It seems like everyone and everything has gone ‘gluten-free‘ these days, but whether you think it’s a diet fad or not, there’s no denying the health benefits of this latest craze. I’m by no means completely gluten-free, but I do try to implement and substitute as much as I can to maintain a healthy day-to-day diet.

Being a huge Gwyneth Paltrow fan (and recipe book collector) I could hardly wait to get my hands on her second cookbook ‘It’s All Good‘ and recently ordered it for myself off of Amazon for a whopping $17.

One recipe from Gwyneth’s latest book that I find myself making over and over, consuming daily, and telling every person nearby about, is her gluten-free granola. Normally making your own granola can be rather time consuming, and buying granola from your local grocery store is often so packed with sugar, it can hardly be considered a healthy start to your day.

Not only does this recipe take only half an hour to make from start to finish, but you can customize it to suit your own tastes, or change it up every time you make it! Here I’ve added my own tropical twist to her recipe, with recommendations for what I like to mix into my own versions. Enjoy!

Recipe: Gluten-Free Granola

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 high-quality maple syrup

3 cups quinoa flakes

Pinch of coarse sea salt

1 cup of coconut flakes (optional, but Gracie recommended!)

Instructions:

1 – Preheat the over to 400F

2 – Whisk together the olive oil and maple syrup in a large mixing bowl. Add the quinoa flakes and fold thoroughly to combine with the liquid mixture.

3 – Evenly spread the quinoa on a parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

4 – Roast, stirring now and then until the flakes are dried and crunchy and a lovely golden brown. About 25 minutes. I recommend tossing the flakes half way through to ensure an even roast. If adding coconut flakes, mix them in at the half way point as you toss.

5 – Remove quinoa from the oven and let cool completely. Once completely cool you can add whatever ingredients you like! My personal favourites are chopped pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries. I enjoy my gluten-free granola with coconut or almond milk, and top with chia seeds, goji berries, raw cacao and fresh berries if I have them.

*Be sure to store your gluten-free granola in an air-tight glass jar, it will last up to 2 weeks! Makes approximately 12 half cup servings.

Love it? Hate it? Leave a comment and let me know what you think!