Grain-free & refined sugar-free granola
No concerns, I have not become grain-free overnight. I cherish grains, I handle them well, but occasionally, it’s refreshing to explore something different, wouldn’t you agree? This grain-free and sugar-free granola emerged from my New Year’s curiosity in the kitchen. While I often feel a bit weary of trying new things during the holiday season, I am always eager at the start of the new year to experiment in the kitchen once more. Perhaps it’s the vibe of the new year, or maybe it’s the gloomy post-holiday blues that always hit me after the festivities.
I created this granola for my sister, who came to visit us over New Year’s Eve. My sister has celiac disease, which means she is extremely sensitive to gluten, and has to steer clear of it at all costs. Since I ran out of gluten-free oats, I resolved to finally try my hand at grain-free granola. I had sampled it in Cape Town and in the United States during my recent trips there, and to be truthful, I wasn’t particularly keen on it back then. The reason was that it was simply too dense and overly sweet for my taste. As grain-free granola consists entirely of nuts and seeds, it is quite nutritious and satisfying. Hence, adding an excessive amount of sugar makes it almost inedible in my opinion. This is why I was particularly enthusiastic about crafting my own version using just apple sauce for sweetness. And something that would provide a fresher essence than the other granolas I had tasted.
The finishing touch is orange peel, reminiscent of this recipe here. It makes an enormous difference, believe me! You only incorporate the orange peel at the conclusion of the baking process, yet it instantly infuses the entire granola with an orange aroma. So fresh and delightful!
Divine for both body and spirit, because …
… the nuts and seeds are rich in valuable nutrients. For instance, almonds are high in vitamin E, often referred to as the beauty vitamin, and pumpkin seeds and raw cocoa serve as natural magnesium sources. Flaxseed is among the best plant-based sources of omega-3. That’s why this cereal-free and sugar-free granola fuels our brains for breakfast, as omega-3 fatty acids promote natural brain function.
Grain-free & refined sugar-free granola
Author: Lynn Hoefer
Serves: 1 batch
Ingredients
- 100 g of hazelnuts
- 100 g of almonds
- 100 g sunflower seeds
- 30 g pumpkin seeds
- 50 g of shredded flaxseed (ideally fresh, otherwise store-bought ground flax)
- 2 tablespoons of unrefined coconut oil
- 80 grams of apple sauce
- 1 tbsp raw cacao
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- a pinch of sea salt
- the peel of 1 organic orange
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160 ° C with circulating air (180 ° C for top and bottom heat).
- Coarsely chop the nuts or pulse briefly in a food processor. Combine the chopped nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and shredded flax seeds in a mixing bowl.
- Melt the coconut oil in a small pan over low heat. Incorporate the apple sauce, cacao powder, cinnamon, and cardamom and mix all into a sticky paste.
- Incorporate the paste into the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly with a wooden spoon to ensure everything is well-coated with the sticky mixture. Spread the granola on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast for approximately 20 minutes.
- Pull out the baking tray, loosen the granola a bit and stir. Rotate the baking sheet, and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes in the oven.
- Just before finishing, add the orange peel and distribute it over the granola. Roast everything for another 1-2 minutes until the orange peel becomes aromatic.
- Take the granola out of the oven, allow it to cool completely, and store it in an airtight glass container.
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Enjoy!
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