Before I tell you how seriously delicious this granola is, there’s something else you need to know. This granola does not require you turning on your oven in sweltering summer temps! It is baked in mere minutes in the microwave!
You read that right! My friend Somer McCowan mentioned that she was making her granola in the microwave, and she shared how she did it. I then took my tried and true granola recipe, and baked it up in the microwave (per Somer’s directions). It came out amazing, and was actually crispier than when I bake it in the oven! Plus it saved about 25 minutes of baking time, and heating up my kitchen during the summertime.
I’ve been tinkering with my granola recipe for a while, and created this version, full of tropical flavors from coconut to pineapple and mango. For nuts you can use macadamias, or go for dry roasted hazelnuts like I do. I also add whole teff grain for added crunch, fiber and protein. Trust me when I say you can’t go wrong with this granola!
As far as brands that I like to use for this granola, my favorite gluten-free oats come from GF Harvest. The Teff is from Maskal Teff (you can use Ivory or Brown). For the coconut oil I suggest using a virgin unrefined oil, so you get the lovely coconut flavor. You can also substitute another oil for the coconut, such as sunflower, olive, or even grapeseed oil. The hazelnuts are from Freddy Guys here in the Williamette Valley, and my favorite almond extracts are from Nielsen-Massey and Boyajian! Oh and the dried pineapple and mango is from Nuts.com, but you can find dried fruit everywhere.
The cooking times in the microwave may vary slightly depending on your microwave. I believe mine is around 1,000 watts and usually takes a total of 5 minutes. That said, sometimes it may take an additional 30 to 60 seconds to get golden brown. I can’t tell you why sometimes it takes a bit longer, but it definitely can.
I’d love to hear if you give this a try. Tag me on Instagram @julieskitchenette!
xoxo Julie
Best Gluten-Free Tropical Granola!
Description
This granola is so delicious, and also gluten-free and vegan too!
Ingredients
2 cups GF oats
2 tablespoons wholegrain teff
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons melted unrefined coconut oil
2 tablespoons agave
1 teaspoon pure almond extract or vanilla
Pinch sea salt
1/4 cup dry roasted hazelnuts or other nut of choice
1/2 cup dried fruit, such as a mix of dried diced pineapple and mango or dried cranberries and pineapple
1/4 cup toasted unsweetened coconut flakes, optional
Instructions
On a medium-sized microwaveable bowl, combine the oats, teff, brown sugar, coconut oil, agave, almond extract, and pinch salt, and mix well until oats are thoroughly coated. I like to use either a spoon or a gloved hand for this. Place the bowl in the microwave and heat on full power for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Give it a stir and continue cooking for another 1 minute and 30 seconds. Stir again and cook another for 1 minute. Stir in the nuts and cook 1 more minute. Give it a stir and look at the color. It should be golden brown. If not, microwave another 30 seconds. Repeat until golden brown. It may take a little less or more time, depending on the strength of your microwave.
Remove bowl from microwave and set on counter. Stir in the dried fruit and let cool in bowl. Once completely cool, the granola should be nice and crisp. Store in an air-tight jar or zip top bag.
I have tiff flour for baking bread. I am guessing this will not work in the granola and I will have to find tiff grain. I have seen it for sale in Australia.
Just saw your comment Lynn. You would want to use the whole teff grain in this recipe rather than the flour. You could substitute whole uncooked millet for the teff.