Well-Being: Sugar + Grain-Free Maple-Vanilla Granola
My current go-to granola recipe
I’ve been spending more time in my newly renovated kitchen this year, eating out less and trying to make as many things as I can from scratch. I went (mostly expect for the occasional travel indulgence) sugar-free last year, and when I discovered sugar-free maple syrup I was elated that I could start making granola again. This is my current fave recipe (it also happens to be grain-free). If you aren’t intolerant to sugar or you’re not managing insulin/blood sugar, you can also just use regular maple syrup here.
The recipe makes quite a large batch, so it should last for a couple of weeks. My boyfriend and I both eat this pretty much everyday with a little bit of homemade coconut yogurt, some berries and almond butter. I prefer making my own granola and yogurt because the store-bought varieties always have too much added sugar, unrecognizable ingredients and hydrogenated oils. I typically make a big batch of both every other Sunday to last us a couple weeks. Feel free to tweak this recipe to include your favorite spices, adaptogens, nuts, seeds or whatever your heart desires!
Sugar + Grain-Free Maple-Vanilla Granola
[Makes 4 quarts]
3 cups pecans, roughly chopped
3 cups unsweetened coconut chips
2 cups walnuts, roughly chopped
2 cups pepitas
1 ½ cups unsweetened coconut, medium shred
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup almond flour
1 cup goji berries (optional: omit if you don’t want the fruit sugar)
½ cup ground flax seed
½ cup chia seeds
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 ¼ cup sugar-free maple syrup (I recommend this one. You can also use regular maple syrup here if you want)
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups coconut oil, melted
Preheat oven to 325°F. Chop pecans and walnuts into small, uniform size pieces. Add to large mixing bowl with all other nuts and seeds.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the (sugar-free) maple syrup, vanilla, sea salt, cardamom and cinnamon. Pour evenly over nut and seed mix and gently toss to coat. Lastly, pour melted coconut oil over granola mixture and gently toss to coat.
Spread granola in a thin, even layer over several parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake in preheated over for about 25 minutes or until granola is golden, stirring once halfway through baking time. Allow to cool completely before transferring to airtight containers for storing.