Batch Up Meals Breakfast Ideas Real Food 101 Real Food Tips school lunches Snack Ideas

No Cook Paleo Granola :: 10 Minute Prep, Grain Free, & Protein Rich!

March 24, 2017

This 10 minute prep, no cook, paleo granola is a little  bit sweet, a little bit salty, a fun crispy crunch, and big time kid approved!

No Cook Paleo Granola :: 10 Minute Prep, Grain Free, & Protein Rich!Product links in this post are affiliate links. It does not cost you anything and helps maintain the free information on this site, as well as answer the questions of “what brand do you use?” Please know I never personally recommend any product I wouldn’t use on my own family.

They sure do give you a run for your money, don’t they?!

You know…toddlers! While I’m nearing the end of a 7 year stint of having at least 1 toddler in the house, these little 1-3 year old people still have a way of completely throwing my day off with their “fascinating” requests, utter disregard for the concept of time, and sudden obsessions.

No Cook Paleo Granola :: 10 Minute Prep, Grain Free, & Protein Rich!Which has everything to do with no cook, paleo granola, right?

Well of course it does! Because when the 3 year old has it in her mind that she just *has* to have yogurt and granola one afternoon, momma is out of the said granola, and there have been more than enough battles chosen for this particular day…you figure out a way to make some sort of granola pronto.

I initially had the thought of just crumbling up some crispy nuts  from the pantry, sprinkling a bit of coconut flake,  and drizzling a bit of raw honey…but then I had an idea!

No Cook Paleo Granola :: 10 Minute Prep, Grain Free, & Protein Rich!All of the granola components without the cook time!

What if I did a quick “crumble” in the food processor (pulse!) of these components to make it really look like a granola mixture?! I decided to use dried fruit instead of the honey just in case it really did work and I wanted to easily store it away in a container. Bingo! After a few attempts at getting the right combo of dried fruit to nuts/seeds/coconut, we definitely had a winner…but did the toddler buy it???

No Cook Paleo Granola :: 10 Minute Prep, Grain Free, & Protein Rich!She was all over it!

The dates provided the perfect, mild sweetness for a little one – and my taste buds are quite trained now so I don’t need things super sweet anymore. You can always add a drizzle of honey to the bowl if you need! She enjoyed her bowl of yogurt with fresh granola, and anyone with a toddler in the in their care knows that I am not exaggerating when I say the day was saved!

No Cook Paleo Granola :: 10 Minute Prep, Grain Free, & Protein Rich!Notes about ingredients, swaps, and nutrients!

  • I used dates as the “sweet” for this granola. Dates are a fantastic source of essential minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc, that we all need on a daily basis. I like the fiber component of using real fruit for sweetening things for little guys too! You could swap the dates for another dried fruit (like raisins or dried blueberries) to provide the “sticky” to hold the bits of granola together.
  • I really think that any nut and/or seed combo would work for this granola. My biggest suggestion would be to change things up every time you make it! Different nuts and seeds have different nutritional benefits – take advantage of the variety. I do like the ingredient profiles of chia and flax and have tended to keep those in the mix each time. Chia seed and flax seed are a good source of omega 3 fatty acids, which most of us could use more of! They are also a good source of protein and fiber.
  • I have also liked to pull out some of the nuts and use more coconut shreds. Coconut shreds have protein and fiber as well as iron and zinc! We aren’t huge coconut flavor fanatics here, but I like the texture and the dates cover up the coconut flavor! I understand that coconut has become problematic as an allergen for some with leaky gut going on. If that is the case, simply leave the coconut out and swap for another seed or nut.
  • If you are nut free, you can swap the nuts for pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, and/or more coconut shreds!

No Cook Paleo Granola :: 10 Minute Prep, Grain Free, & Protein Rich!Serving suggestions for everyone!

We have a bit of a split home as far as who tolerates dairy and who doesn’t, so I have a lot of serving ideas for you!

No Cook Paleo Granola :: 10 Minute Prep, Grain Free, & Protein Rich!

Print Recipe
5 from 11 votes

No Cook Paleo Granola

This 10 minute prep, no cook, paleo granola is a little bit sweet, a little bit salty, a fun crispy crunch, and big time kid approved!
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: no cook granola recipe, no cook Paleo granola, Paleo granola recipe
Servings: 10 servings
Author: Renee - www.raisinggenerationnourished.com

Ingredients

  • 10-12 dates pitted and chopped (I think a couple cups of other dried fruit like raisins would work here, and probably wouldn't need the initial chopping!
  • 1 cup walnuts I like to use soaked/dehyrated nuts for best digestion
  • 1 cup pecans I like to use soaked/dehyrated nuts for best digestion
  • 1/2 cup chia seed
  • 1/2 cup flax seed meal
  • 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/4 - 1/2 tsp sea salt leave out if your nuts were salted
  • {I get all of our nuts and seeds as well as dates from Costco. I purchase coconut shreds in bulk at our local health food store.}

Instructions

  • Put everything into the food processor. Mix with a spoon to combine everything evenly first.
  • Pulse to combine into the texture you like (I have left the chunks bigger than what is pictured in this post as well and that is my favorite - my toddler prefers it smaller like what is pictured). Store the granola in an airtight container in the pantry up to 3 months.

More real food recipes you might like ::

No Cook Paleo Granola :: 10 Minute Prep, Grain Free, & Protein Rich!

You Might Also Like

38 Comments

  • Reply Emily @ Recipes to Nourish March 24, 2017 at 3:17 pm

    5 stars
    Oh yum! I want some!!! I love homemade granola. Love how you came up with this recipe … and the sweet photo of her. So precious, our babies are growing up too fast! I’m sure your sweet pea devoured this after you were done taking the photos.

  • Reply Jessica DeMay March 26, 2017 at 7:30 pm

    This is so smart, Renee! Full of healthy fats and naturally sweetened- I would feel good about giving this to my girl. I love that it’s no bake and it looks so delicious!

  • Reply Megan Stevens March 26, 2017 at 8:39 pm

    My kids would definitely LOVE this! Such a good idea!

  • Reply Kelly Smith March 27, 2017 at 1:10 pm

    5 stars
    This looks so delicious! Such a great idea! Thank you for sharing!

  • Reply Anya March 27, 2017 at 4:43 pm

    5 stars
    Such a smart mama, you are Renee. That girlie is so darling – anything for those precious cheeks. 🙂

  • Reply Donna March 28, 2017 at 12:18 pm

    Such a great idea, I love anything simple and easy! Thanks for sharing xx

  • Reply Katja March 28, 2017 at 12:34 pm

    My kids are going to love this. Can’t wait to mAKE IT!

  • Reply Allison Wojtowecz March 28, 2017 at 4:44 pm

    5 stars
    This is genius! Never would have thought to use dates as the way to “skip” the baking part of granola. This stuff is too tempting now!

  • Reply Irena Macri March 28, 2017 at 5:36 pm

    You are SUCh a super mum! This is how the best recipes are born. It’s also dangerous to know I could whizz up granola whenever I want it. This sounds so good, perfectly sweet and perfectly healthy. Love that your biggest tip is to switch it up each time. Keeps it fun. Well done!

  • Reply Michele Spring March 28, 2017 at 6:28 pm

    Oh you are one smart lady! No cook? Genius! We are definitely going to be trying this soon.

  • Reply Amy March 28, 2017 at 8:43 pm

    Looks perfect for my littles!!!! Can’t wait to try 🙂

  • Reply Stacey Crawford March 28, 2017 at 9:40 pm

    5 stars
    No cook & short prep time, I’m sold! It is always chaos here! Love the cutie pie in her sassy pink beach outfit!

  • Reply Georgina Young March 29, 2017 at 9:53 am

    Love your little munchkin she’s so cute! And can I just say – thank you for putting flax in your granola that’s such a good addition. Nothing better than the smell of grain free granola coming out of the oven <3

  • Reply Kari Peters March 31, 2017 at 4:31 pm

    5 stars
    It’s so awesome how you made up this recipe, so creative, although there’s nothing like an impending meltdown to get the creative juices flowing! 🙂 I just got into making raw granola myself to save some time, but I didn’t come up with it like you did, I saw it in a book (made with oats) and knew it would be an awesome way to save time.

  • Reply Carrie Forrest April 1, 2017 at 6:53 pm

    5 stars
    This looks amazing. Thanks for sharing!

  • Reply Hannah Healy April 1, 2017 at 6:57 pm

    What an amazing way to start the day. So simple and colorful too!

  • Reply Kelly Bejelly April 1, 2017 at 7:12 pm

    I absolutely love this idea and that your little one had to have granola. It is usually in those moments where pure levels of genius is born.

  • Reply Cristina Curp April 2, 2017 at 2:37 pm

    what what?!?! your paleo granola, my paleo yogurt…. match made in heaven!!!

  • Reply Mark April 2, 2017 at 2:43 pm

    5 stars
    I love that – “Did the toddler buy it?” …. also very happy for your sake that she totally did! Looks awesome Renee, have officially just made me hungry and this is exactly what I feel like!

  • Reply ChihYu April 2, 2017 at 3:26 pm

    5 stars
    I love paleo granola especially with a bowl of cold coconut and almond milk ! So lovely and refreshing. I can’t wait to try this recipe !

  • Reply Vanessa Woozley April 2, 2017 at 3:41 pm

    5 stars
    Love how we cater for our children’s food demands! I’ve never made granola, it always seemed such a fuss but I’m happy to see it’s not with this one, I can definitely find time to make this..

  • Reply Becky Winkler April 2, 2017 at 3:59 pm

    Haha, what a great and creative idea! Love the story behind it.

  • Reply Holley April 2, 2017 at 7:04 pm

    Looks fantastic, and way to think outside the box under pressure!

  • Reply Real Food with Dana April 3, 2017 at 10:42 am

    Ohh love the sweet and salty combo here!

  • Reply Rachel April 3, 2017 at 9:49 pm

    5 stars
    Love the sweet little “pick your battles” impetus for this recipe. P.S. This is REALLY making me want a food processor again!

  • Leave a Reply

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.