Something that surprised me when Julia cut out grains was how much "crunch" we lost. That texture experience took a big back seat and I missed it. Of course there are a lot of options being made now, but 8 years ago we had no croutons, no cereal, no crackers. I was desperate for that texture again.
This granola came out of that period of transition, and I first made it for a salad topping. In truth, that's still what we use it for most but I also put it on top of my yogurt with berries, or on top of roasted carrots, in a small bowl with milk, or just by the handful as a snack.
This granola is sweet & salty, free from grain, gluten, dairy, eggs, and soy. Definitely not nut free but could be made so with the use of seeds and oats if grain isn't a problem for you. It comes together in about 10 minutes and stores for months at room temperature - definitely worth the time investment to make it.