This granola contains roasted quinoa and oatmeal, combined with dried goji berries, roasted almonds, and unsweetened shredded coconut. This is a homemade gluten free, vegan, and no-sugar-added healthy breakfast. When I first made granola, I followed a recipe I found on the internet. In that recipe, all the ingredients were roasted, including the dried fruit. It doesn’t sound right, does it? All of the goji berries became ash and the dried fruits (cranberry and dates) were too dry to chew. Umm… it was not a very happy experience.
This time I only baked quinoa, oatmeal, almonds, and shredded coconut and at a lower temperature (325 °F instead of 350 °F). Quinoa is a very small grain. I noticed when I baked quinoa and oats on the same metal baking sheet, the quinoa always turned brown quicker than the oats. So I decided to bake them separately and use a glass baking dish because glass conducts heat slower than metal. It will slowly transfer the heat to quinoa and get them golden brown evenly. All of these modifications made this homemade granola turn out very good, baked to perfection, crunchy and chewy with just the right amount of sweetness.
Goji berries are very common in China. In the U.S., it is very easy to find them in most Chinese grocery stores. I started seeing them in a few local health stores a few years ago. Those red and tiny berries have a very chewy texture and slightly sweet flavor. They have much less natural sugar content than raisins, dried cranberries, and dates. They also provide antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins to our body. For those reasons, it is a good choice to add to the homemade granola.
My husband, Brad, enjoys pouring our homemade soymilk on this granola. He likes it so much that I have to stop him from eating too much, otherwise he will finish it all in ONE DAY. Pour on your favorite milk and enjoy this chewy, crunchy, and healthy granola.
- 3 cups oats Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Old Fashion Rolled Oats
- 1 cup raw quinoa
- ½ cup raw almonds
- ¼ cup goji berries
- ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1/8 tsp pure stevia extract powder
- 1 tbs agave nectar
- Preheat oven to 325 °F.
- Mix ½ tbs olive oil, ½ tsp cinnamon powder, and quiona in a mixing bowl. Transfer to a glass baking dish.
- Mix oats, stevia, the rest of the olive oil and cinnamon powder in a mixing bowl. Spread on a metal baking sheet.
- Place whole raw almonds in the second glass baking dish.
- Place the two glass baking dishes and the metal baking sheet (with their contents) in the preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes for even color. Add shredded coconut on the oatmeal baking sheet, 3 minutes before the baking time is up.
- Let the almonds cool enough to handle. Chop into small pieces.
- Transfer roasted quinoa to a mixing bowl. Add agave nectar and mix well.
- Add all the other ingredients and mix well. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Serve with milk (non-dairy milk if desired).
1. Use a glass baking dish because quinoa burns easily. Different ovens may heat the baking dish/sheet differently. Watch closely when baking quinoa.
2. Because quinoa is a very small grain, adding agave nectar will clump the grain together. It is optional. A small amount of honey or maple syrup also works.