grain-free pumpkin granola (keto + gluten-free)

I've been bugged and bugged and bugged about cereal lately. The requests are non-stop, whether it's breakfast, lunch or dinner time. Oh, but the thing is, they're not coming from the two tiny humans who I'm constantly catering to. Nope. The non-stop cereal demands are from my forever-child-at-heart husband, who believes any food under the sun can be made keto-friendly. So why not cereal? I hate to admit it, but he's right about this one. Meet a grain-free pumpkin granola that is sweet, crunchy, and yes, technically a KETO CEREAL.

Ian loves to eat this as cold cereal served with almond milk, probably because it has been so long since he has actually been able to enjoy one of his favorite foods. However, the wonderful thing about this grain-free granola is you can eat it however you like. Serve it over yogurt, sprinkle it on top of a salad for a sweet crunch, or take it to-go as a standalone snack. As I hastily assembled a pretty sad-looking dinner for my kiddos the other night, I threw some of this on their plate and called it good. But I realize now that was a true moment of mom victory. A food SO YUMMY and SO GOOD for their little bodies? Bring on extra batches of this granola gold.

how to make grain-free pumpkin granola

The ingredient list is basic and the granola comes together pretty quickly. I've made several batches in the last week, playing around with different variations and whether or not it can be done without egg white. I say yes, but it doesn't turn out as crunchy. So if you're vegan, you can skip the egg. The xanthan gum could be a successful binder on its own.

Here's what you'll need:

• raw almonds
• raw pecans
• raw walnuts
• raw, shelled pumpkin seeds
• flax seed meal
• coconut oil
• egg white
• pumpkin purée
• pumpkin pie spice
• monkfruit sweetener (I like Lakanto brand which is currently at Costco and is actually a monkfruit/erythritol blend)
• maple extract (or sub with vanilla)
• xanthan gum (optional, but I believe it helps the granola crisp)

step 1

Preheat your oven to 325°F. Place the cup of almonds in a food processor or high-speed blender (I use my trusty, do-all Ninja for everything) and pulse to roughly chop them. Add the pecans, walnuts and pumpkin seeds, then pulse again, 3-4 times. Add the flax seed meal and give it one more pulse to make sure it's all combined.

step 2

In a small bowl, melt the coconut oil in the microwave. Stir in the pumpkin purée, maple extract and the egg white, then dump the wet ingredients into the nut mixture and pulse a few more times to combine. Add the monkfruit sweetener and pumpkin pie spice, again pulsing a couple more times. Note: keep the blend time to a minimum. You want the nuts roughly chopped so it's okay if a few of the pieces are on the larger side.

step 3

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the nut mixture onto the baking tray, pressing it out with a spatula or your hands so it covers (most of) the sheet and is about ¼-inch thickness. (A thicker layer won't turn out as crisp.) Make sure it's pressed firmly so the mixture bakes together sort of like one giant cracker. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges look browned and crisp.

step 4

Remove the tray from the oven and let it cool for 10-15 minutes. It will continue to crisp up as it cools. After it's cool, use your hands to break the granola into pieces and allow to cool longer before you store the crumbles in an air-tight container or a glass jar for easy serving.

Super simple, right? This grain-free pumpkin granola is high in healthy fats, fiber and essential nutrients. It's quick, easy, and will curb that crunchy cereal craving without blowing your carb count. The only problem is I can't seem to make it fast enough to keep up with demand! 😉 Enjoy!

grain-free pumpkin granola (keto + gluten-free)

Course: breakfast, snackCuisine: keto, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-freeDifficulty: easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Cooling time

10

A grain-free pumpkin granola that is sweet, crunchy and low-carb. Nuts, flax and pumpkin seeds make this keto cereal nutritious and high in healthy fats.

Ingredients

• 1 cup almonds

• 1 cup walnuts

• 1 cup pecans

• ½ cup flax seed meal

• ½ cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

• 3 tablespoon monkfruit sweetener

• ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (optional)*

• 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

• ¼ cup coconut oil

• 2 tablespoon pumpkin purée

• 1 egg white

• ½ teaspoon maple extract (or vanilla extract)

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 325°F. Start by pulsing the cup of almonds in a food processor or high-speed blender. Add the pecans, walnuts and pumpkin seeds, then pulse again, 3-4 times. Don't over-blend, as you want the nuts to be roughly chopped. Add the flax seed meal and pulse 1-2 more times.
• In a small bowl, melt the coconut oil in the microwave. Pour the coconut oil into the nut mixture, then add in the pumpkin purée, maple extract and egg white.* Pulse a few more times to combine the wet ingredients.
• Add the monkfruit sweetener, pumpkin pie spice and xanthan gum, again pulsing a couple more times (but not overdoing it) to thoroughly mix the granola.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the nut mixture onto the baking tray, flattening it out with a spatula or your hands to ¼-inch thickness.* Place the tray in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges look browned and crisp.
• Remove the tray from the oven and let it cool for 10-15 minutes. It will continue to crisp up as it cools. Once it's cool to touch, break the granola into pieces. Store the crumbles in an air-tight container or a glass jar for easy serving.

Notes

• You can skip the egg if vegan- the granola will be slightly softer and less crisp.
• Try to flatten the granola as much as possible. If the layer is too thick, the granola won't turn out as crunchy and you may need to increase the bake time.