Who doesn't like home made granola? My friend Britney makes a fabulous vegan version. So delicious! She is fabulous at making desserts, snacks and smoothies! But since I am trying to add as much raw cuisine into my diet as I can, I had to try Matthew Kenney's Cranberry Maple "Grawnola" from his Raw Food Real World cook book. Let me just say that it's so good that did not last long at all in our house. I need to make another batch right away.
You can eat this as a stand alone snack, as a ceral or in your favorite yogurt. So delicious. It does take a little preparation, but it's so worth the effort. Here's the recipe...
CRANBERRY MAPLE GRANOLA
INGREDIENTS:
1 apple, cored and chopped
1-1/2 cups dates, soaked in warm water until soft and pitted
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup sun flower seeds, soaked 2 hours or more
2 cups almonds, soaked 4 hours or more
3 cups pecans, soaked 2 hours or more
1 cup pumpkin seeds, soaked 2 hours or more
1-1/2 cups dried cranberries
In a food processor, place the apple, dates, maple syrup, lemon juice, orange zest, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and 1/4 cup of the sunflower seeds and process until completely smooth. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
Add the remaining 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, the almonds, pecans, and pumpkin seeds into the food processor (no need to rinse between uses). Coarsely chop the nuts and seeds in a few quick pulses. Add them to the bowl with the apple mixture, add the cranberries and combine well.
Spread the granola onto your lined dehydrator tray and dehydrate at 115 degrees for 6 to 8 hours. Flip the granola over onto the dehydrator screen removing that lined tray and deydrate for another 8 to 12 hours or until the granola is crunchy. Cool and store in an airtight container. Storing it in the refrigerator will help maintain its freshness longer, for up to a few weeks.
Enjoy!
Here's my soaking pic from Instagram (I apologize for the quality - a little blurry but you get the idea)...
