Nut Free Granola

4.86 from 7 votes

A quick and easy nut free granola with honey, coconut, and dried fruit for a crunchy, wholesome treat!

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword granola without nuts, Nut Free Granola, nut free granola recipe, recipe for nut free granola

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Cooling Time 1

Total Time 30

Servings servings (1/4 cup each)

Calories 223kcal

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)

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.

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).