After searching in vain for a decent granola which was gluten-free and not loaded with sugar and/or preservatives and other nasties, I decided to make my own. I had recently discovered buckwheat groats and was keen to incorporate them.
I have been making this recipe for a few about 2 years now, and have slowly adapted it to suit my needs/taste/ingredient availability. I am working on an oil free version which I hope to upload soon. Once you have the basic recipe – feel free to play around with flavours. The recipe may sound complicated at first, but it is in fact very simple and only takes me a few minutes to prepare (besides the pre-soaking time).
The quantity below will yield at least 2-3 large jars of granola (4 dehydrator trays worth)
Basic recipe
Ingredients:
- 3 cups raw hulled buckwheat groats, soaked overnight *
- 1 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked overnight
- 2 cups unsweetened desiccated/shredded coconut
- 2 cups dried goji berries, soaked in water for 10 min
- 1 cup dried pitted dates (tightly packed), soaked for 15min in water to soften
- 2/3 cups liquid sweetener (eg: raw honey/maple syrup)
- 3 TBS melted coconut oil (extra virgin)
- 2-3 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Himalayan/natural sea salt
- 4 TBS water from the soaked goji berries
Variations:
- Goji Orange Rawnola (my favourite): add the zest of 1-2 organic oranges as well as 4 TBS orange juice (replace goji soaked water in basic recipe above)
- Choc Nut Rawnola: add ¼ – ½ cup of raw cacao/carob powder (depending on how chocolatey you want it) as well as ½ – 1 cup mixed nuts e.g.: almonds, macadamias, pecan, brazil, cashew and/or walnuts. You can even add hemp or pumpkin seeds. Note: I prefer pre-soaking the nuts to activate the digestive enzymes, but this is optional
Method:
- Pre-soak the buckwheat groats and sunflower seeds for at least an hour (best overnight) – cover with at least 2-3 times the amount of water and a squeeze of lemon juice. Soaking seeds and nuts “activates” them and helps with better digestion as it removes phytic acid and encourages enzyme production.
- Using a sieve, rinse the soaked buckwheat groats and sunflower seeds well with water. Don’t worry if the groats feel a bit “slimy” – this is fine! Place in a large bowl and set aside.
- Using a blender/food processor (a hand blender works well too), blend the soaked dates (drain water first), liquid sweetener, coconut oil, cinnamon, salt and water until smooth (it should have a caramel-like look and consistency – see photo below)
- Pour this “caramel” into the bowl with the groats and seeds, along with the coconut and drained goji berries (can also add other ingredients for variations such as orange, cacao, nuts etc)
- Mix thoroughly, making sure that the caramel coats everything.
- Spread thinly onto dehydrator sheets (or on trays if baking in oven) and dehydrate at 45°C for 12-24 hours (the longer you leave it, the crunchier it will go). NB: It usually spreads over 4 dehydrator trays
- When the granola is ready, break it apart into clusters and store in glass jars in the pantry/cupboard. Keeps well for a few weeks.
- Serve with homemade almond or hemp milk (see below) or sprinkle on top of fruit salad and smoothies… or it on its own as a snack! Delicious and filling.
Notes:
- make sure that the groats are raw and not kasha which is the toasted version – raw buckwheat will have a slightly greenish tinge whereas kasha will be a lighter/darker brown colour
- I use my dehydrator, but you can also bake the granola in an oven (either on a very low temperature if you would like to keep it as “raw” as possible, retaining the nutrients, or at a higher temperature to bake it quickly).
Hemp Milk
Ingredients:
- 2 cups filtered/spring water
- ½ cup shelled hemp seeds
- 1-2 tsp honey/maple syrup (or leave out for unsweetened milk)
- optional: ½ tsp vanilla extract
Method:
- Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until well combined.
- Serve immediately or store in a glass bottle/jar in the fridge
Be sure to visit my blog for more healthy ideas: https://z4zest.wordpress.com
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