Buttery Nut-Free Brown Sugar Granola

Nut Free Granola

Finding the perfect granola can be challenging when you are looking to avoid nuts. Whether it’s a serious food allergy or a simple personal preference, it’s often easier to find something that fits your needs by making it yourself at home. When it comes to making nut-free granola, it doesn’t get much simpler than this.

Instead of relying on nuts and high amounts of sugar to obtain a satisfying crunchy texture, this recipe uses an egg white to bind the rolled oats together into dense, crunchy granola clusters. Just be sure you give it the chance to cool before you break it up! You can read more about how an egg white benefits granola in my hazelnut granola recipe, but for delicious nut-free granola, this is the recipe for you.

Combining the rich, caramel-like sweetness of brown sugar with the satisfying warmth of ground cinnamon, this granola will make your kitchen smell amazing while it bakes. Like my rolled oat granola with maple syrup (also nut-free!), it tastes great in a yogurt parfait, or serve it over warm baked fruit to make a cheater version of a fruit crisp.

What You’ll Need

This crunchy granola recipe calls for seven simple ingredients. You will need rolled oats, also called old-fashioned oats. Yes, the type of oats you use matters, and neither steel-cut nor instant will give you the right results in this recipe. You can find the exact measurements listed in the recipe card.

How to Make Buttery Nut-Free Brown Sugar Granola

• Prep your baking pan by greasing it with a thin layer of butter or lining it with a piece of parchment paper, and preheat your oven so it will be ready to bake when you are. The butter should be melted and then allowed to cool completely so that it doesn’t cook the egg whites.

Tips for Success

As with all recipes, there are always a couple of tips that make it easier to get it right the first time and every time. Here are my top two tips for making this buttery, nut-free brown sugar granola.

• Do not overbake the granola. – The granola at the edges of the pan will be slightly darker than the middle, but it should not look or smell burnt. When the granola first comes out of the oven, it will have a soft texture and fall apart easily.
• Allow the granola to cool completely in the pan. – The granola has to cool completely, undisturbed, in the pan in order for the sugar and egg whites to create the crunchy clusters. Smelling it while waiting is the hardest part of the recipe.

Serving Suggestions

One of my favorite breakfasts, this nut-free granola makes an excellent breakfast parfait. Layer it with plain Greek yogurt, a dollop of blueberry jam, and fresh raspberries and blackberries for a deliciously filling start to your day. You can also sprinkle it over ice cream or pancakes to add a bit of crunch or grab some to take with you as you go about your busy day.

How to Store and Reheat

Granola should be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature. I typically keep it in a resealable pantry container so that I can more easily pick out clusters or loose granola, depending on how I’m eating it. You can use a lidded glass jar, cereal container, or any other clean resealable container you may have on hand. The granola will keep for a couple of weeks.