homemade {yum} granola


I am not a cereal fan at all
...but I love granola


and so does the rest of my family
...which makes store bought granola expensive
not to mention it's not that stellar!

That's why we make our own!


you'll need 3 cups of nuts and seeds
{I used 1 cup of each... almonds, walnuts & pumpkin seeds}
in separate bowls, cover them with water and soak overnight

use raw, organic, unseasoned whenever possible


8 cups of thick rolled organic oats
covered in water & 1 T. apple cider vinegar and soaked overnight


you'll also need 1 1/2-2 cups of pitted dates
{we love medjool dates, but any date, fig or raisin would work}
cover with 1 1/2 water and soak overnight


in the morning your oats will have absorbed most of the water and look puffy
...drain off the excess liquid and place in a large mixing bowl

your nuts will be plump and vibrant
...drain off excess liquid and chop if desired

I finely chopped the almonds and walnuts {don't over chop these or they will puree}


do not drain the liquid from your soaked dates
...add in 5 T. cinnamon
1 T. dried ginger
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 t. ground cardamom
1 T. vanilla extract
1/2 t. real salt

blend until it's a smooth paste


add all of your chopped nuts and date paste together
...and MIX

and when your arm is tired
pass the bowl and let someone else mix {grin}


when it's all mixed spread it out in a thin 1/4 in. thick layer
I use my awesome Excalibur dehydrator
dehydrate at 115 or below for 10-24 hours depending on humidity in your climate

{you could also use your oven on it's lowest heat setting... above 118 the heat will break down the enzymes and it will no longer be a "living" food}


once it's dried...
remove it from the sheets and break it up into pieces
and store in a air tight container.

Now you can add in dried fruits like cranberries, goji berries, mango or cherries
{if possible try to use organic, unsulfured and unsweetened dried fruit}

This makes about a gallon ziplock bag full or approx 4-5 store bought boxes of granola

Enjoy!

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7 comments:

  1. This sounds yummy and I LOVE granola!  I'm going to the health food store on Saturday so  I'll pick up my nuts then to try it.  Thanks for sharing :)

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  2. We love homemade granola here too.  This looks amazing!  Thanks for sharing...the beautiful photos make me hungry.  :-)

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  3. oh my goodness....this looks way way way yummier than the breakfast i had this morning. way.

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  4. This looks really good!  Have you ever tried adding flax meal or wheat germ?  Just wondering how that might effect the consistency.  

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  5. This looks like the recipe for home made Larabars, which my kids are crazy for. 

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  6. brittanyclaire6/15/11, 8:26 AM

    Oh yum...do share that recipe

    ________________________________

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  7. Sounds delicious- I'm anxious to add a little variety to my granola making now!  I've never considered soaking the oats like that.  

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Thank you for blessing me with your words!

Brittany