Simple Coconut Chia Granola

Name: Simple Coconut Chia Granola
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 cups rolled oats (not quick oats); 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour (or whole wheat, whole wheat pastry, spelt); 1/4 cup chia seeds; 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted; 1/2 cup pure maple syrup; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Ingredients

Granola typically has a ton of add-in ingredients, which I LOVE but don't always have on hand, so I wanted to create a more minimalist recipe for making granola at home. If you have extra ingredients to add in, do it! But otherwise, you'll be all set with the below:

Rolled oats - Oats will be our main ingredient for this granola. Make sure they're not quick-cooking, which are broken down further for faster cooking. We need sturdy oats!

Flour - We'll only be using a little bit. I always use white whole wheat, whole wheat, or whole wheat pastry.

Salt - An absolutely necessity for balancing out the sweetness of maple syrup!

Cinnamon - A simple but delicious flavor-add for this granola.

Chia seeds - Add a wonderful crunch. If you don't have them, feel free to omit.

Coconut oil - My favorite oil for granola.

Maple syrup - For the perfect flavor and natural sweetness.

Vanilla extract - For flavor, always!

Unsweetened coconut flakes - We'll add these in about halfway through baking so they get toasted but not burned.

Simple coconut chia granola on parchment paper lined sheet pan with coconut just added before putting back in oven to toast

How to Make It

To prep, you'll preheat your oven to 300 degrees. For granola, it's best to bake it slower at a lower heat to avoid burning any of those delicate oats, coconut flakes, or other ingredients you might add. Then, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the oats, flour, chia seeds, and salt into a bowl and stir to combine. In a separate, microwave-safe bowl, heat the coconut oil in the microwave until it melts. Then, whisk in the maple syrup and vanilla. Pour this mixture all over the oat mixture and stir to coat evenly.

Oats, flour, chia seeds, cinnamon, and salt in a clear glass bowl

Oats, flour, chia seeds, cinnamon, and salt in a clear glass bowl, stirred together

Oats, flour, chia seeds, cinnamon, and salt in a clear glass bowl, stirred together with maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla extract

Once everything is mixed together, spread the granola in an even layer across the prepared sheet pan, and bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes. Halfway through baking, sprinkle the unsweetened coconut flakes over the top and gently stir the ingredients directly on the sheet pan to combine, but no need to overdo it or get it perfectly mixed. Three or four extra gentle stirs should do the trick.

Coconut chia granola mixture before baking, spread onto sheet pan with parchment paper

After 30 minutes, the coconut should be lightly toasted with slightly browned edges. Take the granola out of the oven and let it cool completely before stirring or removing from the sheet pan. If you need to nibble, though, I completely understand 😉 Cooling the granola completely on the sheet pan is a critical step if you like those big granola clusters! You can break them up later to be more bite-sized clusters.

And that's it! That's everything you need to do to make a simple coconut chia granola for endless snacking, breakfast-ing, and even dessert-ing.

Simple coconut chia granola on parchment paper lined sheet pan

Coconut Chia Granola FAQs

How should I store my granola?

You can store fresh granola in an airtight glass container for a couple weeks on the counter or in your pantry. I love using a mason jar or a glass food storage container with a top that snaps tightly shut, locking out any air.

Is this granola gluten-free?

If you use certified gluten-free oats and a gluten free flour, then this granola will be gluten-free. You can sub the ¼ cup flour 1:1 for a gluten-free flour.

What are serving ideas for granola?

Granola is so versatile! I love it in bowls with Greek yogurt and fruit or plain while I'm hiking or on-the-go. You can also enjoy it with milk, just like cereal, or even as a delicious ice cream/dessert topping. Oh, OR make this mango turmeric ginger smoothie and top it with simple coconut chia granola... YES.

📖 Recipe