This homemade gluten-free granola with cinnamon bakes up evenly crisp with light clusters and warm cinnamon flavor. It is an oven-baked granola recipe designed to toast the granola gently without burning, using simple ingredients and a method that is tested multiple times to work consistently with gluten-free oats.
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❤️ Sandi’s Recipe Summary
The Quick Bite: This gluten-free cinnamon granola is an oven-baked base granola recipe that bakes evenly and crisps without burning. It creates lightly clustered granola with balanced sweetness and cinnamon flavor.
Have you tried to make your own granola from scratch yet? I have been making homemade gluten-free granola for years. It tastes delicious and is much cheaper to make compared to store-bought granola!
My favorite ways to enjoy granola are on top of yogurt with breakfast and packing it in a baggie for hikes! Once you know this formula for making a granola base, you can make any flavor of homemade gluten free granola you like.
If you love granola as much as we do, but can’t eat oats, you need to follow a paleo, grain-free, or refined sugar diet, give this delicious Paleo Granola recipe a try. It has all of the granola flavors you love, but it is grain-free and refined sugar-free, too! My family also asks me to make these homemade Gluten-Free Granola Bars. They are perfect in a lunchbox!
This is very good. I just made a couple changes. I only used 1/4 c. maple syrup because I’m trying to cut down on sugar and I baked a half batch in the oven for 30 minutes total because I like it more crunchy and the other half batch I put in the air fryer. I will definitely make this again.”
mary p., blog comment
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
Here are all the granola ingredients you need to make gluten-free granola from scratch. I include lists of substitutions and mix-in ideas so you can customize this gluten free granola recipe any way you like!
- Gluten Free Rolled Oats – Use certified gluten free rolled oats for this recipe. Rolled oats toast evenly and hold their shape during baking, which is key for crisp granola. Quick oats break down too much and thick-cut oats don not toast consistently.
- Walnuts – Chopped nuts add crunch and richness. Walnuts, pecans, or pistachios all work well. Keep nut pieces similar in size so they toast at the same rate as the oats.
- Sunflower Seeds – raw, unsalted sunflower seeds. You can use any nuts; just be sure to check for shells. I also love to add pepitas.
- Chia Seeds – Use white or black chia seeds. Chia seeds also absorb a small amount of moisture, which helps the granola bake evenly without turning greasy.
- Maple Syrup – Maple syrup provides sweetness and acts as the primary binding ingredient.
- Coconut Oil – Coconut oil adds a mild flavor, but a neutral oil like avocado oil also works well. Avoid heavy olive oil, which can overpower the cinnamon.
- Raisins – You can use any type of dried fruit.
- Ground Cinnamon – Cinnamon provides warmth and flavor without overpowering the oats. You can adjust the amount slightly, but too much can taste bitter once baked.
Gluten-Free Oat Safety:
When making gluten-free granola, it is essential to use certified gluten-free oats grown under the purity protocol. Oats are one of the highest-risk ingredients for cross-contamination because they are often grown, harvested, and processed alongside wheat.
In our home, I regularly use Quaker Gluten-Free Rolled Oats and Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Rolled Oats. Both are certified gluten-free, and we have not had reactions to either brand.
Some brands label oats as gluten-free without consistent third-party testing. For example, Trader Joe’s rolled oats are labeled gluten-free, but independent testing by Gluten Free Watchdog has shown samples exceeding the FDA’s 20 ppm gluten threshold. For this reason, I do not recommend using that brand if you are gluten-free.
Substitutions:
If you don’t have some of the ingredients, don’t worry. Here are some easy recipe substitution swaps you can use:
- You can substitute honey or agave nectar for maple syrup.
- If you can’t use coconut oil, use another light oil, such as avocado oil.
How to Make Gluten-Free Granola (Step-By-Step)
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 300ºF. All of my testing proves that granola bakes best at a lower temperature so the oats toast slowly without burning before the center dries out.
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Step 2: Add the gluten-free rolled oats, nuts, seeds, cinnamon, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Stir to evenly distribute the cinnamon and mix-ins.
Step 3: Add the maple syrup and coconut oil to the bowl. If the coconut oil is solid, melt it briefly, then stir well so all the dry ingredients are lightly coated.
Step 4: Use a large spoon to spread out the granola mixture onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. I really recommend lining your baking sheet because the granola can stick to the pan surface.
Step 5: Bake your gluten free granola for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and stir the granola. This will help your granola bake evenly through. Bake for an additional 10 minutes.
If you like making homemade granola, wait until you try my homemade Gluten-Free Oatmeal Lace Cookies.
Mix-In Ideas:
Homemade vegan gluten free granola is easy to customize to your favorite flavors and add-ins. You can add any of the following to my cinnamon granola recipe:
- Nuts – chopped walnuts, pecans, or pistachios are delicious options for cinnamon granola.
- Seeds like sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and flax seeds.
- Dried fruit like raisins, cherries, and apricots.
- Unsweetened coconut
- Chia seeds
- Seasonings like pumpkin spice or even savory spices like chili powder or curry powder will kick up the flavor of any gluten free granola recipe!
Tips For Success
1. The granola should not be piled thickly on the baking sheet but in a thin layer. If you have too much granola, bake it in two rounds.
2. Stir the granola part gently throughout the baking time to avoid removing clumps.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Clusters form when the granola has enough sticky sweetener to bind and is left undisturbed as it cools. Maple syrup helps bind the oats, and letting the granola cool completely before stirring allows clusters to set.
Granola burns most often when it is baked at too high of a temperature or spread too thick on the baking sheet. Baking at 300ºF allows the oats to toast slowly so moisture can evaporate before sugars caramelize. Stirring partway through also prevents hot spots.
Store granola in an airtight container at room temperature in your pantry. It will keep well for up to two weeks. For best crunch, allow the granola to cool completely before storing. I store my granola in mason jars. It will keep fresh for up to two weeks. I like to store my granola in mason jars.
How my family eats granola:
Our family puts this homemade granola on everything!! They even eat it right off the baking tray! Here are some of our favorite ways to eat granola
- This is an easy granola for yogurt; sprinkle it on!
- Spoon into ice cream
- Top fruit crisps
- Mix in a bowl with milk for cereal.
- Use as a trail mix on a hike.
More Recipes with Gluten-Free Oats:
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Cinnamon Granola – Basic Gluten Free Granola Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free rolled oats * see note
- ½ cup walnuts
- ½ cup pecans
- ⅓ cup sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- ⅓ cup pepitas
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil * see note
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup shredded coconut
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Instructions
- Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl.
- Pour on melted coconut oil, vanilla, and maple syrup and mix well.
- Spray coconut oil on a cookie sheet. Spread the granola onto the cookie sheet. (You may need to use two cookie sheets so the granola isn’t piled on too thick.)
- Bake at 300º F for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and stir. Put back into the oven for an additional 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Store in a large ziplock bag or container.
Notes
- It is critical to use certified gluten free oats if you are Celiac. Cross-contamination runs high in regular oats.
- This granola will keep up to 5 days in an air-tight container.
- You can mix and match any way for this recipe so use any nuts or seeds you enjoy :-).
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
(*This post was updated from an older September 2016 post.)
I truly hope you enjoy this recipe. I have been testing and creating gluten-free recipes for over 15 years. Creating gluten-free recipes that do not taste gluten-free is my goal for every recipe. Sometimes I only have to test a new recipe a couple of times, and others it takes multiple times. I do this so you get reliable, delicious results every time!
This is very good. I just made a couple changes. I only used 1/4 c. maple syrup because I’m trying to cut down on sugar and I baked a half batch in the oven for 30 minutes total because I like it more crunchy and the other half batch I put in the air fryer. I liked the air fryer batch better. I will definitely make this again.
I am so glad you loved it, Mary. Thank you so much for coming back to share your edits!
Definitely trying this recipe. Do you add the raisins and bake them or toss them in after the oats and nuts are baked? Last time I made granola and added raisins to it, they got crispy and disgusting and ruined the whole batch. Now I’m traumatized and nervous to try again.
Hi Nikki, I chuckled at your note because I have done that with raisins too. If you don’t like the raisins to be crispy, I would set the timer and add them in 5-8 minutes before the batch is done. That way they get heated a bit with the cinnamon flavors
What other oil besides coconut?
Thanks.
Hi Beverly, I have also made this with avocado oil. Any light oil that doesn’t have much flavor should work well. Take care, Sandi