5-ingredient quinoa crunch granola is healthy, vegan, & gluten-free. It makes an easy & simple snack, granola bar base, & topping for yogurt!
Did you know how easy it is to make your own granola? I honestly did not realize that it only takes 20 minutes and 5 ingredients to bake crunchy homemade (and healthy) granola!
This quinoa crunch granola recipe is simple, easy, and sweet. It makes the perfect mix in for yogurt, the base for homemade granola bars, and even the topping for a fruit crisp! Only 5 ingredients makes it crazy simple and quick to throw together.
How do you make homemade crunchy granola?
The secret to a good crunchy granola is using rolled oats mixed with liquid sweetener and oil. The liquid sweetener caramelizes during the baking process, and the oil helps everything crisp up!
My 5 ingredient quinoa crunch granola is simple and fast, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add extras in if you want! I just prefer to keep things simple and get it done quick!
Optional Add In Ideas:
- 1 cup of nuts such as almonds, cashews, peanuts, or pistachios, or pecans.
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup of seeds such as pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, or chia seeds.
- 1/2 – 1 tsp spices like nutmeg, ginger, cloves, or cinnamon (my favorite).
- A 1/2 cup of dried fruit, such as raisins, craisins, dried blueberries, or dried mango.
- A handful of sweets such as cocoa nibs, chocolate chips, or yogurt covered raisins.
NOTE: If you do add in fruit or chocolate, do so during the last 5 minutes of baking to keep them soft but not melted or rock hard.
Healthy Quinoa Crunch Granola
This fast and simple homemade granola recipe is also super healthy!
The quinoa and rolled oats make the granola 100% gluten-free, vegan, and completely whole grain. The dry quinoa adds a little bit of protein as well, making it more filling and gives it a boost of added nutrition.
Plus, it’s sweetened with maple syrup, so it’s free of any refined sugars!
Note: If you’re going for completely gluten-free, make sure to use certified gluten-free oats in your granola!
RELATED: 5 Shelf-Stable Snack Ideas
Budget Friendly
Quinoa crunch recipe comes in at $3.36 for about 3 1/2 cups of gluten-free granola. That is so much cheaper than those fancy store bought granola blends! Don’t you just love saving money?!
Rolled oats, dry quinoa, cinnamon, coconut oil, and maple syrup are probably already sitting in your cupboard. If not, they are really easy to find in even discount grocery stores!
Recipe
5-Ingredient Quinoa Crunch Granola
Ingredients
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 2 cups dry rolled oats
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- In a small saucepan, heat coconut oil and maple syrup on medium-low heat until blended together, about 2-3 minutes).
- In a medium bowl, combine oats, quinoa, and cinnamon. Pour the heated oil and maple syrup over the dry ingredients, and mix until well combined.
- On a lined baking sheet, spread the mixture in an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Pull from oven, stir/toss granola, and return to the oven for 5 more minutes, or until golden brown.
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If you end up making this and loving it, take a photo and tag me on Instagram! I’d love to see your versions of my recipes! And feel free to rate it down below in the comment section. I would really appreciate it!
Homemade 5-ingredient quinoa crunch granola is super fast, easy, healthy, and totally customizable! I can’t wait to hear what you think! 🙂
xoxo Megan
Maia says
The taste is really good. I baked everything as instructed, but the quinoa stayed really hard.
Maybe I would try to puff it in a pan next time before adding it to the rest.
Megan Byrd, RD says
That would be so good too! I enjoy the crunchy quinoa but you can definitely use puffed instead.
Debra says
I used this recipe as a guide, but I rinsed my quinoa and cooked it first, which gives you twice the volume. I also added 4 total cups of oats and used the same coconut oil and maple syrup as the recipe uses. My husband said it was gritty and likes my other recipe better. I added our own dried apple pieces and pecans, walnuts and sunflower seeds. I liked it, but my husband did not.
Lisa says
Hello, this sounds delicious! Do you need to wash the quinoa first and let it dry?
Megan Byrd, RD says
I didn’t but you totally can.