Gratifying Granola!

This past week I was invited to a Christmas baking exchange at a friend’s house. The plan was to make or bake something for 8 people in order to each take home seven different homemade treats to serve over the Christmas holidays. There was the option for sweet or savoury. What an excellent idea!

I haven’t been involved in one of these for a long time so I really wanted to nail what I was going to bring. I debated Rum Balls, Nut Cheese Balls, some sort of sweet squares… I just wasn’t sure. Part of me wanted to indulge in all of the sugary temptations of the holidays, and the other more sensible part, wanted to make something healthy. Something more functional that anyone would like, plant-based or not.

Well, sensible won out and I ended up landing on granola. Sounds boring, but honestly, it’s delicious. My husband was pumped that I was making it as he likes to have it on his smoothie bowl in the mornings. I don’t make it enough for him and he gets pretty excited when I do. I told him I already needed to make enough for 8 and that another batch might just put me over the top! That’s a lot of mixing and baking!

So, long story short, the sealer jars I bought to fill with granola hold more than it would seem! I ended up making 6 batches. It took me pretty much an entire afternoon.

The funny thing is, the party idea kind of fizzled and between last minute things that came up and people who weren’t able to make it, there were only 3 of us there in the end! My friend who hosted, made such a huge pan of her dessert that it wouldn’t cook through, and was un-sharable. It tasted amazing though and we ended up eating around the edges of the pan all night as we chatted!

My other friend, who’s a bit A.D.D., (love you Dawn), doubled the sweetener in her recipe by accident but luckily was able to bring her ginger cookies back to life with some quick thinking modifications. I guess it just wasn’t the day to bake!

This granola recipe offers the sweetness and taste that you want without a bunch of added sugar and oil that most recipes call for. I think it is just the right balance. The added oil and sugar are way down on the list of ingredients. There is nothing worse than those sugary sweet granolas that leave you feeling like you just ate a dessert for breakfast.

This recipe is filled with some pretty healthy ingredients. Nuts and seeds are great sources of protein and are full of fiber. They are rich in vitamins E, B6, niacin and folate and they provide minerals such as magnesium, zinc, plant iron, calcium, copper, selenium, phosphorus and potassium. Just a handful or two will spice up whatever you put it on.

So, after the baking exchange blunder, I am left with 6 jars of granola to give as a little “Vibrant Veggie” gift to our guests at our company Christmas party tomorrow night! Sometimes things work out the way they should!

This granola is great covered in a plant milk, on a smoothie bowl, over plant-based yogourt, or on top of oatmeal. You could even use it baked as a fruit crisp topping or sprinkle some on fresh fruit. Perhaps you want to make a few little jars for stocking stuffers or hostess gifts! 😉

Gratifying Granola

Print

Serves: Makes about 9 cups Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 27 minutes 27 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups large flake rolled oats1 1/2 cups unsweetened large flake coconut1 cup almonds, roughly chopped1 cup pumpkin seeds1/2 cup pecans, chopped1/2 cup dried cranberries1/2 cup hemp hearts1/2 cup sunflower seeds1/4 cup flax seeds (whole)1/4 cup flax seeds (ground)2 teaspoons cinnamon1/4 cup coconut oil1/4 cup maple syrup2 tablespoons sunflower or almond butter1 teaspoon vanilla extract2 teaspoons vanilla powder (or 2 vanilla beans sliced open and seeds scraped out)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a large bowl, mix together first 11 ingredients, other than the dried cranberries. 
3. In a small pot on the stove, mix together the coconut oil, maple syrup, nut butter, vanillas. Heat, whisking until melted, then pour over the granola.
4. Stir until all ingredients are well incorporated. 
5. Pour onto three baking sheets, lined with either parchment paper or a silicone mat.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from oven.  Drop in the dried cranberries, stir and return to the oven to bake for another 12 minutes or until the granola begins to brown slightly.
7. Allow to cool on the pan.  
8. Store in a sealed jar for up to a month or freeze for up to three months. 

www.thevibrantveggie.com

Notes

- If you don't have vanilla pods, or the vanilla powder, just double the vanilla extract.