Granola

This Granola. Oh my.

Loaded with nuts and seeds, it's high in protein, naturally sweetened with maple syrup and high in fiber thanks to hemp hearts and chia seeds, this granola is probably one of my favourite breakfasts to have.

I never liked store bought granola's much for two reasons. For one, they are always way too sweet! Second, too much oats with not enough hearty ingredients to keep you full long enough to make it to lunch. This Granola definitely hits the spot.

Slowly baking the granola at a low temperature not only leaves the nutrients intact, but makes for a wonderfully crunchy treat.

Granola is one of the simplest things to make yourself...so why spend (way too much) on the store bought stuff that can't keep you full?

 My favourite way to serve it has been to top with frozen raspberries or fresh cherries and a blend of almond and coconut milk. Recently though, I found an amazing Dairy free, Soy free yogurt!!! Seriously guys....I didn't quite realize just how much I really missed it until I had my first delicious spoonful of this yogurt.

The brand is Yoso. They started with Soy based yogurts, but since soy turns my insides black (seriously...it's disturbing) and sends me to the bathroom for hours there is no way I'm going near it. But then walking by the yogurt section at my local grocery store reminiscing of the days I could enjoy this fermented treat, I spotted this wonderful stuff. It's the closest thing I've found to dairy yogurt. Creamy with just a bit of tang, and not all jello-like as other coconut milk yogurts tend to be. As an added bonus, it's actually a great source of calcium as well as being a probiotic!

So back on track with the Granola...

Since i've found this yogurt, I'm loving parfait again! Crunchy, perfectly sweet granola, slightly tangy yogurt topped with berries. Drool. That was definitely my breakfast this morning.

Hurry and make this so you can enjoy it too!!

Granola

5 cups Gluten Free Rolled Oats
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup walnut halves, coarsely chopped
1 cup raw almonds, coarsely chopped
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup coconut chips
1/3 cup hemp hearts
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 cup maple syrup

*Mix all dry ingredients together in a very large bowl. Add maple syrup and mix until everything is coated.
*Spread over baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Don't over fill the sheets or the granola won't cook evenly. (I usually need three large trays).
*Bake at 200°F for 2 - 2.5 hours, or until lightly golden (easiest way to tell for me is the watch the coconut chips...when they're golden, the granola is usually done)
*Let cool then store in an airtight container. (I use 1/2 gallon mason jars)


**To shake things up, I sometimes add dried fruit once the granola is done baking and has cooled. Try adding 2/3 cup of a dried fruit of your choice if you like. Yummy options could be raisins, chopped dried apricots, cranberries, golden berries, blueberries, etc. You can also switch up the nuts for a change or if you just don't really like one of the ones listed above.


I hope you enjoy this healthy Granola as much as I do!



Eryn