Raw, Sugar-Free Granola

I went through a lot of phases of eating granola ALL the time, to never eating it, to thinking that I was buying really healthy granola’s and being really healthy and then sadly coming to the realization that I was ultimately eating a big bowl of baked SUGAR!

Granola is such an amazing breakfast to have on hand when you need to make something quick but also nutrient dense. Granola CAN be good for you and CAN be nutrient dense! In fact, it’s super EASY to make granola nutrient dense and I honestly have never understood WHY it needs to be loaded with sugar?!

With this recipe, I’ve made it a ‘build your own’ kind of recipe. I’ve given suggestions but ultimately proportion sizes as I feel that granola should be designed around the persons likes and dislikes. It’s easy to get carried away and throw EVERYTHING into it, and while I have no issues with that, I understand that some people also like to keep it simple!

The reason I call this a RAW granola is that I’ve loaded it with nuts and seeds. This is also my issues with traditional store bought granola’s (and most granola recipes you find on pinterest) is that they all contain nuts/seeds but have all been baked!! Sadly, nuts and seeds are SUPER nutrient dense but are also SUPER heat sensitive! So when we bake or even leave nuts/seeds at room temperature for too long, we damage the oils and cause them to go rancid – which in return creates free radicals in the body and actually do MORE harm than good! Not so nutrient dense after all!

Benefits

Ideally, I always recommend enjoying this recipe with your mylk/milk kefir of choice to increase nutritional benefits. This recipe paired with kefir will be:

- High in essential fatty acids
- Great source of protein and dietary fibre
- High in essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants
- Rich in prebiotics as well as probiotics to help feed a healthy gut
- Helps to regulate food intake and help burn energy optimally and efficiently
- Ideal food combining to help avoid energy crashes in the afternoon and to ensure you feel mentally alert and satiated all the way until your next meal

So, with that being said, enjoy this Raw, Sugar-Free Granola recipe and PLEASE keep it in the refrigerator for safer longer storage and quick/easy access!

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

4.5 cups base (think quinoa crisps, buckwheat groats, oats, amaranth puffs, barley flakes..)
1/2 cup fiber (think bran, ground fax, psyllium husk, leftover nut meals..)
2 cups dried fruit (think blueberries, coconut flakes, goji berries, golden berries..) or top with seasonal fresh fruit when serving
1.5 cups nuts (think hazelnuts, brazil, almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts..)
1.5 cup seeds (think sunflower, pumpkin, poppy-seeds, hemp..)
1/2 cup chia seeds
2 tsp salt (sea salt or himalayan)
2 tsp vanilla (optional)
2 – 4 tbsp spices (I like to use a homemade chai spice)

INSTRUCTIONS

Throw everything into a stainless steel bowl, mix together thoroughly and store in mason jars in the fridge or freezer!

NOTES

I like to serve this recipe with a kefir and sometimes I even use it with this chai spice chia pudding I like to make!
If you would like to add some more sweetness to this recipe, you can mix in a few drops of stevia or top it with a little bit of maple syrup or fresh fruit.
I really like vanilla so I usually add a bit more vanilla each time I serve this recipe and sometimes I will add in a few drops of my favourite DoTERRA essential oils!

With love,
Heidi MacAulay
“Eat more plants. Do more yoga. Read more books.”