Excuse the corny title, but this granola is excellent and full of healthy fats!
Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day, and lately I’m all about chia pudding with granola, and fresh fruit (like seasonal strawberries and cherries!). The thought of that, and a cup of coffee gives me the motivation I need to get out of bed at 5:30am and exercise. Although, that feeling of being finished my workout before my kids get up, and having a clear head and loads of energy to start the day is pretty motivating too.
Ok, back to my breakfast. My love for chia pudding with granola had me consuming a lot of oats, which is fine, but I wanted to find a way to cut back on some carbs, and increase my healthy fats and fibre. Enter, a granola made entirely from nuts and seeds. It’s crunchy, yet a bit creamy from the walnuts, and lightly sweetened with coconut sugar (monk fruit sweetener), with that comforting cinnamon flavour.
Not only is it delicious, it’s super healthy. The fat and fibre from nuts and seeds steady blood glucose levels, which keeps me feeling satisfied longer and reduces sugar cravings. Not to mention the protein, fibre and healthy fats from the chia pudding - this breakfast keeps me going all morning!
Nuts are also a source of monounsaturated fat, which decreases inflammation in the body; reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer, contributes to a healthy microbiome (aka helps healthy bacteria to grow in your gut) and supports healthy brain function (don’t walnuts look like little brains?!). Nuts and seeds also contribute to healthy hair, skin and nails as they support the production of natural oils in your body!
This granola is my jam these days, and I just had to share. For those of you that are gluten-free, want to cut back on carbs, or just want all the health benefits of a variety of nuts and seeds, this granola is for you. Enjoy!
Nut and Seed Grain-Free Granola
Servings 12 servings (1/4 cup each)
Ingredients
1 cup whole raw Almonds
1 cup whole raw Hazelnuts or Brazil Nuts
1 cup whole raw Walnuts or Pecans or half and half
1/3 cup Pumpkin seeds or Hemp seeds
1/3 cup Sunflower seeds or Unsweetened shredded coconut
4 tbsp. Coconut Palm Sugar or Monk fruit Sweetener
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 large Egg
1/4 cup coconut oil (measured solid, then melted)
1 tsp. real Vanilla extract
Method
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet, or two small ones, with parchment paper.
Pulse almonds and hazelnuts in a food processor intermittently, until most of the nuts are chopped into large pieces (about 1/4 to 1/2 of the full size of the nuts).
Add the walnuts or pecans. Pulse again, stopping when the walnuts are in large pieces. (added later since they are softer.)
Add the pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut sugar, flaxseed meal, salt and cinnamon. Pulse just until everything is mixed well. Don't over-process! You want to have plenty of nut pieces remaining, and most of the seeds should be intact.
Add the egg to the food processor. Whisk together the melted coconut oil and vanilla extract in a small bowl, and evenly pour that in, too.
Pulse a couple times, mix a little from the bottom toward the top with a spatula, then pulse a couple times again. Repeat as needed until everything is coated evenly. Again, avoid over-processing. At the end of this step, you'll have a combination of coarse meal and nut pieces, and everything should be a little damp from the egg and oil.
Transfer the nut mixture to the prepared baking sheet in a uniform layer, pressing together into a thin rectangle (about 1/4 “ thick). Bake for 18 minutes, until lightly browned, especially at the edges.
Allow granola to cool completely on the baking sheet before breaking apart into pieces. (The granola will be soft when you remove it from the oven, but will crisp up as it cools.)
Store in an airtight container in the fridge. If you’re the only one eating it, you could consider freezing half as it makes a lot.