Do you know how dangerous it is to have freshly baked granola sitting on the counter during a long winter evening? And by dangerous, I mean it totally feels healthy enough (vegan, oil-free, buckwheat!) to keep picking away at all night long. You can be sure we did. Each time one of us left the kitchen with a couple clusters in hand, we’d say, “OK, this is the last piece of the night!” only to be tempted back into the kitchen during the next commercial break.
This granola stands apart from the crowd with its lightly sweet, oil-free clusters of crunchy cinnamon-coated buckwheat and sunflower seeds. There isn’t an oat in sight, but we hardly noticed or even cared. For those of you who were pleading for a recipe using almond pulp, you’ll be happy to know that I threw my leftover almond pulp into this batch and it blended seamlessly. I’m sure it also works just fine without it though.
Added on top of a Green Monster for breakfast, I couldn’t take those pictures fast enough! Snap, snap, slurp, slurp.
Blissful Buckwheat Granola Clusters
Vegan, Gluten-free, Oil-free. For nut-free version leave out the almond pulp.
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Yield: about 12 servings or roughly 4.5-5 cups
Dry ingredients:
- 1.5 cups raw buckwheat groats (not Kasha)
- Leftover almond pulp (I had about 1/2 cup or so)*
- 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar (or other granulated sugar of choice)
Wet ingredients:
- 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 cup coconut nectar syrup (see below for other options)
- 3 tbsp sunflower seed butter (or almond or peanut butter)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 300F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. If using almond pulp, it will remain a bit chunky, but not to worry.
3. In a smaller bowl, mix the wet ingredients until combined. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and stir until the dry ingredients are thoroughly coated and wet.
4. Spread granola onto baking sheet in a uniform layer. Bake at 300F for 20 minutes, roughly flip granola, and bake for another 18-20 minutes, watching closely so it doesn’t burn. Granola will be lightly golden on the bottom and will harden a lot during the cooling process.
5. Cool completely on the pan and then store in a glass container on the counter for up to 3-4 weeks (just an estimate).
Notes: 1) I assume this recipe also works without the almond pulp, so if you don’t have any still give it a shot. 2) If you don’t have coconut nectar, feel free to use brown rice syrup. Honey would work too if that’s part of your diet. These sticky sweeteners help the granola clump together. You can also use maple syrup or agave, but I don’t think the clusters would hold together as much.
For nutritional info, see here.
PS- If you are looking for an oil-free oat-based granola, check out my Lightened Up Summer Granola. It’s probably the most popular granola recipe on the site.
Happy crunching!
I just made this using wheat germ instead of almond pulp and it turned out Ah-mazing!! I shouldn’t have made it when hungry, now I can’t keep my paws off it. Thanks for a great, healthy recipe :)
I Love that you have added nutritional info. Yay! It’s the ONLY thing I think would improve your recipes. I love every single thing I have made from your blog. You are amazing!
Just finishing up a batch of this right now – mine didn’t stay in nice clumps though, there are many little crumbly bits, delicious but not grab by the handful eat-able… maybe because I used homemade sunflower seed butter? Or honey instead of coconut nectar? I’m not sure but it’s still delicious! Thanks for the recipe :)
Yum looks delicious! Where do you purchase the raw buckwheat from? Oh and do you know of a good and cheap source to purchase oats (I live in Milton, ON)?
Thanks for sharing this recipe! It’s calling for me to put on top of a frozen banana “ice cream”, anyone else? haha
Just made this and it turned out great! I soaked the buckwheat for about 30 minutes and used agave. The pieces stuck together perfectly. Even my super-picky, omnivorous, teenage son liked it. Thank you :)
Yummm! Angela! This sounds so good!!
Hi Angela,
Could I make this with oats? I want my 3 year old to eat it and he may not try it if he does not recognize the buckwheat groats…and I could send it to his nut-free school!
Hey Tracy, I’m sure it would work fine – just add the oats gradually to make sure it doesn’t dry out (I’m not sure how much you’d have to use) Let me know how it goes!
So I made it with 1 1/4 cups of oats and threw in an 1/8 cup of raw quinoa because I had it and baked it for the same amount of time and it worked perfectly. And…I sent it to school today. Thanks for the recipe.
This looks awesome! I love how you incorporated the buckwheat!
These look amazing! What a perfect healthy breakfast option.
I have a bag of unused buckwheat and now I know exactly what to do with it!
Just made this and it’s great! First experience with buckwheat and I’m glad it came out so well. Used substitutions: regular cane sugar, brown rice syrup, almond butter, almond slivers. Delish!
I know just what you mean about the temptation of fresh, fragrant granola! It’s even more tempting in the dehydrator because the smell is wafting through the whole house for a whole day. I usually put mine on a green smoothie as well. Nothing better!
Good call on the sunflower seed butter – this was super yummy. Will need to make a second batch soon!
Really original granola recipe! I tried it and it tastes great. I switched the almond meal with 1/4 cup of crushed almonds and it works perfectly. Plus, it’s gluten free! Thanks for this recipe.
i just tried it but the buckwheat kernerls didnt puff up and they are really hard to eat, just as raw and uncooked. i dunno, is it supposed to be like that? im afraid to break a tooth with that granola
Yes they are supposed to be very crunchy! :)
Did you know that this recipe is featured on thekitchn.com today???
I need to try this ASAP
First time cooking with buckwheat groats and this passed the taste test! Very unique flavors. Brought some to work and my co-workers loved it.
This just came out of the oven and it is so so good! I can’t wait to top my smoothie with it tomorrow. Thanks for a FANTASTIC recipe!
This was great! Made it the day you posted it. I used rapadura sugar (quarter cup) and a mix of yacon syrup and maple syrup and added linseed and vanilla instead of cinnamon. So goodesp since my tummy doesn’t like oat granola!
This is really good! Made these using agave sirup and it worked fine. I also added a bit of cardamom to the mix and since I did not have enough buckwheat I added a bit of quinoa. It smells fantastic in the house!
I substituted wheat germ for the almond pulp and it turned out great!
I made these last Thursday. I actually made two batches, one with peanut butter the other with almond (I liked the almond butter one best). I made the mistake of taking in the peanut batch into work with me to share a new granola with my co-workers. There wasn’t a single crumb left. The bag traveled around my office so fast there was no amount of running I could do to keep up with it. Huge hit! Thanks for the recipe.
This looks great but I have is toasted buckwheat…will that not work in this recipe?
The flavour will be very different so I wouldn’t recommend it unless you love kasha (which I’m not a big fan of)
I am on my third batch of this granola, very good! I mixed it up a little with the ingredients I had on hand. First time I used raw buckwheat groats, but my local health food mart only carries kasha, so I’ve used that the past 2 times. I have to bake it for a lot less time or else it will burn. I also included oats the third time in addition, and it is great. Subs were peanut butter, honey (and some leftover corn syrup–gasp), coconut, almonds, and chopped brazil nuts.
I have my first batch in the oven now. It smells so good. I know we’ll love it. I have a thought for the next time I make it—- I may mix the almond pulp in with the wet ingredients, to get it more evenly dispersed. What do you think? Yes – I made almond milk earlier in the evening. thanks for your wonderful recipes, discussion and photos, Angela! I’m a frequent visitor.
Hi Angela,
I just wanted to leave a note and let you know how OUTSTANDING this recipe is/has been – I believe I’m on my tenth time of making it and without fail it’s always better than I seem to remember!! I have been following your blog for some time and have produced a multiple of your recipes (they have also all been made multiple times), and I must echo the sentiments of many who have commented above me that you are a genius. Thank you for consistently sharing innovative, tasty, and swoon worthy recipes. You are an inspiration to many of us and I cannot wait to continue to follow your journey.
Thanks a million,
Steph
Hi Steph, Thank you so much for your lovely words! That means a lot to me. SO glad you love the granola! :)
I just gave your granola a try and it turnd out beautiful.
The smell is amazing and it is so crunchy and nutty… love it,
Thank you for sharing the recipe and keep up the good work.
Your blog is oh so lovely.
Nova
Mmm…had to try this, and it DID work with maple syrup! I even had a go at turning it into quinoa granola! http://itcomesnaturallyblog.wordpress.com/2013/06/05/quinoa-granola Bliss!
Just wondering — is there a specific reason to not use kasha? Is it because of its nutritional properties or rather that the actually texture of the buckwheat when roasted won’t work well in the recipe? Thanks! :)
Hi Natasha, I use raw buckwheat groats because I like the taste better (kasha is toasted and has a strong flavour) – that being said Im not really sure how much of a difference it would make in this recipe given that it’s toasted anyway! Let me know if you try it out.
i just made this with hazelnut pulp (FINALLY got a vitamix and made amazing vanilla cinnamon hazelnut milk – also delicious!) and oh man…this is not going to last long :)
Hi
I am vegan and take many recipes from your site. I live in Waterloo and uanble to find raw buckwheat. I find Kasha every where I go. Can you tell me which Canadian site sells this product so that i can buy it.
i appreciate.
Thanks
Shazia
I buy mine here: http://www.upayanaturals.com/Buckwheat_Groats_Sold_in_various_quantities_Raw_p/upa-0666.htm
or at whole foods
hope this helps!
This is amazing! I have pcos and gallstones so I’m trying to eat better. Your recipes make it so easy, keep up the great work!
I wasn’t sure what to expect but I just made this recipe and it is sooooo delicious and addictive. I had to make substitutions as it was a spontaneous event and I didn’t want to go to the store but turned out great anyways. I used peanut butter, brown sugar and maple syrup as I had those in my cupboard. Also the first time I used buckwheat in a recipe! This granola texture reminds me of sesame seed bars you used to get on airplanes but way better!
Thanks Angie for another great recipe!
I almost never post comments after having made recipes and I try out a lot of different recipes. But, I made this last night and it was amazing! Seriously, what a great, fabulous snack!! Thanks for sharing.
So glad you enjoyed it Danica! Thanks for letting me know :)
This is really good. I used almond butter, maple sugar and brown rice syrup. I wanted a more vanilla taste since I like french vanilla granola, but I don’t miss the strong vanilla taste (which is not as intense in my experience in homemade things) in this.
Firstly, I reference your recipes daily! Thank you! I can always find something wonderful ;)
I made your Blissful buckwheat granola clusters with minor variations due to items lacking in my pantry. I used cashew butter, brown rice syrup and added a couple handfuls of cashews. Absolutely wonderful! I broke it all into bite size clusters and stored it in a glass jar but the next morning, its all stuck. . .It’s absolutely worth chiseling out but wanted to know if your finished product sticks. Thanks again for all the great recipes :0)
These are amazing! I just made them yesterday and am absolutely addicted! I didn’t have any almond pulp on hand so I just left it out and also added flax seeds which is great for a boost of omegas. I had coconut nectar for a few weeks and couldn’t find a use for it until now! I’ll be making this again for sure :)
These are currently baking up in my oven for a lovely Sunday breakfast, and my house smells like Cinna-bons. Drool. I cannot wait to plunge into a bowl of these with ice cold hemp milk. Thank you for yet another thoughtful, mouth-watering recipe.
Also- I make my own almond milk every week and would love, love, love to see another almond pulp recipe without requiring a dehydrator. I currently have unbelievable stores of pulp sitting in my freezer.
I’ve made this twice now and it’s delicious!
Hola! I’ve been reading your website for a while now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from Porter Tx!
Just wanted to mention keep up the great job!
Hi there,
I’m really looking forward to making this but just need to stock up on ingredients.
Just wondering if you can use coconut palm sugar??
Thanks x
Yes coconut palm sugar and hazelnut butter will work ok. But I would not sub the coconut nectar syrup for the palm sugar as it will throw off the dry/wet ratio. Hope this helps!
Oh and also, would hazelnut butter be okay?
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Delicious with almond milk and or yogurt and banana. FYI – Substituting 1 tsp of cacao for 1 of the 2 tsp of cinnamon likens this to a crunchy healthy count chocula. It wasn’t what I was aiming for…it just happened! :)
Just made this to use up some nut pulp (mixed nuts). I followed the recipe to the letter, and it worked well. The only comments I want to make is that it is very hard to flip a whole pan of half baked granola. I broke mine to flip it, then pressed on it to ensure an even layer
Another thing is that it is very sweet for my taste, although I’m sure the husband and kids will love it that way. Might try to reduce or even omit the coconut sugar next time, the honey and applesauce should be enough to sweeten it
Anyway, I’ll still eat it :-)
These clusters are delightful! I cut the coconut sugar by half and replaced the apple sauce with mashed sweet potato. The scent that fills the kitchen is intoxicating. Cinnamon is my favorite spice, that’s probably why.
Great way to use up the leftover pulp!! I have so much in my freezer!
Instead of the coconut syrup etc how about mashed, ripe banana? Or more apple sauce might even work?
Could someone tell me in grams how much does the total (4,5-5 cups) weight. Please it’s to estimate the nutritional value of each serving. Thank you so much