The most delicious Paleo, Gluten-Free GRANOLA ever

4/19/2016

The most delicious Paleo, Gluten-Free GRANOLA ever

Does anyone else lose all self-control when eating cereal? It's just way too easy to keep refilling that big bowl of deliciousness - it's so simple but SO good. I don't even allow myself to buy cereal because it's always what I crave right before bed at like 11pm when the last thing I should be eating is CEREAL. Maybe it's because of my old sorority days - coming back to the sorority house at 2am where everyone's favorite late night snack was a huge bowl (ok, several huge bowls) of cereal from the giant dispenser of goodness - I'm talking Lucky Charms, Frosted Mini Wheats, Honey Bunches of Oats . . . all the best (AKA worst) ones out there. Those were the days. Fast forward several years to today, where I try to keep my diet relatively low-carb and focus primarily on healthy fats and protein. So what's a cereal-loving girl to do? The answer is simple - MAKE THIS GRANOLA. It's the perfect solution to my cereal cravings and it's gluten-free, Paleo (meaning no grains, no refined sugar, and no dairy), and full of fiber and healthy Omega 3s and Omega 6s! Obviously the best thing about this recipe is that it's absolutely delicious!

Thank goodness my coworker turned me on to the idea of Paleo Granola. From now on, it's going to be a staple in my pantry at all times. You may be thinking "grain-free granola? no oats? huh!?" YES, trust me - someway, somehow, it still has that oat-y, sweet, toasty, crunchy, clustery vibe that we all know and love about granola. You will be as hooked as I am. Ok let's get to it shall we? 

Ingredients
Recipe inspired by The Roasted Root
2 cups raw walnuts
2 cups raw cashews
1 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup dried cranberries or golden raisins
1 egg white
2 tbsp water
3 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Yields 2 quarts of granola

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Add the walnuts, cashews, and pepitas to a food processor or blender and pulse a few times to roughly
chop the nuts. (Do not grind them into a fine meal - just a rough chop!)
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk, whisk, whisk the egg white with the water until it becomes bubbly and slightly foamy. Then add the coconut oil, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt, and whisk well to combine.
4. Pour the chopped nut mixture into the egg white mixture, then add the chia seeds, shredded coconut, and cranberries. Stir everything together to make sure it is evenly coated.
5. Spread granola mixture evenly on your parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until golden
and crispy. Stir once after 10 minutes of baking. Make sure to watch it carefully as it can burn on the outer edges and may need to be mixed more than once!
6. Remove granola and allow to cool. Do not break it apart until it's cooled for at least 10 minutes so 
you can get some nice clusters!
7. Use a spatula to get under the granola and break it up. Once cooled, store in a sealable glass jar.
8. Enjoy with almond milk, on top of yogurt, on top of a smoothie bowl, with your chia pudding or just alone as a snack!

I love this recipe because it's super flexible and you can alter it however you'd like. No matter what, it will always be delicious. Choose your favorite nuts first - if you'd rather go with almonds, pecans, or macadamia nuts, do it! Want em all? Why not! Try adding sunflower seeds and/or flax seeds. Swap cranberries for raisins. The possibilities are endless! 

Eating this granola with almond milk and sliced strawberries made me so happy - it took me right back to my sorority-girl-cereal-monster days . . . but much healthier this time! :) 

Happy wellness Wednesday, friends! Wishing you all a very healthy and delicious week!