Full of seeds and whole grains, this Granola Cereal is a terrific way to start your day.  It’s Nut Free, Gluten Free, Vegan, and Sugar Free!  With a breakfast so easy and so healthy, you’ll feel great about eating so well.

The story behind this Granola Cereal is really a “when life gives you lemons…” kind of situation.  I have been working on a Nut Free Granola Bar recipe for weeks, and the trickiest part of making a Granola Bar with the smallest amount of natural sweeteners possible is getting the whole thing to stick together. 

Batch after batch, the bars kept crumbling.  Not wanting to waste a ton of healthy seeds and whole grains, I thought, “Well, I guess I can just eat it in a bowl with some almond milk on it.”  And then I realized, “I’M EATING GRANOLA!”  Sometimes we really can’t see the forest for the trees.

I was so stuck on my goal of making granola bars that I didn’t realize I had made GRANOLA in the process. 

Honestly, it has been so long since I have had a real, toothsome cereal that I kind of forgot about it.  But, wow, I am glad to rediscover it! 

If you are like me and used to love granolas with big chunks of goodness or muesli on plain yogurt, then you will love this Nut Free Granola Cereal. 

For me, this cereal has the perfect balance of vegan proteins and carbs.  I cook a lot of Paleo foods, because my husband doesn’t do well with carbs, but myself, I need some carbs to feel good.  This Nut Free Granola Cereal really fills me up and keeps my energy high and my blood sugar levels even. 

This Nut Free Granola Cereal is packed with so many healthy nutrients, too.  Pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are powerhouses full of healthy fats, an array of antioxidants and vitamins and minerals, and fiber.  Plus, they are… Nut Free.  Which makes this cereal perfect for anyone with a nut allergy or sensitivity.  As a side bonus, this is a great cereal for people on a Low FODMAP diet.  Nuts can be a bit rough to digest, but seeds are much gentler. 

I hope you’ll enjoy this Nut Free Granola Cereal as much as I do.  It’s the perfect super fast breakfast or healthy snack. 

Why You’ll LOVE this Recipe:

• Nut Free
• Gluten Free
• Dairy Free
• Sugar Free
• One bowl recipe
• Quick to make
• No cooking required

Ingredients for Nut Free Granola Cereal:

• old-fashioned rolled oats
• brown rice cereal
• pumpkin seeds
• sunflower seeds
• raisins
• kosher salt
• cinnamon
• coconut oil
• sunflower seed butter
• maple syrup
• vanilla extract

Notes on Ingredients:

Old-fashioned rolled oats – Make sure that you buy oats that are labeled Gluten Free.  There can be a lot of cross-contamination between wheat fields and oat fields, so if you are sensitive to gluten, then definitely check to make sure that the oats are Gluten Free.

Brown rice cereal – Make sure that it has no added sugars. 

Maple syrup – A touch of maple syrup here gives the perfect amount of sweetness.  I use maple syrup in most of my recipes, because maple syrup is Low FODMAP (honey is High FODMAP) and vegan and just plain delicious. 

Tips for Making the Best Nut Free Granola Cereal:

Tip #1 – Toast the Oats

In the process of developing the recipes for granola, I discovered that raw oats give me mad heartburn.  It turns out that is the case for many people.  However, toasting the raw oats before eating them prevents the heartburn.  Added bonus – toasting the oats also gives them a fuller, nuttier flavor. 

I recommend toasting the oats before using them in this recipe.  I usually just go ahead and toast the entire bag of oats at once.  Just put them on a baking sheet in an oven preheated to 350 F for about 5-10 minutes.  Put the timer on for 5 minutes, then use a spatula to move the oats around.  If they’re smelling nutty and starting to turn golden, then take them out.  If they’re still quite pale and not smelling wonderfully nutty, then keep them in the oven for another 5 minutes. 

Let the oats cool completely before using them in this recipe.  Toasted oats can also be cooked on the stove like regular oats.

Tip #2 – Adjust the Sweetness to Taste

If you really want to eliminate the added sugars, leave out the maple syrup.  The raisins give it plenty of sweetness already.  I don’t recommend using stevia in this recipe.  For some reason, the flavors just don’t work right.