Healthy and Hearty Paleo Granola Recipe That Will Knock your Socks Off
Granola speaks to my soul.
I have been called a “granola” many times in my life, mainly for my outdoorsy, nature-loving ways, but I also think because I love this classic snack. There's is truly something magical about combining a little sweet with a little salt and a lot of crunch. Amen?
What's not magical is the amount of added preservatives and sugars put in store-bought granola. These added ingredients take away from the nutritious components and they don't play nice with your body. Not to mention, these sugary products that have the audacity to call themselves "granola" leave you hungry within an hour and craving for more.
For the most part, I've stopped buying granola, but I haven't stopped eating it. There are times when I get in a pinch and will buy granola, but I carefully scan over the ingredients before placing it in my basket. It is a good rule of thumb to always check the ingredients label.
Homemade Granola Benefits
It tastes 10x better than store-bought granola.
It’s customizeable.
You can control the ingredients + quality.
It makes your house smell DEVINE.
It’s easy to make.
It saves you money.
I've tried many granola recipes, some good and some great. I rotate between 3 recipes right now, and this one is by far my favorite. This recipe was created by Deliciously Organic.
Nuts for Granola
Ingredients
For the granola –
2 cups raw cashews
2 cups raw pecans
2 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 tablespoon Celtic sea salt
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1 cup date paste (recipe below)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I use Thrive Market’s brand)
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
For the Date Paste –
1 cup medjool dates, pitted
1 cup hot water
Instructions
Place cashews, pecans, and pepitas, and 1 tablespoon sea salt in a large bowl. Cover with room temperature water. Stir to combine. Leave out on the counter for 8-24 hours. Preheat oven to 170 ºF (or lowest oven setting) and adjust rack to middle position. Drain and combine mixture with flaxseed, coconut, date paste, vanilla and pumpkin pie seasoning. Pour mixture out onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread into an even layer. Dehydrate in the oven for about 10 hours or until granola is crunchy. Store in an airtight container for 3-4 weeks.
For the date paste: Place dates in a blender or food processor. Turn blender or processor on and slowly add in hot water. Leave the machine on for about 1 minute, until smooth. Pour into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator.
My favorite way to eat granola is on top of a smoothie. Plus, chewing something with a smoothie cues your digestive system to do its thing so you break down the nutrients and absorb them properly. You’ll feel satisfied, as opposed to feeling hungry after drinking your smoothie! I also love to eat granola with sprouted oatmeal, chia pudding, and overnight oats.
If you’d like more recipes like this, check out my post on 4 other easy and healthy homemade staple grocery items.