Super Hippie Granola
- Yield: 6 cups
Ingredients
- 1 1/2cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2cup raw Brazil nuts, coarsely chopped
- 1/2cup raw shelled sunflower seeds
- 1/2cup raw whole almonds, coarsely chopped
- 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2tablespoons melted unrefined coconut oil
- 1/2cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4cup brown rice syrup
- 2tablespoons water
- 1tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4cup dried apricots, diced
- 1/4cup dried goji berries
- 1/4cup dried Hunza mulberries
- 1/4cup golden raisins
Instructions
- Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a large, heavy baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the oats, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.
- Heat the coconut oil in a small, heavy saucepan over low heat. Add the maple syrup, rice syrup, water, and vanilla, and whisk just until blended and heated through. Drizzle the syrup mixture over the oat mixture, and stir with a whisk to coat. Spoon the granola mixture evenly over the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the granola for about 40 minutes, or until it is golden brown and clusters form. As the granola bakes, gently stir it about every 15 minutes with a fork to ensure it cooks evenly but being careful not to break up the clusters. Add the dried apricots, goji berries, mulberries, and raisins and continue baking for 10 minutes longer.
- Set the granola aside to cool (it will become crunchy when cool).
- The granola can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Cooking Tip: You’ll need to melt the coconut oil before measuring it. In a small saucepan, place 2 generous tablespoons of solid coconut oil over the lowest heat and melt. Once it’s liquid, measure to 2 tablespoons of oil.
Variations: It’s fun to experiment with some of the superfoods, but don’t let these unusual ingredients or their unavailability turn you away from making granola: While they are easily found in many areas in natural foods stores, you may choose to substitute dried coconut, cranberries, cherries, dates, or figs. Golden raisins add a beautiful color, but any black raisin or currant will do. Feel free to use your favorite nuts and seeds; I often use walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts.
—From Vegan Family Meals by Ann Gentry/Andrews McMeel Publishing
