Start your morning off right with this crunchy and slightly sweet almond and vanilla granola. This is hands-down my favorite granola and much tastier than what you can buy at the store! Plus, it’s grain-free and refined-sugar free, so you can indulge without the guilt.
Making your own granola at home is ideal for anyone who wants to enhance the yumminess (yes, that’s a word) and avoid additives, grains, gluten and refined sugars.
Let’s face it, it’s pretty difficult to find a yummy granola on the market that meets the needs of those of us with grain and gluten sensitivities or gut inflammation. I had given up on being able to enjoy granola until I found a similar recipe from Danielle Walker’s, Against All Grain cookbook. Now you can enjoy granola like everyone else and keep your body and gut in balance at the same time. How cool is that?
Almond & Vanilla Granola Recipe
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Soaking Time: 24 hours
Dehydrating time: 24 hours
Yield: 4 cups
Key Tools Needed:
- Dehydrator
- Parchment Paper
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1 cup raw walnuts
- 1/2 cup raw pecan halves
- 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1 3/4 teaspoons sea salt, divided
- 3/4 cup melted honey or maple syrup (optional)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
- 1/2 cup raisins or other dried fruit (no-sugar added)
Method
Place all the nuts and seeds in a bowl, add enough water to cover by 1 inch and stir in 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cover and let soak for 24 hours.
Drain the nuts and seeds and place on a paper towel to absorb the remaining water.
Transfer to a food processor and process until the nuts are the size of oats. Add the honey, coconut oil, vanilla, cinnamon and remaining salt. Pulse until combined.
Pour the mixture into a bowl, add the coconut and use a spoon to incorporate. Turn the granola out onto 3 dehydrator trays covered with parchment paper, spreading evenly into thin layers. Use a spatula to spread the sticky mixture if needed.
Dehydrate on high setting (about 120 degrees F) for 24 hours. Make sure to flip the granola gently several times while it dries and start to break it up into crumbly pieces. The granola may feel a little sticky and wet when warm, but will crisp up after cooling.
Stir in the raisins, then let cool completely on trays before serving or storing.
Health Coach Tips
I like to store the granola in mason jars and I often make a double batch so I have some in the pantry at all times. You can substitute the raisins for dried cranberries or any other dried fruit that you would like. To moderate the sugar, leave out the maple syrup or honey or reduce the amount. I find the granola to still taste sweet even without it due to the sweetness of the vanilla and raisins.
To Your Health,
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