Homemade Granola with No Added Sugar

This homemade granola with no added sugar is perfect for families trying to reduce refined sugar, want a healthy snack or breakfast, and are gluten free. Packed with raw nuts and seeds, naturally sweetened with honey, this granola will have the whole family wanting more.

This recipe was featured in the Summer 2025 issue of Edible Sea to Sky Magazine!

Nutritional benefits of this granola recipe

This recipe is a blend of raw nuts and seeds that have not been roasted or salted. You will be seasoning them yourself and lightly baking to retain the nutritional benefits. Here’s what is in this granola recipe and what benefits you can expect:

Raw almonds are high in fibre, healthy fat, magnesium, vitamin E, B2, and potassium, making them beneficial for cardiovascular health

Raw pecans are rich in an array of vitamins and minerals that benefit skin, heart, nerves, eyes and bones. Pecans are rich in potassium and magnesium, which can lower blood pressure

Raw pumpkin seeds are high in omega 3 fatty acids and zinc. Historically, pumpkin seeds were used not only as a food but also as medicine to treat kidney stones, bladder infections, and to regulate blood sugar

Raw sunflower seeds are an excellent source of plant-based protein. They are seeds that contain one of the highest amounts of protective antioxidants, like vitamin E, flavonoids and polyunsaturated fatty acids which can be cancer-fighting

Sea salt, made from evaporated sea water, balances electrolytes and blood pressure

Cinnamon is a multifaceted medicinal plant with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and anticancer compounds

Coconut oil is the edible oil made from the meat of the coconut fruit and is an excellent source of plant-based fats

Honey is a natural sweetener that we like to use in place of refined sugar. It has the additional benefits of being antibacterial, immune-boosting, and fat-free.

Dates are naturally sweet, give this granola recipe a bit of chew, and provide trace amounts of copper, manganese, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin B6

How to make this sticky, crunchy granola

Preheat the oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

I used whole nuts and seeds. For smaller pieces, put them in a food processor and chop them until you get the size you like. If you don’t have a food processor, spread the nuts and seeds on a cutting board and use a Chef’s knife to finely chop them up. Add the nuts to a large mixing bowl

Melt coconut oil and pour it over the nuts, along with honey, sea salt and cinnamon

Pit the dates and chop them up into tiny pieces and stir them into the mix

Mix everything together really well and spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer

Bake for 10 minutes then remove from the oven. Give the mixture a light stir, then bake for another 8 minutes or until the nuts are just starting to brown

Remove the tray of granola from the oven and let the mixture completely cool before breaking it up into chunks with your hands. I let mine cool for a couple of hours as it gets crunchier the longer you wait

Transfer the cooled granola to a glass jar with a lid and store it at room temperature for up to a week. Serve it with yogurt or enjoy on it’s own