Nut free granola has become a real win for our school lunches. If you’re navigating the never-ending school lunch cycle, you’ll know how easy it is to fall into a rut. Sandwich fillings are usually the hardest part. I love making nourishing food for my kids, but some weeks I repeat the same lunches.
I first made this granola as a weekend snack and served it with yogurt and my homemade chia seed jam. The kids loved it straight away. That’s when I realised it would work perfectly in the lunchbox. It offers great nutrition, with fibre from oats, seeds, and chia jam. The yogurt adds protein. It’s also completely nut-free, making it school-friendly.
I now pack it alongside other snacks or use it instead of sandwiches. Sometimes I include it as an extra snack option. It’s been a refreshing change for all of us. You can add dried fruit to the cooked granola if you like. My kids prefer it without, but it’s easy to adjust.
Planning ahead:
Planning ahead makes school lunches much easier for me. Each Sunday evening, I plan lunches with the kids. We talk through the week together. It reduces stress and helps them feel involved. I also notice far less food coming home uneaten.
If you haven’t already, download my free lunchbox planner. It helps keep our weeks organised and calm. Sometimes one new idea is all you need. This granola helped refresh our lunchbox routine and spark new ideas again
Why you’ll love this Nut Free Granola:
- It’s completely nut-free and school-friendly.
- It’s quick to prepare and easy to batch cook.
- It’s high in fibre from oats, seeds, and chia.
- It provides protein when served with natural yogurt.
- It helps break up repetitive lunchbox routines.
- It works well as a snack or a light lunch option.
- Kids enjoy it and actually eat it.
- It can be made ahead for busy school mornings.
- It’s easy to customise to suit your child’s tastes.
Make sure to tag @littleloucooks with your bakes and makes. I love seeing what you create and how your kids enjoy them! Looking for more inspiration for the lunchboxes? Check out my 5 easy lunchbox recipes!
Comment below with your kids’ favourite lunchbox fillers too — I’m always looking for new inspiration and ideas to add to our weekly rotation. Your suggestions really help, and I’d love to hear what your kids love most.
Nut Free Granola
Equipment
Ingredients
- 300 g oats
- 100 g sunflower seeds
- 100 g pumpkin seeds
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 75 g desiccated coconut
- 25 g chia seeds/ and or flax seed
- Wet Ingredients:
- 100 g butter
- 100 ml maple syrup or honey
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or essence
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170℃ fan.
- Prepare and line 1 large or 2 medium baking trays with parchment paper.
- Measure all the dry ingredients into a large bowl, mix.
- Add the butter and maple syrup to a bowl and melt in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir in the vanilla and pour over the oat mix. Stir to coat all the oats.
- Pour the mix onto the tray(s) and press down with the back of a spatula, make it nice and compact. Toast in the oven, checking every 10 minutes to make sure its browning not burning. If you notice the oats browning quickly turn the temperature down. It will take 30-40 minutes to toast completely. Take from the oven and leave to cool completely.
- Break up into shards, stir through dried fruit if using.
- Store in an air tight jar or container for up to 1 month.
