granola

No-Bake Maple Walnut Granola Clusters

By in Breakfast, Snacks 8 Comments Tags: , , , ,

Maple Walnut Crunch

This recipe came about as kind of a mistake. I was attempting to make a new granola bar recipe using unprocessed sugars and the results were one crumbly, crispy granola bar that ended up basically just turning into granola. So we crumbled some up and made parfaits with unsweetened yogurt and fruit. Oh my goodness was it ever delicious!

It’s more nut heavy then a traditional granola, giving it that much more staying power and making it a great breakfast or snack to help power you through your day. It helps to sweeten and balance the tanginess of plain yogurt while also giving that much desired granola crunch. I now make it specifically for granola and yogurt parfaits. Since it’s no bake, it takes no time to throw together which makes it easy to whip up a batch any time I need. It’s especially convenient if I just don’t have the time to whip up a batch of homemade granola.

With all the berries coming into season soon, I’m looking forward to making this many times over the spring and summer months. Especially because I won’t have to turn on the oven and heat up my house to do so!

Maple Walnut Granola Clusters

For a sweeter taste, swap out 1/2 cup raisins (or other dried fruit) for 1/2 cup of the chopped walnuts. Stir in the raisins after toasting the oats and walnuts.

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 2 cups roughly chopped walnuts
  • pinch salt
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup

Place the oats and walnuts in a non-stick skillet set over medium heat. Allow to toast, stirring often, just until fragrant. Remove from heat and sprinkle with salt.

Place maple syrup in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; let boil for 2 minutes, or until large bubbles begin to form. Remove from heat and pour over oats and walnuts, stirring to evenly combine. Spread evenly onto a sheet of parchment paper. Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Enjoy in yogurt with fruit.

Makes: 4 cups

Peppermint Mocha Granola

By in Breakfast, Christmas, GF Mains 1 Comment Tags: , , , , ,

peppermint mocha granola

I’ve gotten into the habit of making a different granola recipe each month, depending on the flavours of the season. My family loves granola and it’s pretty hard to get sick of it when you’re having new flavours all the time.

December is the month of peppermint so naturally the first flavour combination to come to mind was peppermint mocha. After that idea popped into my head there was no going back. And, I have to say I was quite happy with the results. It’s a slightly indulgent, yet healthy way to start the day – all the flavour of a Starbucks Peppermint Mocha without the calories.

It also makes a great homemade edible gift, placed in a jar with a cute tag (these are some of my favourites) or a printed recipe card (I think these are super cute and you can fill out the form online). Whether you keep it all to yourself or share some with friends, I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

Peppermint Mocha Granola

  • 4 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup quick oats
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup sliced (or slivered) almonds
  • 1/3 cup coconut
  • 1/3 cup ground flaxseed
  • 1/4 cup warm water
  • 6 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup instant coffee granules (use decaf for kids)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
  • 4 oz. semi-sweet (or bittersweet) chocolate, chopped

Mix together oats, salt, almonds, coconut and flaxseed in a large bowl.

In a small saucepan combine water, oil, maple syrup, instant coffee, vanilla and peppermint. Bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and pour over oat mixture. Toss to coat.

Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray and line with parchment paper (this will keep the paper from sliding around). Using your hands, squeeze the granola mixture together to create clumps as you transfer it to the baking sheet

Bake at 275ºF for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and stir. Bake an additional 20-25 minutes, until browned and crisp (will continue to crisp a bit as it cools).

Allow to cool completely before  stirring in chocolate.  Store in a sealed container for up to one month.

Makes approximately: 8 cups

*Use gluten-free certified oats if making gluten-free.

 

Pumpkin Pecan Granola

By in Breakfast No Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

I had to squeak in one more pumpkin recipe before all the Christmas festivities get started around here. Next week I”ll be decorating my house and listening to Christmas music all day long, with no shame involved! But, it”s not quite that time yet so I”m giving you one last bite of pumpkin bliss before it goes out of style.

We hardly buy any boxed cereal anymore because homemade granola is so easy to make and so adaptable to different seasons. Max is going through a major granola phase –  it”s all he wants for breakfast. But, when it”s so full of goodness and so easy to make, it”s one obsession I can get on board with.

Make this granola with that last bit of pumpkin before all the peppermint and cranberry recipes start rolling in. Wee Hoo!

Pumpkin Pecan Granola

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

  • 2/3 cup maple syrup

  • 2/3 cup pumpkin puree

  • 4 cups rolled oats

  • 1 cup chopped pecans

  • 3 tablespoons sesame seeds

  • 1 cup dried cranberries

Stir together olive oil, salt, spices, maple syrup and pumpkin puree in a large bowl. Add oats, pecans and sesame seeds. Stir until evenly coated. Spread onto a baking sheet, allowing it to stay clumpy. Bake at 325°F for 35-45 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until mixture is dry and lightly browned. Stir in cranberries and let cool completely before storing in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Adapted from Simple Bites. Originally from The Sprouted Kitchen.

Maple Pecan Granola

By in Breakfast 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

I”ve come to love homemade granola. When I first discovered my favourite granola recipe, no store-bought granola could compare. And the fact that it”s sweetened with maple syrup instead of sugar gives it extra bonus points in my book! I”ve been craving maple and pecans lately so I decided to switch things up a bit and adapt the recipe to make it more maple-pecan-y. It was a good decision and I”ll be happily putting this recipe into rotation.

And, since it”s back-to-school, you can turn this into a portable breakfast by packing it into jars (or tupperware) for kids to take on the road – so if you have any late sleepers they don”t have to miss out on breakfast. Just don”t forget to pack a long a little bottle of milk! (I make my own using Starbucks Frappuccino bottles.)

Maple Pecan Granola

  • 4 cups rolled oats

  • 1 cup quick oats

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup chopped pecans

  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut

  • 1/4 cup ground flaxseed (optional)

  • 1/4 cup warm water

  • 6 tablespoons canola oil

  • 1/2 cup maple syrup

  • 2 teaspoons pure maple extract

  • 2/3 cup raisins

Mix together oats, salt, pecans, coconut and flaxseed in a large bowl.

In a small saucepan combine water, oil, maple syrup and extract. Bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and pour over oat mixture. Toss to coat.

Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray and line with parchment paper (this will keep the paper from sliding around). Using your hands, squeeze the granola mixture together to create clumps as you transfer it to the baking sheet.

Bake at 275ºF for 30 minutes. Stir in raisins and cook an additional 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned.

Allow to cool completely before storing. Granola will crisp up as it cools. Store in a sealed container for up to one month.

Makes approximately: 8 cups

(Healthier) No-Bake Granola Bars

By in Cookies & Bars, GF Sweets, Gluten Free, Kids, Snacks 6 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , ,

healthier no bake granola bars

It has been HOT here this week. We all tend to lose our appetites when it’s so hot out so we’ve been keeping mealtimes really simple by having lot’s of salads, fruits and veggies with a little side of grilled meat. I didn’t turn on my oven once this week, but in preparation for our camping trip coming up, I wanted to prepare some “baked goods”. Enter the delight of the “no-bake goods”.

I really like my original no-bake granola bars, but I didn’t make them too often because I started feeling guilty about the amount of sugar in them. Fine for dessert, but for a mid-day snack that I’m going to be feeding my children? Not so much. So, I tried out a new version, a healthier version, added a few more things to make it more nutritious and now I’ve got a no-bake granola bar without the guilt.

These granola bars are chewy and sweet, with the taste of honey, toasted oats and nuts and little bites of sweet, plump raisins. Package them up and bring them along on your picnics or trips to the beach. Who needs those wimpy store-bought granola bars when you can have such delicious ones, so simply, at home?

No-Bake Granola Bars

To make these gluten-free use gluten-free certified oats.

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
  • 1/2 cup dried fruit (I used raisins)
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • pinch salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium-sized skillet, toast oats and nuts over medium heat until fragrant. Remove to a bowl, along with dried fruit and set aside.

In the same skillet add butter, honey, brown sugar and salt. Cook until bubbling and then continue to cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour over oat mixture; stir well until evenly coated.

Press into a 8×8 inch baking pan, lined with parchment paper. Wet fingers to keep from sticking. You want the pack to be quite firm.

Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up. Using the edges of the parchment paper, remove from pan. Using a serrated knife cut the bars in half and then into 6, creating 12 granola bars. Store, covered, at room temperature. Separate with pieces of parchment or wax paper, if stacking on top of each other.

Makes: 12

Adapted from Lauren’s Latest. Originally from Rachael Ray.

Gingerbread Granola

By in Breakfast, Christmas 13 Comments Tags: , , , ,

Gingerbread Granola

Merry Christmas!! It”s less than a month away so I can officially say that now right? I”ve been holding off because I know so many of you had Thanksgiving to celebrate yet.

I think Canadians tend to start celebrating Christmas before Americans. Can you blame us? Our Thanksgiving is at the beginning of October and Christmas is the next big thing. What are we expected to do with all that extra time?

We have a tradition in our house of decorating for Christmas on the 24th of November. Of course, I start listening to Christmas music (my current favourite is Michael Bublé) far before that, but I have to hold off on decorating because I don”t want all those warm fuzzy feelings to be worn out by the time Christmas gets here.

I wanted to do the same for the blog so I forced myself to wait before sharing these yummy recipes with you. Now let the Christmas recipes begin!

Just the word “Gingerbread” conjures up warm fuzzy feelings in my soul. I can just hear the Christmas carols, see a fire flickering in a dimly lit room with the smell of spices wafting in the air and a mug of hot cocoa warming you up from the inside out. It”s amazing how food (or even the thought of food) can do that.

This Gingerbread Granola is a great way to start off the day with a Christmas-y feel. Molasses, cinnamon, cloves and ginger – all the flavours are there. But this is one gingerbread that you don”t have to hold back on. It”s healthy and wholesome with no added sugar. It”s also a breeze to throw together.

The perfect start to a cold and snowy day.

Gingerbread Granola

You can bake this in one large baking sheet but you”ll need to stir it more often and bake it longer, to make sure every piece gets crisp.

  • 1/3 cup molasses (not blackstrap)

  • 2 tablespoons canola oil

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

  • 3 cups rolled oats

  • 1 cup coconut

  • 1 cup walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts, chopped

  • 1/2 cup raisins

Whisk together molasses, oil, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves until well blended. Stir in oats, coconut and nuts until evenly coated. Spread onto two large rimmed baking sheets. Bake at 325ºF for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until oats are golden brown (if cooking both sheets at once, swap positions half way through baking time). Remove from oven and stir in raisins. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Makes approximately: 10 cups

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