Cleaning out the Kitchen Granola (Gluten and refined sugar free)
My husband has been watching Hoarders again. I can barely stay up till 9 pm (I am an early bird), and so after I fall asleep, he watches an episode here and there, and then he starts getting antsy about our house. As a result, I have been on a bit of cleaning and organizing spree. If you came to my house, you might not see evidence of it, because it seems like for every two steps forward I take in organization and tidying, my kids help me go five steps back. But I digress, I am really trying to take note of what we have, and if we really do need/use it. This includes the hidden back spaces of the pantry and the bottom of the freezer. We have started having “Mom’s Surprise” meals, which are an experiment of ingredients that need to be used. Sometimes it turns out to be a complete win and sometimes leaves us wanting to eat a bowl of cereal before bed.
I might be unique in having a pantry with rolled oats, coconut, hemp hearts, and chia seeds always in stock. I usually always have some sort of dried fruit that I think my kids are suddenly going to want to eat and never do, and a whole collection of nuts in my freezer (they last longer in there). If you don’t have all this stuff hidden in your kitchen and you live near a Trader Joe’s, it is probably worth-while to go and grab a few things, and you could make at least five batches of this granola.
You may be wondering if it is worth making over buying some at the store. Not only does making this granola help me to use up ingredients I already have, the main reason I prefer to make this granola is because it isn’t full of sugar. This recipe is refined sugar-free, and I know exactly what goes in it, no hidden fillers or extra sweeteners. And it really is quick. Mix it up in less than 10 minutes, and then bake for about 25, checking halfway through. I made a batch this morning before my kids went to school, mixed it up, got it in the oven, made their lunches, stirred it, helped them with breakfast, took it out and let it cool.
We love it to eat it with fruit and yogurt, on grapefruit with yogurt, in a smoothie bowl - the options are endless.
Give it a try, and let me know your favorite combinations of ingredients!
Cleaning out the Kitchen Granola (Gluten and refined sugar free)
Ingredients
2 ½ cups old fashioned rolled oats (I used the gluten-free ones from Trader Joe’s)
1 cup almonds (sliced are easier to eat)
½ tsp salt (I love Real salt)
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ cup melted coconut oil (or other oil you prefer)
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
+ some or all of the following
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut (I prefer unsweetened)
¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds (or chopped nuts)
¼ cup dried fruit (banana chips, cranberries, cherries, raisins, etc.)
3 tbsp hemp hearts or chia seeds or both
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine oats, almonds and other mix-ins (coconut, pumpkin seeds, banana chips, etc.)
3. In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix oil, maple syrup, salt, and vanilla. Pour over oat mixture. Stir until evenly coated.
4. Transfer the oat mixture to the baking sheet and spread in an even layer.
5. Bake for 10 minutes, mix well, then press the mixture back down with a spatula or a spoon.
6. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until it is golden. Pull out of the oven and let it cool completely before breaking it into pieces.
7. Store in an airtight container and enjoy.
CLEANING OUT THE KITCHEN GRANOLA (GLUTEN AND REFINED SUGAR FREE)
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups old fashioned rolled oats (I used the gluten-free ones from Trader Joe’s)
- 1 cup almonds (sliced are easier to eat)
- ½ tsp salt (I love Real salt)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil (or other oil you prefer)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut (I prefer unsweetened)
- ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds (or chopped nuts)
- ¼ cup dried fruit (banana chips, cranberries, cherries, raisins, etc.)
- 3 tbsp hemp hearts or chia seeds or both
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, combine oats, almonds and other mix-ins (coconut, pumpkin seeds, banana chips, etc.)
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix oil, maple syrup, salt, and vanilla. Pour over oat mixture. Stir until evenly coated.
- Transfer the oat mixture to the baking sheet and spread in an even layer.
- Bake for 10 minutes, mix well, then press the mixture back down with a spatula or a spoon.
- Bake for another 10-15 minutes until it is golden. Pull out of the oven and let it cool completely before breaking it into pieces.
- Store in an airtight container and enjoy.