Granola Saturdays used to be a thing for me. It’s a pretty perfect Saturday activity. Cinnamon fragrance filling your home. Having a fresh batch to top over yogurt or a smoothie on Sunday morning.
It’s a little-known fact that my dog Sam was run over on a Granola Saturday. The granola sat in the pan on the stovetop for 2 days, ignored because of grief. Granola Saturdays didn’t happen again for many years.
Later, Paleo happened and granola became a thing of the past. I decided to experiment with oat-free variations for BRM (chocolate version that you MUST try right there), which gradually brought Granola Saturdays back.
My deep love of granola persists, despite the painful associations. And having this simple grain-free version on hand makes for some great desserts (kefir + granola + honey + cinnamon) and very tasty smoothie bowls. A consolation for the time it takes to bake is that it makes a large batch that lasts a v long time.
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Spiced Grain-free Granola
Yields: about 5 cups
1 1/2 c. almonds, soaked 6+ hours
1 c. pecans, soaked 1+ hours
1/2 c. unsweetened, shredded coconut
1/2 c. sunflower seeds
1/2 c. pumpkin seeds
1/4 c. hemp seeds
2 tbsp. chia seeds
2 tbsp. ground flax meal
1/4 c. filtered water
1/2 c. honey
1/4 c. butter, ghee, or coconut oil
1 tbsp. blackstrap molasses
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 c. chopped dried fruit of choice
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 300F. Line a sheet pan with parchment or a silpat mat.
Drain the soaked almonds and pecans. Add the almonds, pecans, shredded coconut, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and hemp seeds to the bowl of a large food processor. Process until ground into medium-sized pieces.
Add the chia seeds, flax meal, and filtered water to a small bowl. Stir and set aside to bloom (it will become thick and jelly-like after a couple minutes).
Add the honey, butter, molasses, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, and sea salt to a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until the butter has melted, whisking continuously. Stir in the chia/flax meal and whisk until smooth.
Pour the warm liquid mixture into the food processor with the nuts and seeds. Pulse to combine everything together.
Pour the granola onto the lined sheet pan. Spread it into an even layer with a spatula. Bake for 50-70 minutes, or until golden brown. Pulling the granola out to toss 1-2x throughout the baking it will help it brown more quickly and evenly.
Allow it to cool for 10-20 minutes before tossing in the chopped dried fruit. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
