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Quinoa Granola

May 25, 2011 by Erica 27 Comments

Baked granola-cookie sheet

On a whim, I purchased a box of quinoa flakes, not knowing what I would do with them or what to expect taste-wise. I’m happy to say that this was a great leap of faith, and worth the risk. My first discovery is that it makes a great substitute for oats in granola.

Quinoa flakes

Quinoa flakes are very light and crispy when baked in the granola, and they’re gluten-free! And just in case you didn’t know, they’re a seed, and a great source of protein. The package has a recipe for hot cereal, however I’m thinking “oatmeal” cookies might be great with quinoa flakes.

Quinoa granola in bowl

I have a feeling you’ll love this mix, especially if you love crunchy granola. I’ve been snacking on this granola for several days, and it is definitely sweet and crunchy, and goes great with yogurt and milk (I’ve had it with almond milk). If you want to lower the sweetness level, you could take the amount of maple syrup down to 1/3 or a 1/4 of a cup, and still have crunchy granola.

Quinoa granola cooling

I didn’t add vanilla to this recipe, and it didn’t seem to need it, in my humble opinion. I do use a good quality maple syrup (Grade B) that has lots of flavor, so that might have something to do with it. If you like that extra taste of vanilla, add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla to the cooked liquid mixture before adding the dry ingredients and baking.

Oh, and feel free to swap out the nuts and dried fruit I use with your favorites. If you like your granola a bit finer, place the nuts in a blender or food processor for a quick whirl to chop them up into finer pieces.

Quinoa Granola

Update: I now save the dried fruit from the baking process and add it into the cooked granola so that the fruit stays soft, rather than baking and becoming hard. You can do it either way, I just wanted to let you  know there’s another way. Enjoy!
 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup of maple syrup (or honey)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of oil
  • 1 cup of quinoa flakes
  • 1/2 cup of raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
  • 1/2 cup of dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup of raw almonds
  • 1/2 cup of raw hazelnuts
  • 1/2 cup of yellow raisins

Method

  1. In a large saucepan (that can hold all the granola later on), add the maple syrup, salt, and oil, and bring to a low boil. Stir occasionally.
  2. Preheat your oven to 325°F/165°C.
  3. After about 5 minutes of a steady, low boil, turn the heat off, and let the syrup cool for a moment.
  4. Add all the dry ingredients, except for the dried fruit, to the saucepan and mix well until all the dry stuff is coated well.
  5. Place a piece of parchment paper or a non-stick pad on a cookie sheet. Spread the granola out across the cookie sheet.
  6. Bake for about 15 20 minutes, or until it is starting to brown just a bit.
  7. Cool for about 15 minutes.
  8. Stir in the dried fruit.
  9. Enjoy!
  10. Store in a sealed container.

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Filed Under: Breakfast, Egg Free, Gluten-Free, Lactose Free, Snacks, Vegetarian Tagged With: quinoa, Recipe Subscriber Only

Previous Post: « Pizza Tart {almond flour}
Next Post: Salmon Cakes {Croquettes} »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Chef Rachel

    April 22, 2013 at 5:12 pm

    I made this once at home and then in a cooking class. People loved it, even a woman who previously did not like quinoa. I thought it was plenty sweet w/maple syrup.

    Your Cinnamon Bun Muffins were also a hit in another cooking class last year. I plan to repeat them in more classes.

    Chef Rachel, The Healthy Cooking Coach

    Reply
    • Erica

      April 22, 2013 at 6:26 pm

      cool that you’re using the recipes for a cooking class! Thanks Rachel!

      Reply
  2. Nancy Marshall

    February 13, 2013 at 7:55 am

    Love this granola. I baked it a little too long but it is still yummy. Next time I am going to add organic rolled oats. Planning on taking on the plane for a nutritious snack. Love your website.

    Reply
    • Erica

      February 13, 2013 at 9:25 am

      Thanks!

      Reply
  3. Lauren B.

    December 21, 2012 at 10:42 pm

    Erica, I’ve been trying to figure out how to make granola with some quinoa flakes I bought. Thanks a ton for the recipe! If it works well I’ll share it over at Healthy Indulgences with credit to your blog, of course. 🙂

    I love browsing your website and even if I haven’t gotten to bake much lately. The mouthwateringly good yet simple, clean photography and practical advice you offer with your recipes make your blog a refreshing read.

    Reply
    • Erica

      December 21, 2012 at 10:55 pm

      Thanks! Let me know when you post it. I imagine it will be sugar-free 🙂

      Reply
  4. Christina

    August 24, 2012 at 4:23 pm

    This is fantastic! I love how the quinoa flakes become crunchy rather than chewy like oats and the salt and maple syrup are perfect…not too sweet amd not too salty. I switched up some of the nuts and added a few things. So versatile! Quinoa flakes are now a pantry staple instead of oats!

    Reply
  5. Barbara

    May 11, 2012 at 1:22 am

    Before going gluten free I used to make granola this way with oats and am very happy to conclude that it works just ass well with quinoa flakes. Maybe even better.. What works really well, is to add a little bit of (dried) rosemary to the mixture. Really spices things up (wink wink).

    Love your blog!

    Reply
  6. Melaina

    March 5, 2012 at 9:14 pm

    I just made this granola with a few variations and IT IS DELICIOUS!! I’ve been having to cut out a bunch of foods again and needed something to replace my homemade oat granola… this is perfect! I forgot how much I love hazelnuts!!! Look on my blog soon for my version!! THANK OYU FOR A GREAT RECIPE!

    Reply
  7. Erin Mataj

    February 22, 2012 at 11:15 am

    That looks so good for snacking or breakfast with almond milk. My mom bought be a box of flaked quinoa and I had no idea what to make with it besides hot cereal for the babies. Thanks for the idea!

    Reply
  8. liz messer

    February 9, 2012 at 10:38 pm

    where do you find quinoa flakes at??

    Reply
    • Erica

      February 9, 2012 at 11:29 pm

      My local PCC – a market in the Seattle area. Maybe health food stores nearby will have it. And of course there’s Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=quinoa+flakes&x=0&y=0

      Reply
  9. Lynda

    January 20, 2012 at 10:55 am

    I have been looking through all these recipes and have been very intrigued, to say the least! Everything looks delicious, and I can’t wait to try some of the recipes! My question is about carbs. I am trying to eat low carb. and am wondering if these recipes, for the most part, fall under that category. I’m also trying to go gluten-free when possible. Thanks for any input you can share.
    Lynda

    Reply
    • Erica

      January 20, 2012 at 2:49 pm

      I do focus on low-carb and low to no sugar eating, but you’ll need to access the ingredients for your own requirements.

      Reply
  10. Edwina

    November 15, 2011 at 10:07 am

    What a blessing to have found your blog. We are gluten, egg and dairy free and also a few other things. I bought a bag of quinoa flakes just last week and am still wondering what to do with them. This is perfect. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  11. Sleepinghorse

    July 16, 2011 at 3:34 am

    I made this granola today and it is so delicious and crunchy. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
  12. Ariana Anderson@ The Frugally Rich Life

    June 9, 2011 at 7:45 am

    Can I use oats instead? Quinoa flakes are so expensive!

    Reply
    • Erica

      June 9, 2011 at 10:51 am

      Yes! And you can find gluten-free oats too, if you need to. Bob’s Red Mill sells them, as well as other brands and stores.

      Reply
  13. Comfy Belly on Facebook

    May 26, 2011 at 12:53 pm

    Ah, yes – it is a bit on the sweet side. Cutting the sweetener in half will fix that.

    Reply
  14. Emily Fronczyk Williams on Facebook

    May 26, 2011 at 12:04 pm

    I usually make a GF granola using quiona flakes and GF oats for summertime cereal. Just made your quinoa granola and it is more of a dessert. It is great! Thanks for helping me break out of my granola rut!!

    Reply
  15. Sleepinghorse

    May 26, 2011 at 2:53 am

    I forgot to mention that I did the same with quinoa flakes. I bought them not knowing what to do with them and now I know 🙂

    Reply
    • Erica

      May 26, 2011 at 7:04 am

      Thanks.

      Reply
  16. Sleepinghorse

    May 26, 2011 at 2:51 am

    Ah. At last a granola recipe that I can try due to a) having all the ingredients available and b) looks delicious. Thanks for this. I might make some tomorrow. I’ll let you know how I get on.

    Reply
  17. Comfy Belly on Facebook

    May 25, 2011 at 1:11 pm

    No-bake cookies! I’m intrigued. Can you share your recipe?

    Reply
  18. Sherry

    May 25, 2011 at 10:36 am

    I am totally going to make this. I have been wanting granola for such a long time. I made no-bake cookies with quinoa flakes, and they worked well for that. I didn’t really like the quinoa flakes just cooked like oatmeal, but it does seem to work well in recipes.

    Reply

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Measurement equivalents

1 tablespoon 3 teaspoons
1/4 cup 4 tablespoons
1 cup 8 ounces
1 teaspoon 5 ml
1 tablespoon 15 ml

Temperature conversions

Gas Mark Fahrenheit Celsius
  1/4  225  110
  1/2  250  130
    1  275  140
    2  300  150
    3  325  170
    4  350  180
    5  375  190
    6  400  200
    7  425  220
    8  450  230
    9  475  240

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I create recipes using simple, nutrient-dense ingredients, staying as close to the earth as possible.

One of my boys was diagnosed with Crohn’s, which inspired me to start Comfy Belly, and create recipes to share my love of good, healthy food. Read More →

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