Almond Zen Granola

February 22, 2016 0 0

ALMOND ZEN GRANOLA

I love breakfast!

I didn’t use to but since starting running I have discovered a great love for it! The thought of what I’m going to eat when I get in from an early morning run can keep me motivated to run faster! I like variety too, even if I’m into a phase of enjoying smoothies I rarely have the same combination two days running.

I love this granola recipe from Dreena Burton’s Plant Powered Families. Simple and quick to put together it has no oil and gets the sweetness from brown rice syrup and the dried fruit. It has the perfect balance of flavour and texture . . . granola Zen!

I think it’s a great breakfast for runners, protein packed seeds and nut butters, iron rich molasses and of course the fibre rich oats are a great carbohydrate and good source of magnesium. I like adding granola to overnight oats or smoothie bowls to add crunch or just eating it topped with fruit and soya yoghurt. I’m sure it would be delicious with any type of plant based mylk but particularly almond or coconut.

The next thing I’m going to try it with is this vanilla cashew yoghurt that I’ve just found a link to. It sounds scrummy! http://plantpoweredkitchen.com/vanilla-cashew-yogurt-vegan/

Makes about 5 1/2 cups

Recipe

3 cups rolled oats
3 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds (I used a mixture of both!)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4–1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom to taste
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2–2 1/2 tablespoons almond butter (see note)
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon blackstrap molasses
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2–3/4 cup combination of raisins and chopped dates
1 teaspoon lemon or orange zest (I’m not mad keen on zest so I didn’t add this.)

Preheat oven to 300°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a bowl, combine the rolled oats, seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, and sea salt and stir through until well combined. In another bowl, first combine the almond butter with the maple syrup and molasses, stirring to fully blend.

Next, add the brown rice syrup and vanilla extract, and stir through. Add wet mixture to the dry ingredients, and combine until well incorporated.

Transfer mixture to your lined baking sheet and spread out evenly. Bake for 25–28 minutes, stirring a couple of times while baking to ensure the mixture bakes evenly.

Remove from oven, stir in raisins and dates, and bake for another 2–3 minutes.

Remove from oven, stir in lemon zest, and let cool completely.

Once cool, store in an airtight container.

Eat straight up, or with non-dairy milk or yogurt.

Nut Butter Note: Nut butters can be tricky to measure exactly, which is why there is some wiggle room in this measurement. Anywhere from 2–2 1/2 tablespoons will work fine. Also, you can substitute another nut butter if you prefer—like cashew or peanut butter.