But I see his point. Any granola is expensive and gluten free granola can be outrageous! And he likes granola so it gets gobbled up quickly which makes it seem even more expensive. But I have been reluctant to make my own granola because it just seemed like too much work for a bowl of cereal!
As much as I would like to say that it was the desire to please my man that inspired this recipe the truth is it was a half-eaten bag of rice cakes.
There was a time when I practically lived off rice cakes – back in the day it was the only half way decent gluten free vehicle I could find for tuna fish and egg salad. As a result, I OD’ed on rice cakes and haven’t had one in probably five years!
So I surprised even myself when I brought home a bag the other day. I had a craving for an old time fav – brown rice cakes (lightly salted) with a smear of honey topped with a sliced banana. After a couple I felt satisfied for maybe the next five years. But the thing about rice cakes is I don’t particularly like them after the bag has been opened for a day, they get stale fast and lose their crispiness. So I wondered “what can I do with the rest?” and it struck me – make granola!
This is a super quick version of granola that you can make and eat the same morning and, unlike many commercial granolas is refined sugar free. It gets its sweetness from a bit of honey (use agave to make the recipe vegan) and freeze dried fruit. You can use whatever flavor of fruit you prefer but I kind of liked the idea of combining Crunchies freeze dried mangos to compliment the coconut and strawberries for color.
My hubby is pretty flattered that I finally fulfilled his request for homemade gluten free granola; let’s just not tell him it was inspired by left over rice cakes if you don’t mind. I am trying to parlay this into getting a few extra odd jobs done around the house!
Gluten Free Quick Granola Recipe
Ingredients
6 brown rice cakes (lightly salted or unsalted)
1 cup sliced almonds
½ cup flaked coconut
2 tablespoons butter or Earth Balance (dairy free butter)
2 tablespoons grapeseed (or other neutral tasting) oil
1/3 cup honey (use agave for vegan)
One 1 ounce package Crunchies Freeze Dried Strawberries (1¼ cups)
One 1.5 ounce package Crunchies Freeze Dried Mangos (1¾ cup)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Crumble the rice cakes into small pieces (about ¼ inch) and place in a mixing bowl with the almonds and coconut. Melt the butter, oil and honey together in a small saucepan, add to the rice cake mixture and stir well to coat. Layer the mixture in a rimmed baking sheet and spread in an even layer. Bake for 10 minutes or until the mixture is golden brown, stirring once half way through cooking. Let cool and break into small pieces. Add in the fruit, stir to combine.
Store the mixture in an airtight container at room temperature.
Eat as is or with milk, almond milk or even coconut milk.
Servings
A gluten free recipe that makes 10 cups of granola.
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Need a quick meal?
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