HEY KIDS! Head over to the Virtual Vegan Potluck website to find out who the winners are – selected by readers – from the December 13 Potluck! After reading this post, of course…
This is what happens when you open the cupboards and pull out all of the jars and boxes of “superfoods” that you can find in there, then you drizzle them with some pure Chardon, Ohio maple syrup (I love these guys – this ain’t no affiliate link, BTW), sprinkle on the cinnamon and you bake it low and slow. Crunchy, sweet, not-so-bad-for-you goodness.
Let’s talk about some of those superfoods:
Hemp Seeds
- contain essential fatty acids, protein, fiber, A, E, D, and several B vitamins
- hemp seed oil may help clear up skin issues like eczema and dry skin
- contain a natural appetite suppressant
Chia
- energy booster
- helps balance blood sugar levels
- good source of soluble and insoluble fiber
Goji Berries
- antioxidant polyphenols may protect against cancer by repairing cells
- may help protect against vision loss
- contain 11 essential vitamins and 22 trace minerals
Maca
- energy booster
- reduces levels of the stress-related hormones, cortisol and adrenaline
- lowers blood pressure
But the most important thing is, how does the granola taste, right? Let’s just say it doesn’t taste healthy. I shared this at Virtual Vegan Linky Potluck!
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
- 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup goji berries
- 1/4 cup cacao nibs
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1/4 cup hemp seeds
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. maca powder
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 4 Medjool dates, pitted and soaked in water for an hour, drained
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- Preheat the oven to 250-degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, stir together the oats, pecans, goji berries, cacao nibs, chia seeds, hemp seeds, cinnamon and maca powder.
- In a high-speed or regular blender, process the tahini, dates, maple syrup and coconut oil until smooth (a few bits of date is fine). Pour this mixture in with the oat mixture and stir thoroughly, making sure the seeds and powders are really mixed in.
- Spread the granola onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes or so. The granola will still be soft when you first take it out of the oven, but it crisps up as it cools. Let it cool completely before putting it in an air-tight container.
- My trick for keeping the parchment paper from sliding around when I stir the granola is to spritz the pan in a few places with cooking oil. Then I place the parchment down and squiggle it a little. Adheres like a dream!
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Just saw the VVP results, can’t believe I came in second! Close call or far off, I’m humbled to be among all those amazing bloggers. Your granola looks and sounds amazing! And I love that long bowl you have. Putting it on my list as it’s made of all my favorite things!
This looks SO good! I love homemade granola and for once have all the ingredients lying around to make this asap! I never quite know what to do with hemp seeds, because they don’t quite seem like something that chews very easily? Sounds silly but I was never sure if you first had to grind it down to be digestible like flax seeds. Either way, yum!
They’re pretty tender, actually. But I have also seen them as a “meal.” Anyway – this is a good way to use them :-).
I figure this is sort of similar to my former irrational fear of chia seeds, which I thought looked rather sinister until I actually tried them in a couple of recipes and fell deeply in love 😉
This looks so good my friend!! Love all the superfoods you got going on in there! I have never tried hemp seeds before…I’ve heard they are nasty and heard they are good, lol! I guess I need to test them myself
I wouldn’t munch on them plain, that’s for sure. They have a grassy flavor – not bad, but for me they definitely need to be with other more tasty things :-).
Mm I am really feeling like granola right now, this looks delicious! I have only tried homemade once or twice but never with such delicious results 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
And infinitely customizable :-)!
I’m laughing at this Granola cause except for the tahini and the cinnamon, I have every one of these ingredients in the smoothie I’m drinking right now…….sans the yummy Ohio Maple syrup I’ve heard you brag about, mine’s boring D. C.
If I’d made this granola I wouldn’t have had to wake the house up making my drink this morning, duhhhh!
Looks great and I’m thinking it’s time for a mildly sweet travel snack for my long road trips this month. Thanks Luvy ♥
Granola Smoothie! Sounds great!
So much goodness! I like that it doesn’t seem too sweet either. I haven’t made granola in ages, this is great inspiration
I feel energized just looking at these photos. What a yummy granola, and perfect to top a smoothie!
Super powers!!!
Or on top of some vegan ice cream…
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This moring, I made your divine Gf superfoods granola! My house smelled just wonderful,…it is very delicious indeed!
I served it with home-made unsweetened almond milk,…so good! Xxx Happy, fun culinary 2015! Xx
Awesome! Glad you liked it! Same to you, Sophie!
i am loving the bright bright photographs! i need to make more granola to snack on this month. sitting and writing means nut snacking which is showing now.
I can’t wait to make this Annie! Looks amazing and I have a stack of all these superfoods which need a more interesting use than a sprinkle on oats!! <3
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sorry…I meant to write…is the nutritional analysis for one eighth (a serving)?
Hi Joreena – yes. Keep in mind 2 things: I didn’t measure how much this recipe makes (d’oh!); and the nutritional analysis is approximate. I don’t enter that info, it’s calculated for me when I enter the recipe ingredients.
Looks so good! I use hemp and chia in my granola as well, but I have never tried macha… I need to make a new batch and this time I am going to try it. Thanks for sharing your recipe!