This toasty, plant-based granola is low histamine and low in sugar, perfect for topping coconut ice cream or cut-up fruits, or even just eaten by the handful. Pull together this low histamine granola in half an hour, with 10 pantry staples and just 3 simple steps!
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About this recipe
Easy enough for beginners. Whether you've never made homemade granola or it's a fall staple at your place, this plant-based granola recipe is simple & detailed enough for anyone to follow.
Low histamine snack. One thing I constantly look for is new low histamine snacks to add to my favorites list. This granola has a sweet, salty, toasty flavor without being overwhelmingly oaty or nutty. If you overbake it it can get too dry to eat on it's own, so keep close watch on the oven.
Balanced fiber & protein. Thanks to the pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, and the seed or nut butter, this plant based granola recipe is actually relatively high in protein and fiber.
Ingredients
Rolled Oats: These whole grains are the other base for this plant-based granola, along with Puffed Rice. Both of them add bulk and a delightful crunch once toasted, but also make a great base for overnight oats.
Raw Sunflower Seeds: ideally you have previously soaked & dried your sunflower seeds to reduce antinutrients, as detailed in my sunflower seed pesto recipe. The sunflower seeds add a delightfully nutty taste to a nut-free granola, while also adding healthy bulk.
Raw Pumpkin Seeds: much like the sunflower seeds, ideally you'll have soaked & dried your pumpkin seeds to reduce antinutrients before using them in this recipe. Pumpkin seeds are a great source of zinc and magnesium, as well as protein and a fantastic crunch.
Chia Seeds: small but mighty, chia seeds don't add very much to the overall flavor of the granola, but they're a great source of fiber and healthy fats. If you can't have, don't have, or don't like chia seeds, you can use whole flax seeds instead.
Coconut Oil: coconut oil may have a mild smell, but you can't taste it much in here. If you need to substitute, avocado oil will be the next best option.
Nut or Seed Butter: this is part of what acts as the binder in this recipe, and you can use any low histamine nut you'd like if you use a homemade nut or seed butter.
Cardamom: while this ingredient is optional, cardamom is one of the best low histamine spices you can add to your pantry, as it's both a natural antihistamine and it tastes fantastic!
How to make plant-based granola: step-by-step instructions
Step 1. Preheat oven to 300F (150°C), then measure the oats, puffed rice, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds into one bowl and combine them well.
Step 2. Measure and combine the melted coconut oil and seed butter in a separate bowl, for about 30 seconds.
Pro-tip: make sure your coconut oil is completely melted, otherwise it will clump up and won't fully combine with the seed butter, making for an oily granola.
Step 3. In a separate bowl, add your date sugar, chia seeds, salt, and cardamom (if using), then blend until well-combined.
Step 4. Drizzle the coconut oil mixture over the oats & seeds, stirring until well-combined.
Step 5. Sprinkle the sugar & chia seeds mixture over the sticky oats, and stir until everything is evenly incorporated.
Step 6. Put down a piece of parchment paper on a baking try and spread granola evenly on your sheet pan, and then bake for 15 minutes.
Step 7. Take the granola out of the oven and stir it lightly to ensure even baking, then bake for 7-10 more minutes. Keep a close eye on it in the oven, as it can burn quite suddenly, so definitely check on it after 7 minutes. Remove it from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before using immediately (or storing in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks)!
Recipe notes & tips
Freezing. You can freeze this granola for up to 6 months (or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks). To defrost it, simply toast the amount you want to eat in the oven at 250°F (120°C) for 5 minutes.
Changing Nuts or Seeds. To use different nuts or seeds in this plant-based granola, simply make sure your pieces of nut or seed are similar shapes and preferably raw (also to avoid double toasting). Check out my guide to low histamine seeds and nuts.
Date Sugar. If you want to use date syrup instead of date sugar, just add the date syrup to the coconut oil mixture instead of the chia seed mixture, and extend bake time by about 2 minutes. If you want to use different sugars (coconut, organic white or brown to keep it vegan, etc.), you can swap out an equal amount depending on desired sweetness of granola.
What to do with low histamine granola?
- put it on low histamine yogurt (if coconut is tolerated)
- sprinkle it on non-dairy, low histamine ice cream
- top your apple slices smeared with nut or seed butter
- make it a bed for fresh fruits
- to top your favorite salad, preferably paired with a fruity salad dressing
FAQ About Plant-Based Granola
Homemade granola can keep in an airtight container in a cool and dry pantry for up to 1 week, in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, and in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Yes, you can use an oil other than coconut oil, such as ghee, sunflower oil, or cocoa butter.
Yes, you can eat this no-honey, plant-based granola with oats, puffed rice, seeds, coconut oil, and date sugar.
Have you tried this recipe?
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📖 Recipe
Simple Plant-Based Granola (Nut-Free)
Ingredients
- 1 Cup rolled oats
- ½ Cup puffed rice or puffed quinoa
- ¼ Cup raw sunflower seeds soaked & dried
- ⅓ Cup raw pumpkin seeds soaked & dried
- 2 Tablespoons chia seeds
- 2-3 Tablespoons date sugar*
- 4 Tablespoons melted coconut oil or other tolerated oil
- 2 Tablespoons nut/seed butter of choice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cardamom optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300F (150°C).
- Measure the oats, puffed rice, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds into one bowl and combine well.
- Measure and mix the melted coconut oil and pistachio butter in a separate bowl, and drizzle it over your pumpkin seed mixture, stirring until well-combined.
- In a separate bowl, add your date sugar, chia seeds, salt, and cardamom (if using), then blend until well-combined.
- Sprinkle the sugar mixture over your stick pumpkin seeds-oats and stir until everything is evenly incorporated.
- Put down a piece of parchment paper and spread granola evenly on your sheet pan, and then bake for 15 minutes.
- Take your granola out of the oven and stir it to ensure even baking, then bake for 7-10 more minutes. Keep an eye on it near the end to ensure it doesn't burn, then cool for 10 minutes and store in an air-tight container.
Notes
Nutrition
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katie says
Really easy and yummy. I replaced the coconut oil with Ghee. Used pecans instead of pumpkin seeds since I couldn't find them in stock (out of season!). Thanks for this and your other recipes and info. They have been so helpful.
Max says
I'm so glad you've liked it (and found other things helpful around the site)! Ghee sounds delicious - thank you for the thoughtful comment, Katie!