Maple Pecan Cluster Granola

Dear Mother Nature,

Please stop snowing. We are running out of places to put it!

If you'd let me rant for a brief second; I've had enough of these frigid temps and constant shovelling. And since moving somewhere warmer is out of the question right now, I am ready to just go live on the ski hill until the snow melts. Yes that is the one good thing about all this lovely winter... Fresh powder! Although that might prove difficult as many of the ski hills around us closed up yesterday for blizzard conditions. How often does that happen? I mean really, you know it's bad outside when. 

Ahem (*clears throat*). Thanks for listening to my rant. Now let's get to the food!

I've got another granola recipe to share today. If you love cluster's in your granola then you're in for a treat!

Homemade granola is fairly big in my house. Once it's out of the oven it doesn't last very long. I recently experimented with using egg whites in my granola, adding them to the wet ingredients of the recipe. I was sceptical at first and thought it was a weird addition, but they really do help bind everything together and create some pretty big clusters. I mean just check out some the clusters I picked out in the photo below.

This granola is not too sweet and of course made from all-natural ingredients. The maple syrup really shines through. The vanilla and sea salt also helps to round out the maple pecan flavour. It's incredibly delicious and smells out of this world good.

Hello new oatmeal topper!

I might just have to make another batch this week. The first one is nearly gone. Enjoy!

Maple Pecan Cluster Granola Gluten-Free, Vegan Option, Vegetarian | Yields: 5 cups

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Ingredients:

WET INGREDIENTS

• 2 egg whites (*vegan option: 2 tbsp chia seeds)
• 1 tbsp coconut sugar (or other unrefined sugar)
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch sea salt 

DRY INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces
• 1/4 cup raw unsalted sunflower seeds
• 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
• 2 tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup raisins

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 275˚F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together wet ingredients until thoroughly combined. If you are making the vegan version swap the egg whites for 2 tbsp of chia seeds. Stir in dry ingredients, except coconut and raisins, and mix well to coat everything evenly.
3. Turn the mixture out onto prepared cookie sheet and spread evenly. Bake until golden brown and dry, about 40 to 45 minutes, stirring halfway through.
4. Remove from oven and stir in shredded coconut and raisins. Let the granola cool completely before enjoying and storing. Store in an airtight container. It will keep fresh for up to two weeks. If you store the container in the refrigerator it will stay keep fresh longer. 

Notes:

*When making this recipe with chia seeds instead of egg whites, let the wet ingredients sit for 1 - 2 minutes before stirring in the dry ingredients.

To make this recipe gluten free make sure to use uncontaminated oats. 

Nutritional Information (with egg whites):

Serving Size: 1/2 cup Calories: 172 | Fat: 6.5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Carbohydrates: 26g | Sugar: 12g | Fiber: 3g | Protein: 3g | Sodium: 38mg | Cholesterol: 0g

Nutritional Information (with chia seeds):

Serving Size: 1/2 cup Calories: 174 | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Carbohydrates: 26g | Sugar: 12g | Fiber: 3.6g | Protein: 3.7g | Sodium: 27mg | Cholesterol: 0g

Maple Pumpkin Granola

Is it breakfast time yet?

As we get further into fall and closer to the holiday season I find that my ideas for recipes and blog posts are coming at me left and right. What's up with that? Autumn is one of my favourite times of year. Maybe that has something to do with. There's so much fresh local produce to choose from, pumpkin is in abundance, and warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger are working their way into everyday baking.

I'm keeping things on the simple side today. I've had this granola recipe in my head for a while now. I think I stumbled across a recipe online, and then again, while I was at the grocery store I saw some quinoa granola on the shelf. I thought hey that's a great idea, you can up the protein of the granola and add some extra crunch action at the same time. Brilliant! Quinoa is such a perfect addition to granola.

It's always more fun to DIY. Enter this recipe.

After I rinsed the quinoa I tossed it in with the rest of the dry ingredients, gently heated up the wet ingredients and mixed them together, I baked it to perfection without stirring. Instead, I rotate the pan in the oven once or twice for even baking. This way you get all those lovely clusters of granola. The only hard part is not touching it when it comes out of the oven and letting it completely cool.

After you feast your eyes on this homemade granola you'll be longing for lazy weekend mornings.

Maple Pumpkin Granola gluten free, vegan, vegetarian | makes about 5 cups

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Ingredients:

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinse
• 1/3 cup pumpkins seeds
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted (or other vegetable oil)
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup pumpkin purée
• 1/2 cup dried cherries (or other dried fruit)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, slivered almonds, salt and spices.
3. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and pumpkin purée. Pour over the oat mixture and mix until combined.
4. Spread the mixture out evenly onto prepared baking sheet, pat down, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Remove from oven and sprinkle the dried cherries over top of the granola. Let cool completely, then break up into pieces and serve, or store in an airtight container.

*Tips*

• I find that not stirring the granola while it bakes is one of the keys to getting tons of clusters. So instead of stirring, just rotate the cookie sheet a couple times during baking to ensure even browning.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 1/2 cup Calories: 275 Fat: 13g Saturated Fat: 4.6g Cholesterol: 0mg Carbohydrates: 33.7g Sugar: 12g Sodium: 52mg Fiber: 4.5g Protein: 7g