The OG Nut and Seed Granola
THE WHY BEHIND THIS RECIPE
This is my EVERY WEEK granola and once you’ve made this you’ll realize how easy it is to riff on by adding tahini (for a nutty taste), coffee grounds (a perfect use for ground you’d otherwise throw away!) or swapping out some of the spices for turmeric to make a savory granola.
Why should you make your own granola? Store bought granolas often have added sugars, seed oils, or are sneaky blood sugar spikers because they have brown rice or oats, leading to a high carb count. My granola is mostly nuts and seeds so it’s packed with micronutrients and it’s blood sugar friendly. It’s also so much more cost effective to buy nuts in bulk at Costco and make granola at home vs. buying a bag (often in plastic) every week!
Ways I eat this every week include:
On top of organic greek or A2 yogurt with berries and cinnamon
In a small cup with 1/4 cup almond milk as an afternoon snack
On top of smoothies for a little crunch
In a small cup with 1/4 cup almond milk + some dark chocolate chips as an evening, post-dinner treat
BY THE HANDFUL 😋
There is truly nothing better than when your house smells like granola, so this is one of those little things I do every week to not only support my metabolic health but bring me JOY at home.
Serving size: 1/4 cup, total servings about 24 (but it only lasts about a week in our house…)
WHAT YOU NEED
5 cups of nuts and seeds of choice (I like pumpkin seeds, slivered almonds, pecans, walnuts, pistachios)
Optional: Swap out 1 cup of nuts for 1 cup of sprouted oats. When I’ve tested this on my CGM I’ve found I can maintain blood sugar balance with just a minimal amount of oats.
1 cup raw, unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup flax seeds or hemp hearts (YAY FIBER!)
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 1/2 tbsp vanilla
1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp cardamom (more if you love cardamom like I do!)
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
HOW TO DO IT
Preheat oven to 300.
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss until nuts are coated with oil and seasonings.
Spread mixture evenly on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake at 300 (low and slow!) for 30-40 minutes. Check in on your granola at about 30 minutes. It should be a light brown and lightly toasted.
SWAPS, TIPS & TRICKS
Mixing up your nuts and seeds: You can use any mix of nuts and seeds you like or have on hand. My favorites are pumpkin seeds, slivered almonds, pecans, walnuts, pistachios but I’ll often just use whatever ones I have on hand, sometimes adding macadamia nuts or hazelnuts.
Oats: If you’ve found you can tolerate some oats without a blood sugar spike, swap out one cup of the nuts for 1 cup of oats! I often do this as I’ve found when I pair a few sprouted rolled oats with nuts (read: with protein and healthy fats), I can keep my blood sugar stable.
Sprouted oats are whole grain seeds that have started to germinate, but are harvested earlier than regular oats. The sprouting process activates nutrients in the oats so they are higher in magnesium, protein and free amino acids. (PMID: 32932082)
Tahini: Another option is to add 2-3 tablespoons tahini for an extra nutty flavor
Spices: Feel free to substitute cardamom for any other spices. Pumpkin pie seasoning is great in the fall!
Nutritional Info
Per serving, makes about 24 servings
Calories: 305
Total Fat: 30g
Carbs: 8g
Fiber: 4g
Net Carbs: 4g
Protein: 4g
Sugars: 2g
