This copycat Purely Elizabeth granola is my answer to a bag I used to buy on repeat and can’t find the same way anymore. The Original sweet and salty flavor, with its coconut sugar, sea salt and little puffed amaranth seeds, was the granola I reached for straight out of the pantry, but ever since news of the brand’s sale it’s seemed different, plus Costco stopped carrying it.
I worked from the ingredient label itself, since ingredients are listed in order from most to least by weight, and balanced the amounts until they lined up with the nutrition panel: rolled oats, coconut sugar, coconut oil, sunflower seeds, puffed amaranth, quinoa flakes, chia, cinnamon and sea salt. A spoonful of light maple syrup joined the coconut sugar because I liked the rounder flavor it gave, and a splash of hot water turns the sugar into the glossy syrup that holds every cluster together.
The finished granola bakes in one loose layer on a half sheet pan with no flipping, and it breaks into big, crunchy clusters once it cools. It needs no special starter or overnight step, it can easily be made gluten free, and my kids loved it from the first batch. If you keep a sourdough starter, I also have a separate post for a sourdough discard copycat Purely Elizabeth granola made with the same ingredients.
Table of Contents
- Why You Will Love This Copycat Granola
- What You Need
- How the Syrup Builds Big Clusters
- How I Tested This Recipe
- How to Make Copycat Purely Elizabeth Granola
- How to Make It Gluten Free
- Storing and Serving
- Sourdough Discard Version
- Shop This Recipe
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Recipe
- More Recipes to Try
- Subscribe for Free
Why You Will Love This Copycat Granola
If you miss the way the Original bag used to taste, this is the granola I would hand you first, and here is what makes it worth making instead of buying.
- It follows the original label. The ingredients come straight from the Purely Elizabeth Original bag, and the amounts were balanced against its nutrition panel, so the sweet and salty balance tastes familiar from the first bite.
- The clusters are big and thick. A loose, unpressed layer bakes into chunky clusters instead of thin, flat sheets.
- There is no flipping or stirring. You spread it, bake it, and leave it alone, which is exactly what keeps the clusters whole.
- It can be gluten free. There is no flour in this recipe, so certified gluten free oats make the whole batch gluten free.
- No nuts. The texture comes from sunflower seeds, chia and puffed amaranth, so there is nothing nutty in it at all.
- One batch fills a big jar. A single half sheet pan gives you about 620 grams of granola.
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What You Need
Almost everything in this granola comes off the original ingredient list, and each one has a specific job, which is why I would keep every one of them. You will find the exact amounts in the recipe card.
- Old fashioned rolled oats are the backbone, and their wide, flat flakes stack together into thick clusters in a way that quick oats can’t.
- Coconut sugar is the main sweetener on the original label and gives the granola its deep caramel flavor and warm color.
- Light maple syrup is my one addition to the label, used in a small amount so it rounds out the coconut sugar without tasting like maple.
- Hot water dissolves the coconut sugar, which is what turns it into glue instead of loose grains.
- Virgin coconut oil brings the soft coconut note of the original and firms up as the granola cools, which helps the clusters snap.
- Sunflower seeds add crunch, and I keep them in check because too many take over the flavor. I use Go Raw sprouted sunflower seeds with sea salt, and because those seeds are already salted, add a pinch more salt to the syrup if yours are unsalted.
- Puffed amaranth is the ingredient that makes this taste and look like the bag. Tiny popped amaranth seeds, like Urban Platter Puffed Amaranth, stay truest to the label, while larger amaranth balls like HerbaZest Amaranth Pop are easier to find, and the recipe card gives the right weight for each. My kids loved both.
- Quinoa flakes soak up the syrup and fill the gaps between the oats so the clusters hold together. I use Suncore organic snow quinoa flakes.
- Chia seeds, cinnamon and fine sea salt finish it off, and the salt is what makes this taste sweet and salty rather than just sweet.
Tiny puffed amaranth seeds are so light that 30 grams fills 1 1/2 cups when you measure by volume, which looks like far too much until you see it disappear into the oats, while the 36 grams of amaranth pop balls the recipe calls for is closer to 3/4 cup. Because the two measure so differently, a kitchen scale is the easiest way to get it right.
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How the Syrup Builds Big Clusters
Granola clusters hold together because sugar that has fully dissolved dries into a hard, glassy coating around the oats, and loose sugar crystals can’t do that job. That is why this recipe warms the coconut sugar with a little hot water and the maple syrup until it turns glossy before the coconut oil ever goes in.
The coconut oil and cinnamon get stirred in off the heat, where the oil melts into the syrup and the cinnamon warms up in the fat. Because there is no flour in this version, there is nothing that can turn gluey in the heat, so the syrup goes over the oats while it is still warm, which helps it spread evenly before it starts to set.
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How I Tested This Recipe
I baked this granola in rounds, alongside my sourdough discard version, and each batch changed something about the final recipe.
My very first batch was this classic version, and I pressed it hard into a thin layer about 1/4 inch thick, baked it low, flipped it, and baked the second side. Every oat came out glossy and evenly coated and the slab snapped cleanly, so the syrup was working, but it was far too thin to look like the fat clusters in the bag.
From there I went thicker, cut the sunflower seeds back after they tasted too strong, and added more quinoa flakes, which brought the texture closest to the original. The biggest change came when I stopped pressing altogether: spreading the coated granola loosely across a full half sheet pan and skipping the flip gave me the crunchiest clusters of all, and it was easier too, so that is the method in the recipe card.
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How to Make Copycat Purely Elizabeth Granola
The method is short, and the details below are the reasons behind each step, while the recipe card has every amount, temperature and time.
Make the syrup. Warm the coconut sugar, maple syrup, hot water and salt over low heat until the sugar mostly dissolves and the syrup looks glossy, keeping it below a simmer so it doesn’t start to caramelize. Then take it off the heat and stir in the coconut oil and cinnamon.
Coat everything right away. Pour the warm syrup over the oats, seeds, quinoa flakes, chia and amaranth and keep stirring. It looks too dry for the first minute or so, but adding more liquid only keeps the granola from crisping, and with a little patience the syrup coats every oat.
Spread it loosely. Tip the mixture onto a parchment lined half sheet pan and spread it with your fingertips into one even layer, filling in any holes without pressing it down. Leaving air in the layer is what gives you thick, crisp clusters instead of a dense slab.
Bake it low and leave it alone. A low oven dries the granola slowly so the middle crisps as much as the edges, and skipping the stirring and flipping keeps the clusters whole. Mine takes about an hour and 45 minutes, but ovens vary, so start checking early and look for a top that is dry and golden. There is no need to press it down at any point.
Let it cool on the pan. The granola feels soft when it first comes out, and it turns crisp as the sugar and coconut oil set, so let it cool completely before you break it into chunks.
How to Make It Gluten Free
Purely Elizabeth sells its granola as gluten free, and this copycat can be too, since the recipe has no flour at all. The one ingredient to watch is the oats, because regular oats are often grown and processed alongside wheat, so buy oats that are labeled certified gluten free.
It is also worth checking the labels on your quinoa flakes and puffed amaranth, since some brands are packed in facilities that handle wheat. With those swaps in place, you get the same sweet and salty clusters with nothing to worry about.
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Storing and Serving
Once the granola is completely cool, keep it in an airtight jar at room temperature, where it stays crunchy for about two weeks. Sealing it while it is still warm traps moisture in the jar, which is the fastest way to end up with soft clusters.
If a humid day softens it, a few minutes in a low oven brings the crunch back once it cools again, and for longer storage it freezes well for up to three months. My favorite way to eat it is piled over Greek yogurt with sliced strawberries, but it is just as good in a bowl of cold milk, over a smoothie bowl, or sprinkled on my homemade vanilla bean ice cream.
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Sourdough Discard Version
If you keep a sourdough starter, there is a version of this granola made for your discard, and it has its own post and recipe card: my sourdough discard copycat Purely Elizabeth granola.
In that version, the water in the discard takes the place of the hot water here, and the flour in the discard adds a little extra binding. If you don’t have a starter yet and want to try it, my guide to creating a minimal waste sourdough starter walks you through it.
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Shop This Recipe
These are the products I used while testing this granola. Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, and it helps support the blog so I can keep sharing recipes.
- Urban Platter Puffed Amaranth: The tiny popped amaranth seeds that keep this closest to the original label.
- HerbaZest Amaranth Pop: The larger amaranth balls I tested as an easier to find option.
- Suncore Foods Organic Snow Quinoa Flakes: They soak up the syrup and help bind the clusters.
- Parachute Naturalz Virgin Coconut Oil: For the light coconut flavor of the original.
- Go Raw Simply Sprouted Sunflower Seeds with Sea Salt: My sunflower seeds of choice, with a little extra salt built in.
- Certified Gluten Free Rolled Oats: For a fully gluten free batch.
- USA Pan Half Sheet Pan: One batch fills it in a single loose layer.
- Digital Kitchen Scale: The easiest way to measure the light puffed amaranth.
- Glass Storage Jar: The airtight jar I keep my granola in, which keeps the clusters crunchy.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the answers to the questions I expect most about this copycat granola, and the recipe card has the full amounts and times.
How close is this to Purely Elizabeth Original granola?
Very close, because it is built from the Original ingredient label and balanced against its nutrition panel. The only additions are a small amount of maple syrup for flavor and a splash of hot water to dissolve the coconut sugar.
Is this copycat granola gluten free?
It can be, because there is no flour in the recipe. Use oats labeled certified gluten free and check that your quinoa flakes and puffed amaranth are made without wheat cross contact.
Why is there hot water in granola?
The hot water dissolves the coconut sugar into a syrup, and dissolved sugar is what dries into the glassy coating that holds the clusters together. Undissolved sugar just bakes into loose, sandy grains.
The mixture looks dry, so should I add more liquid?
Please don’t, because it always looks dry for the first minute of stirring. Keep mixing and the syrup works its way through, while extra liquid makes the granola softer.
Why didn’t my granola form big clusters?
The usual culprits are stirring it in the oven, pressing it too thin, or breaking it up before it cooled. Spread it in a loose, even layer, leave it alone while it bakes, and let it cool completely on the pan.
Why is my granola chewy?
It most likely needed a little more time, since every oven bakes differently, or it went into a jar before it had cooled. Bake until the top is dry and golden and let it cool all the way before you store it.
Where can I find puffed amaranth?
I buy mine online. Look for tiny popped amaranth seeds to match the original, or amaranth pop balls if those are easier to find, and use the weight the recipe card gives for the kind you have.
Can I use quick oats instead of rolled oats?
I recommend old fashioned rolled oats, because quick oats are cut smaller and bake into a denser, crumblier granola without the big clusters.
Can I add dried fruit?
Yes, but stir it in after the granola has baked and cooled so it doesn’t dry out or scorch in the oven. I keep this recipe nut free.
Can I make this with sourdough discard?
Yes, and that version has its own post. My sourdough discard copycat Purely Elizabeth granola uses discard in place of the hot water.
How long does homemade granola keep?
About two weeks in an airtight container at room temperature, or up to three months in the freezer.
Recipe
Copycat Purely Elizabeth Granola (Sweet and Salty)
Equipment
- Digital Kitchen Scale
- Half sheet pan
- Parchment paper
- Large mixing bowl
- Small saucepan
- Silicone spatula
Ingredients
Dry Mix
- 300 g old fashioned rolled oats 3 cups + 6 tbsp
- 36 g sunflower seeds 1/4 cup
- 45 g quinoa flakes 1/4 cup + 3 1/2 tbsp
- 18 g chia seeds 2 tbsp
- 30 g tiny puffed amaranth seeds 1 1/2 cups + 2 1/2 tsp, or 36 g amaranth pop balls (3/4 cup + 1 tbsp)
Syrup
- 114 g coconut sugar for the syrup (3/4 cup)
- 60 g light or mild maple syrup for the syrup (3 tbsp)
- 36 g hot water for the syrup (2 tbsp + 1 1/4 tsp)
- 7 g fine sea salt for the syrup (1 1/8 tsp)
- 75 g virgin coconut oil stirred into the syrup off the heat (1/3 cup + 1/2 tsp)
- 5-6 g ground cinnamon stirred into the syrup off the heat (2-2 1/2 tsp)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 250°F and line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, stir together the oats, sunflower seeds, quinoa flakes, chia seeds and puffed amaranth.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the coconut sugar, maple syrup, hot water and salt, stirring until the sugar mostly dissolves and the syrup looks glossy. Keep it below a simmer.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in the coconut oil and cinnamon until melted and smooth.
- Pour the warm syrup over the dry mix right away and stir until every oat is evenly coated. It will look too dry at first, but keep mixing and the syrup will work its way through. Do not add extra liquid.
- Tip the mixture onto the lined pan and use your fingertips to spread it into an even layer covering the whole pan. Do not press it down or squeeze it into clumps; just fill in any holes so it bakes as one loose layer.
- Bake for about 1 hour 40 minutes without stirring or flipping, until the top is dry and golden. Rotate the pan halfway through the bake time. Ovens vary, so start checking at about 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Cool completely on the pan, about 1 hour, so the granola crisps as it cools. Break into chunks and store in an airtight container.
Notes
More Recipes to Try
If you like making the things you would normally buy, these are a few more from my kitchen to try next.
- Grillo’s Style Refrigerator Pickles (Quart Jar Version)
- Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (Custard Base Recipe)
- Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream (Rich Custard Base, No Junk Ingredients)
- Cottage Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Oatmeal Cream Pie Bars (Sourdough or Classic)
- Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe
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