Gluten Free Coconut Cranberry Granola

In the past few years, there has been a lot of buzz about “gluten free” diets. I am not just talking about the fad of being gluten free, like carb free, but more so am referring to how gluten affects certain people due to sensitivities and allergies.

I first heard about gluten free products when I was working as a nanny for a family. The kiddos that I used to take care of had several food allergies and Celiac disease, which if you don’t know, is an auto-immune disease where individuals cannot digest gluten.

 After educating myself a bit, I learned about foods that commonly contain gluten. One common culprit is oats. Although oats don’t naturally contain gluten, during processing they can get covered in trace amounts. You wouldn’t think a teaspoon of wheat flour could do much damage, but if you talk to people who are sensitive to gluten or have celiac, they will give you the gory details of how it wrecks havoc on their digestive systems.

After three years of working for this family, I was pretty well versed on gluten free recipes, which was perfect, because now I am able to make delicious treats for my amazing boyfriend, who also has Celiac disease.

Today I’m going to share with you one of the easiest and most requested gluten free recipes I have created, Coconut Cranberry Granola. What I love about granola is that it is inexpensive to make and can be made in just a few minutes. In addition it’s super tasty and when eaten in moderation is a healthy alternative to more processed foods.

Ingredients:

¼ cup coconut oil

½ cup honey or agave

3 cups gluten free oats (such as Bob’s Red Mill)

½ cup shredded coconut

½ cup dried cranberries

Instructions:

·      In a large skillet warm the oil and the honey over low-medium heat.

·      After about 30seconds to one minute add oats and coat with honey/oil blend.

·      Mix the oats so that they are evenly covered.

·      Add shredded coconut and cranberries and mix well.

·      Allow the mixture to toast, stirring every 90 seconds or so

·      Remove mixture from heat and spread evenly on a cookie sheet or large tray and allow to cool.

·      Serve over yogurt and fresh fruit or eat by the handful (I prefer yogurt with fresh mango and a sprinkle of the granola.)

·      Store in an air tight container

*You can also make this recipe in the oven, but we have been using the stovetop method for the last year because we don’t have an oven in Cambodia.

To read more about Celiac Disease click here and here.