Grain-Free Granola
Posted on | July 1, 2009 | 18 Comments
Since going grain-free, one of the things I miss the most is the ease of serving cold cereal for breakfast. Finally I have perfected this simple, filling, and mostly-frugal cold cereal recipe! It’s perfect for camping, on-the-go mornings, or for an afternoon snack!
First of all, if you’re not sure why in the world you’d want a grain-free granola, there are several reasons:
- Grains are very difficult to digest for those with food sensitivities, chronic illness, and compromised immune systems (i.e. those following the GAPS diet).
- According to the paleo school of thought, our bodies have not fully adapted to the digestion of grains.
- Grains in most commercial cereals are highly processed, extruded, and denatured making them essentially toxic (i.e. your body simply doesn’t know what to do with them).
- From a weight loss perspective, grains are high in carbs (and granted, some are high in fiber, but not really enough to offset the insulin response) and carbs that are not burned off relatively quickly become stored as fat.
So for those of us for which grains make us feel “icky” inside, here’s the recipe you’ve been waiting for! The recipe is also very versatile and adaptable, so that you can use many different types of ingredients and customize the flavors to your liking.
Grain-Free Granola
Makes 1 quart
1 cup of crispy nuts (I have used almonds, walnuts, and a combination of both, click on “crispy nuts” for recipe)
1 cup of raisins (or other dried fruit, cut into small pieces, such as dates or cherries)
1 cup of sunflower seeds (preferably sprouted and dehydrated)
1 cup of unsulphered, unsweetened, shredded coconut (found in bulk at most Natural Foods Stores)
1. Chop nuts into bit-sized pieces using a food processor or simply place in a bag and pound with meat hammer.
2. Mix nuts with all other ingredients. I store mine in a one-quart mason jar.
Serve with diluted coconut milk or raw milk, top with sliced bananas or strawberries if desired!
Some suggested combinations:
“Raisin Bran”: Use simply 2 cups of almonds, 2 cups of raisins, omit other ingredients.
“Blueberry Morning”: Use dehydrated blueberries in place of raisins and use a combo of crispy macadamia nuts and crispy walnuts with the other ingredients.
“Praline Pecan”: Use crispy pecans for the nuts, and chopped dates for the fruit. Use coconut and sunflower seeds as well.
“Cookie Crunch”: Use my recipe for grain-free “oatmeal” cookies. Crush cookies, add carob chips or cacao nibs.
Thrifty Notes:
- I know, I know, good nuts aren’t cheap. I reccommend Costco, Trader Joe’s, or a buying club like Azure Standard for the best deals on a variety of nuts. Foraging and looking for local suppliers is a great idea too!
- For a thrifty almond, Trader Joe’s sells “Sweet Apricot Kernals” for $1.99. This is a really great deal and although they are already roasted, you can rest assured that some of the phytates are neutralized in the roasting process.
- Speaking of bulk-buying, I purchase all the essentials for this recipe in bulk for a much cheaper price!
Yeah, but do kids like it?
Mine LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this! And the best thing is, since it’s so nutrient-dense, a little goes a long way!
Check out what the other Real Food bloggers are saying at Real Food Wednesday!
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July 1st, 2009 @ 12:52 am
[...] This post was Twitted by OrganicThrifty [...]
July 1st, 2009 @ 1:08 am
Can’t wait to try this one! Yum!
July 1st, 2009 @ 1:19 am
Great post! I’m moving towards grain free too! Looks delicious!
July 1st, 2009 @ 6:36 am
This looks wonderful. I’d love to try this soon.
July 1st, 2009 @ 5:13 pm
Yummy! We did GAPs for a month (I felt weird on it, turns out I don’t digest protein well which was why I was having a hard time with it), but I had been planning on trying to make a cereal like this for us! Great idea and sounds so yummy. Thanks for sharing!
July 1st, 2009 @ 8:32 pm
This looks interesting!
July 2nd, 2009 @ 8:38 pm
This looks so good – I haven’t had granola for so long but I could definitely eat this. I buy my nuts at Costco, too, and then keep them in a sealed container in the freezer so they stay fresh. Usually a 3 pound bag of pecans, almonds, or walnuts is around $10, give or take. I bet this would make a fantastic gift around the holidays.
July 4th, 2009 @ 5:18 pm
This looks delicious! What do you mean by “crispy” nuts? Are you just specifying a texture, or is it another preparation step?
July 6th, 2009 @ 2:24 am
[...] B: almond-raisin “granola” L: miso soup and smoked sardines w/ avocado and salsa D: roasted veggie pizza with sunflower seed [...]
July 6th, 2009 @ 2:26 am
Mallory,
Oops! I meant to post a link to my “crispy nuts” recipe. Will update ASAP! It’s a simple step I use to make my nuts more digestable. Thank you SO much for catching that for me!
Best,
Carrie@OrganicThrifty
July 13th, 2009 @ 2:54 pm
[...] B: almond-raisin “granola” L: miso soup and smoked sardines w/ avocado and salsa D: stir-fried collards with herbs, red [...]
August 3rd, 2009 @ 1:24 am
[...] B: almond-raisin “granola” with homemade yogurt L:miso soup and smoked sardines w/ avocado and salsa D: crock-pot palak [...]
August 6th, 2009 @ 12:15 am
[...] The Grain-Free Granola Recipe and the Homemade Yogurt [...]
February 20th, 2010 @ 10:42 am
This sounds wonderful! I have been thinking about joining Costco and this might be the shove I need.
March 18th, 2010 @ 3:55 pm
This looks awesome! It’s so nice to have a recipe even though I don’t mind coming up with ideas on my own… plus my husband is more likely to accept a grain free cereal recipe that is “field tested”
Thanks!
March 22nd, 2010 @ 10:11 am
[...] Breakfasts: French Toast (made from grain-free bread), Green Juice (made in Vita Mix with Greens and Berries) Coconut Flour Banana Muffins (recipe coming soon!) and homemade Matsoni Yogurt Sausages (for kids) and modified Green Smoothies Scrambled eggs (for kids) and Sauteed Greens Grain-Free Granola Grain-Free Waffles [...]
April 7th, 2010 @ 3:58 pm
[...] grain intake, but I wanted to help curb that craving for something crunchy. With inspiration from Carrie’s recent grain-free granola recipe I decided to take it on, but to make it a bit more like my old favorite. And the result? Quite a [...]
May 11th, 2010 @ 3:39 pm
I use Whey protein a lot before and after my bodybuilding routines. Whey helps a lot in building muscles.:*’