping tablespoon of cinnamon plus one and a half ounces of vanilla. Also, I cook on parchment paper which I reuse. Less waste and you don’t have to use cooking spray.
I dont know if it happends to others, but my tip is to put the coconut and (i use dried cherries) like 10 minutes into the process, the first time around the coconut kind of burned a little and the dried cherries got a little too hard!
other than that great recipe
Storage ideas please
Got the air right container
But do you suggest refrigeration ir freezing?
Hi, Patricia! Either way is fine. If you plan to enjoy it within the next couple of weeks, I’d keep it in the fridge. If you want to store it for longer, freeze it. 🙂
I used sunflower seeds as I can’t use coconut… worked well
Great! Thanks, Pat!
I’m a mom and a grandmother who was introduced to the seasoned mom by daughter. I have a nut allergy- onset later in life- and I so miss having granola for my yogurt!
When my daughter starting making this granola recipe, I was in heaven. So began my make your own granola journey. I confess I did switch out the cranberries for semi sweet chocolate bites. All the more delicious for me!
thank you for your inventiveness
That’s wonderful to hear, JR. You can’t go wrong with chocolate!