Who the heck doesn't love a good granola, am I right?
And while oats are kinda the "it girl" right now in the superfood world, they are also pretty high in carbs. So, if you're watching your carb intake, I've got a great alternative for you.
It's vegan, grain-free, low carb, refined sugar-free AND it's packed full of nutrient dense superfoods!!
You can play around with the ingredients, based on your preferences. Here are some suggestions though; almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, ground chia seeds, ground flax seeds, hemp hearts, shredded coconut, cacao nibs, sprouted buckwheat ... the possibilities are endless.
And there are a couple of different methods you can use to prepare this. You can soak your nuts & seeds overnight, you can bake the mixture, or, for a completely raw granola, you can toss it in the ole dehydrator.
Why soak nuts and seeds you ask?
Well, for a number of reasons. But in a nutshell ...
"Soaking allows enzymes, lactobacilli, and other helpful organisms to break down and neutralize a large portion of phytic acid in grains. Soaking in warm water also neutralizes enzyme inhibitors, present in all seeds, and encourages the production of numerous beneficial enzymes. The action of these enzymes also increases the amount of many vitamins, especially B vitamins. During the process of soaking and fermenting, gluten and other difficult-to-digest proteins are partially broken down into simpler components that are more readily available for absorption." (reference the full article here at Food Matters)
Whatever prep and cooking method you go with, the recipe itself doesn't change.
And again, feel fee to play around with the ingredients. I certainly do every time I make this.
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup raw almonds
3/4 cup raw pecans
3/4 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
3/4 cup raw sprouted buckwheat
1 cup raw shredded coconut
2 tbsp ground flax seeds
2 tbsp ground chia seeds
2 tbsp raw hemp hearts
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 scoop Vega One chocolate protein & greens powder (here) (OR raw cacao powder)
3-4 tbsp coconut oil
1/3 cup almond butter
2-4 tbsp maple syrup (or another sweetener of your choice)
1 tsp alcohol free vanilla extract
Prep Method #1 - BAKED GRANOLA
Sprout your buckwheat for 2 to 3 days (click here for directions on how to do this). ---> You can swap this out for another ingredient, if you want to keep things quick & easy
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Melt coconut oil, almond butter, maple syrup and vanilla extract over low heat.
Using a food processor (or blender) chop up all of the larger ingredients.
Place all of the ingredients into a large bowl, pour the melted mixture overtop and mix well.
If the mixture seems too wet, add more nuts+seeds. And vice versa, if it seems too dry, melt a little more of the wet mixture.
Spread the granola mixture evenly onto a large baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove, and (carefully, so as not to burn your mouth) taste the granola. If it's not quite sweet enough for your liking, drizzle a little more of your sweetener on top, then stir and put back in the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes - or longer if you want it even crunchier.
BE SURE TO keep an eye on your granola, as it can brown quite quickly.
When done, remove from the oven and let it cool on the counter completely before storing in an air-tight container, in the fridge.
Prep Method #2 - RAW GRANOLA (with soaked nuts+seeds)
Sprout your buckwheat for 2 to 3 days (click here for directions on how to do this).
Soak your nuts and seeds overnight (click here for soaking times for different nuts+seeds).
Rinse well, and drain your soaked nuts and seeds for about an hour.
Melt coconut oil, almond butter, maple syrup and vanilla extract over low heat.
Using a food processor (or blender) chop up all of the larger ingredients.
Place all of the ingredients into a large bowl, pour the melted mixture overtop and mix well.
If the mixture seems too wet, add more nuts+seeds. And vice versa, if it seems too dry, melt a little more of the wet mixture.
Spread the granola mixture evenly onto dehydrator trays.
Run the dehydrator at 110 degrees for 18 to 24 hours, flipping the mixture at about the 5 hour mark.
NOTE: I always sprout extra buckwheat, and store it in glass jars in my freezer. This way, instead of going through the sprouting process every time I make granola, I can simply take a jar (or two) out of the freezer and defrost it.