Cereal is my Achilles heel.
I used to pour a big bowl of crunchy Oh’s with milk at the end…and beginning…of a long stressful day. It was so darn comforting.
It’s funny how regular boxed cereal, filled with wheat and sugar, turned to air once I crunched it, never making me feel full. If anything, I’d be even hungrier by the second bowl.
All of those refined carbs, sugar grams and empty calories sure added up quickly. Traditional cereal is one of the fastest and most efficient ways that I know for gaining weight. Ugh. No thanks.
So what do I do with my need for crunchy cereal?
Why make a batch of this grain-free Real Healthy Granola, of course! This stuff really hits that crunchy-cereal-craving spot.
This stuff is uber filling so don’t expect to make it to bowl #2. The nuts fill you up and power your entire morning, and even into your afternoon.
I love to serve this granola up with a dousing of chilled, unsweetened coconut milk and fresh, ripe berries. Enjoy!
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup raw almonds
1 cup Pecans
1 cup Walnuts
3 tablespoons coconut oil
¼ cup raw honey
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons ground flax meal
2 tablespoons Ground Chia Seeds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ cup golden raisins
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup sliced almonds
Place the pumpkin seeds, almonds, pecans and walnuts in a large bowl of water, cover with a plate and allow to soak on the counter for a full hour. Drain and pat dry.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a double boiler, over very low heat, melt the coconut oil and raw honey. (Simple way to do this is to place the coconut oil and honey in a small skillet, then place that skillet into a bigger skillet that is filled with a couple of inches of water. This prevents the oil and honey from burning. Trust me, burnt honey is NOT easy to remove from a skillet…I’ve tried it.)
Once melted, remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Pour into a food processor along with the soaked/dried nuts, vanilla extract, almond extract, ground flax, ground chia seeds, cinnamon, raisins and sea salt. Pulse for 30-60 seconds, until the mixture reaches an even, granola-like consistency. Mix in the sliced almonds.
Pour the granola mixture over your prepared baking sheet. Spread it out evenly. Bake for 10 minutes, mix, and then bake for another 10 minutes. At this point you’ll need to assess if the granola is crunchy enough. If it’s not then return it to the oven in 5 minute increments, stirring after each one. Once your granola is crunchy and golden then it’s done.
I like to store my homemade granola in a glass jar in the fridge, this allows it to keep longer. Serve with chilled unsweetened coconut milk and berries, if you please. Enjoy!
Calories: 190
Fat: 15g
Carbohydrates: 9g
Sodium: 33mg
Fiber: 4g
Protein: 12g
Sugar: 5g