[Foodie Friday Recipe] Yummy Nutty Grain-Free Granola

Skip the sugary, carb-heavy store-bought cereal and make this easy and yummy grain-free granola instead!

Granola can make a quick breakfast and is also great for snacking on. However, most store-bought granolas are full of sugar and processed grains and oils – so really, not all that good for you, despite the popular connotation.

However, there are some types of granola that are not only delicious but also healthy! For example, the grain-free granola recipe below, which is free from processed sugar and grains, and is super-easy to make at home. It’s perfect for those on a grain-free diet such as Paleo. This recipe is from one of our favorite farm blogs – and it’s also the place where we buy all of our pasture-raised chicken!

Feel free to tailor the recipe to your own preferences by using different kinds of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit.

You can enjoy this nutty granola for breakfast with your choice of milk, on top of yogurt, fruit, or ice cream, or just grab a handful for a quick and healthy snack.

Healthy Nutty Grain-Free Granola Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup apple cider (100% apple juice also works)
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 cup almonds
• 1 cup pecans
• ½ cup cashews
• ½ cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
• ½ cup dried cherries or chopped dried apricots, raisins, cranberries, currants, or other dried fruit of your choice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a 15×10-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
2. In a small saucepan bring the apple cider/juice to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until reduced to ¼ cup. Once reduced, stir in honey, oil, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon.
3. In a bowl combine nuts and seeds. Working in batches, in a food processor cover and pulse nut mixture until broken into smaller pieces, adding coconut at the end to break it slightly. (Some nuts will remain nearly whole and that’s OK.)
4. Transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle with juice mixture; toss to coat.
5. Spread onto prepared baking sheet. Try to keep it in a bit of a mound – all the same level so it cooks evenly without the edges browning too quickly.
6. Bake 35-40 minutes or until golden brown, stirring two or three times. Once removed from the oven, sprinkle the dried fruit on top and mix in.
7. Once cooled (if you haven’t eaten it all by now), store at room temperature – a quart mason jar works well).

Recipe Source: FreshOrrFamilyFarms.com