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Vanilla Spice Grain-Free Granola

Course: Breakfast, Snack
Author: Suzie Bauer

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Raw Almonds
  • 1/2 cup Raw Pecans
  • 1 cup Raw Cashew Pieces
  • 1/2 cup Raw Sunflower Seeds
  • 1/2 cup Shredded Unsweetened Coconut
  • 1 cup Raisins
  • 5 Tbsp Coconut Oil
  • 1/4 cup Maple Syrup
  • 2 scoops Vital Proteins Vanilla & Coconut Water Collagen Whey
  • 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 1 pinch Fine Sea Salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 280F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set aside.
  • In a food processor, combine almonds and pecans, and pulse until chopped into very small pieces. Transfer the nuts into a large mixing bowl.
  • Add the cashew pieces, sunflower seeds, shredded coconut and raisins to the mixing bowl and stir to combine.
  • In a small sauce pan, melt the coconut oil. Once melted, add the remaining ingredients. It’s best to only add one scoop of the collagen whey at a time and stir until smooth. 
  • Pour the liquid mixture over the dry ingredients and stir to evenly coat.
  • Transfer the mixture to the baking sheet and spread out in a thin, even layer. 
  • Bake for 30 minutes. The granola will still be slightly sticky, but will crisp up as it cools. Allow the granola to cool completely on the baking sheet, then break it apart into small, bite-sized pieces.
  • Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks. You have some mad skills if you can resist it enough to keep it around that long!

Notes

**A note on soaking nuts and seeds:

Nuts and seeds all contain phytic acid which is essentially the plant’s defense mechanism. When consumed, the phytic acid acts as an anti-nutrient which can actually steal vitamins and minerals from the body. They also happen to contain enzyme inhibitors which can steal nutrients from the body as well. 
When nuts and seeds are soaked for an extended amount of time in salt water and then dried, the phytates and enzyme inhibitors can be neutralized, making them much easier to digest.
To soak and dry nuts and seeds: Add your nuts and seeds to a large glass bowl and cover with filtered water so that they are full submerged. Add about a tablespoon of unrefined sea salt to the water and swirl everything around. Cover the bowl with a towel and set in a dark, warm spot for 8 hours or overnight. Drain out the water and spread the nuts and seeds on a large baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in the oven at 170F for 12-24 hours. Use a spoon or spatula to move the nuts and seeds around a few times while they’re drying. When you get past 12 hours, be sure to check on them more frequently to prevent burning. The nuts should be crisp when they’re done. From there you can follow the recipe above as written!