Paleo Granola
This grain-free granola offers the perfect balance of chewy and crunchy with appealing sweetness and spice. (Plus it's not sticky like many Paleo granolas!)Servings: approximately 7 cups
Ingredients
- 3 cups (180g) unsweetened coconut flakes (not shredded coconut)
- 1½ cups (127g) sliced almonds
- 1 cup (112g) raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- ½ cup (71g) hemp hearts or sesame seeds
- ½ cup (60g) raw sunflower seeds
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon*
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom (may substitute ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg)
- ½ cup (160g) pure maple syrup (could substitute honey or a mix of both)
- 2 tablespoons (30g) melted coconut oil (may use olive oil)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet (18x13-inches or half sheet pan) with parchment paper.
- Toss the coconut, almonds, pumpkin seeds, hemp hearts or sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, salt, cinnamon and cardamom in a large bowl.
- Combine the maple syrup, melted coconut oil and vanilla in a small bowl, and then pour over the coconut mixture and stir well to evenly coat. Spread the mixture evenly over the prepared baking sheet** and bake for 25 minutes, stirring once halfway through. At this point, if the mixture is not lightly golden and mostly dry, stir again and bake for 5 more minutes. The granola will continue to crisp as it cools.
- Store tightly covered at room temperature, where the granola will stay fresh for approximately 1 week. You may refrigerate or freeze for longer storage, but I like to store some at room temperature for best texture.
Notes
*My Aunt Peggy once used garam masala by mistake when making this recipe. Upon realizing, she added the cinnamon but omitted the cardamom. I tasted that batch and we both decided that the garam masala added something special, so feel free to try if feeling adventurous!
**Tip: Because food on the outside of a baking sheet browns quicker than what’s in the center, I push slightly more of the mixture towards the outside of the pan. Slightly thicker edges help everything to cook more evenly.
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