Is Granola Gluten Free?  What to Look For and List of Safe Brands

Yes, granola is gluten free. It is made of naturally gluten free ingredients such as oats, nuts and dried fruits. Granola has lots of health benefits like improving your gut health, lowering cholesterol and helping in weight loss.

Granola is a quick and on the go breakfast or afternoon snack option. It’s packed with oats, healthy fats and nutrients. It is served with milk or Greek yogurt with fresh fruits. 

Is Granola Gluten Free? If you’re extremely celiac or gluten intolerant and are confused about gluten status of Granola, make sure to choose certified gluten free brands because there is risk of cross contamination.

In this article, you will answer your query “is Granola gluten free?”. We’ll also explore the difference between granola and a granola bar. We will also discuss certified gluten free granola brands and the benefits of granola.

What’s the Difference Between Granola and Granola Bar?

Granola is usually a loose mixture of toasted oats, nuts and dried fruits. As all ingredients are naturally gluten free, so granola is also gluten free and safe for people with Celiacs.

Granola bars are a mixture of toasted oats nuts and dried fruits held together with some sticky binding agent such as honey or syrup. This mixture is compressed in the form of a bar and baked. Granola Bar is also gluten free.

But stick to  certified gluten free granola bars brands because some companies used wheat as a binding agent.

Is Granola Gluten Free?

Granola is gluten free. It Is prepared with oats which are naturally gluten free. It also contains some sweeteners and oil for crispy texture when baked. Granola is a nutrient dense food perfect option for breakfast.

Some brands also use wheat as a sticking agent as well as for other health benefits.

If you’re celiac and gluten intolerant, you should always check the gluten free label on granola packaging. If the label is not present, check the ingredients list.

Can Celiacs Eat Granola?

Celiacs people require a strict gluten free diet and they can’t enjoy gluten-containing diets. Although celiacs require a careful selection of food, they can still enjoy granola.

But make sure to choose certified gluten free brands of granola as some brands even use wheat in granola and granola bars for binding and other health benefits. But certified gluten free brands of granola take extra measures to avoid any contamination and are made with purity oats protocol.

You can also prepare granola at home to gain full assurance that your granola is gluten free and totally safe for people with Celiacs.

What are the Benefits of Granola?

Granola has healthier ingredients such as oats, nuts and dried fruits. This makes granola not only gluten free but also nutrient dense food. To fully enjoy the benefits of granola make sure you choose granola with lower sugar content.

Helps in Lowering Cholesterol 

Oats are a rich source of beta-glucan. Studies show that Beta-glucan can lower LDL or bad cholesterol. Bad cholesterol clogs the blood vessels causing heart attack.

Prevent Oxidative Damage

Nuts and dried fruits present in granola are a rich source of antioxidants and vitamin E. These prevent inflammation in your body and also prevent damages that can lead to cancer.

Helps in Weight Loss

Granola is made up of oats, nuts and dried. All ingredients are high fiber foods. Foods having higher fiber keep you full for a long time. It also prevents food cravings which ultimately leads to weight Loss.

Prevent Glucose Spike

Granola has Oats, nuts and dried fruits. Oats have higher fiber. This fiber slows down the rate of digestion of sugar and carbs. Which in return slows down the spike in glucose level.

Boost Gut Health

Certain grains parent in granola which have prebiotic fibers. These fibers increase healthier probiotic bacteria. This bacteria ultimately leads to better gut health.

Granola is a complete food. So you can completely enjoy delicious granola as well as get numerous benefits.

Best Certified Gluten-Free Brands of Granola

If you’re highly sensitive to gluten, You should always prefer certified gluten free granola brands. Here are some brands that offer gluten free granola:

• Annie’s
• Bakery on Main
• Bear Naked
• Bob’s Red Mill
• Caveman Foods grain-free granola
• Flax4Life
• Gluten-Free Prairie
• Good & Gather (Target)
• LiveGfree & Simply Nature (Aldi)
• Made Good
• One Degree Organic
• Purely Elizabeth
• Safe + Fair
• The Perfect Granola
• Udi’s
• Wildway

If you’re celiac, you should always check the certified gluten free brands label on packaging of granola. If there are no labels, check its ingredient list.

Is there Granola without Oats?

If you’re celiac or gluten intolerant and oats are not your preference. Don’t worry! There are plenty of oat free granola options available. They are also gluten free and safe for people with Celiacs and gluten intolerants.

In order to maintain a crunchy texture they add gluten free rice flour. Other alternatives such as quinoa and buckwheat flour are also common these days.

How to Make Granola at Home?

Are you avoiding store-bought granola due to high gluten sensitivity? You can easily make your own safe and delicious granola at home. Here’s a step-by-step guide to make your own safe and delicious gluten free granola:

• Mix your dry ingredients as oats, sliced almonds, raw sesame seeds, raw unsweetened coconut flakes.
• Make your syrup by mixing butter, sugar, honey, salt and vanilla in a saucepan. Heat the mixture while stirring. Then remove from heat and add baking soda.
• Pour the syrup on a dry mixture. Toss well to coat all dry mixture evenly.
• Pour the mixture on a greased baking tray. Baked it for 18- 20 minutes. Keep tossing while baking.
• Allow the granola to harden by cooling down completely. Create a cluster of granola. And enjoy your healthier gluten free granola.

Your homemade gluten free granola is ready to serve now. You can serve it with milk or Greek yogurt whatever you prefer. This homemade granola is totally gluten free suitable for people with Celiacs.

Conclusion

Granola is gluten free. It is made up of oats, nuts and dried fruits. Oats are naturally gluten free.

There is a little risk of contamination,If you’re highly sensitive to gluten. You should always stick to certified gluten free brands of granola.

Granola is an excellent breakfast which is not only delicious but also a gluten free and healthy meal. You can enjoy it without being worried about celiacs.

Also Read About These Gluten Free Foods:
Gluten Free Almond, Gluten Free Tofu, Gluten Free Hummus.