Cinnamon Raisin Winter Pear Cereal
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Who doesn’t appreciate a hearty granola cereal for breakfast!? This one is packed full of flavor and nutrition. To be honest, it tasted just as good before I dehydrated it. I could have eaten a bowl of it then! So keep that in mind if you don’t own a dehydrator or have the extra time.
You can customize this recipe as well by adding any of your favorite dried fruits to it. It would taste excellent with freshly sliced bananas on top as well. Here I am serving it with fresh almond milk that I had just made, along with some dried pear chunks.
Make sure that whichever fresh fruit you choose to use, is delicious and ripe! Taste test it before you use it because poor ingredients can make or break the recipe. I have made it with both apples and pears, and I almost enjoyed the pear one over the apple… and I am an apple lover. :)
I should make sure to point out that this cereal doesn’t dry to a crispy crispness. It retains a slight chew, which is perfect because it gives the cereal a nice hardiness.
And as far as the sweetness goes… select and use the one that you most prefer. I have made it with a mix of honey and maple syrup and it turned out to be our favorite.
I published this recipe on 2/18/11. Today, I made this and just fell in love with it all over again. I took some new photos and cleaned up my preparation section. My recipe writing skills have gotten so much better as the years have passed. :) I hope you have a blessed day. Please comment below! amie sue
Ingredients:
Yield roughly 8 cups dried
- 4 cups gluten-free rolled oats, soaked
- 4 cups organic apple or pears, chopped (3 medium apples)
- 3/4 cup raw or almond cashew butter
- 1/4 cup raw honey or maple syrup
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 1/2 tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup shredded dried coconut
Preparation:
- Soak the oats, as indicated in the link above.
- Once done soaking, drain and rinse the oats for about 2 minutes under cool water.
- Hand squeeze the excess water. Set aside.
- In the food processor, fitted with the “S” blade, place the chopped apples/pears, nut butter, sweeteners, coconut oil, cinnamon, and salt… process until the fruit is chunky in texture and everything is well mixed. Pour into a large bowl.
- Add the oats, raisins, and coconut. Mix well. I like to use my hands… get in touch with my food. :)
- Spread the mixture evenly onto nonstick teflex dehydrator sheets.
- The mixture should be no more than 1/4″ thick, the thinner you spread the mixture, the quicker it will dry.
- Dehydrate at 145 degrees (F) for 1 hour, then reduce to 115 degrees (F) for 8-10 hrs or until dry.
- Partway through the dry time, flip the granola over onto the mesh sheet that comes with the dehydrator and peel off the nonstick sheet.
- Continue to dry. This cereal doesn’t dry crispy, crumbly dry. It has a nice subtle chew to it.
- This cereal will try to fool you. Towards the end of the dry time, remove a few pieces, and let them cool. Test for doneness. Once it cools, it tends to crisp up.
- Once cooled, lay the sheet of dried batter on the cutting board, and with a sharp knife, chop into small pieces. Think cereal-bite sized pieces.
- Store on the counter in a sealed container for 2 weeks, fridge 2-4 weeks, and the freezer for 1-3 months.
The Institute of Culinary Ingredients
- Raw honey isn’t vegan, but I still use it now and again. Read (here) why I like to.
- Why do I specify Ceylon cinnamon? Click (here) to learn why.
- What is Himalayan pink salt, and does it matter? Click (here) to read more about it.
- Is coconut butter the same as coconut oil? Click (here) to find out.
- Are oats gluten-free? Yes, read more about that (here).
- Are oats raw? Yes, they can be found. Click (here) to learn more.
- Do I need to soak and dehydrate oats? Not required but recommended. Click (here) to see why.
Culinary Explanations:
- Why do I start the dehydrator at 145 degrees (F)? Click (here) to learn the reason behind this.
- When working with fresh ingredients, it is essential to taste test as you build a recipe. Learn why (here).
- Don’t own a dehydrator? Learn how to use your oven (here). I do, however, honestly believe that it is a worthwhile investment. Click (here) to learn what I use.
© AmieSue.com
Tags: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, Vegan
Wow! This looks so amazingly delicious! I love raw cereal!:) it is one of my favorite comforting foods:) this recipe looks so easy and simple to make. I will defiently make this soon!
BTW, did you use raw rolled oats? Thanks:)
Hello Miliany,
I can’t remember if I did on this recipe. I always try to and suggest for you to, but I do realize that it can be tricky finding them. I have to order them, I have yet to ever find them in a store. I love cereals too! I hope you try some out here. Have a wonderful weekend! amie sue
Hi Amie Sue
I love Your site and your spirit !
I made this recipe and it’s been 24 hours dehydrating and it is still not as dried and crunchy as I would like. I used wet oats after soaking . Should I have used dried oats? Maybe the coconut oil will solidify when it cools and it Will be crunchier.
Thank Christi! I appreciate your kind words. I would take it out and let it cool, often times it will crisp up at that point. I hope you enjoy it! amie sue
You were right , Amie-sue ,it did crisp after it cooled. It’s delicious ! Thanks again.
Awesome Christi. I had a feeling it would. Some dehydrated stuff can be like that. Enjoy and have a blessed weekend! amie sue
Hi Amie Sue! Love, love, love your site and creative ideas! Completely beautiful and yummy. I discovered your site by mistake and have been thankful for it ever since. I would say I visit it daily as you have COMPLETELY opened my eyes to a whole world of food I knew nothing about…raw food! I cannot wait to make this cereal. Quick question: can I use raw almond butter as a substitute for cashew butter in this recipe? Thank you, Audrey
Good morning Audrey,
I am so glad that you stumbled upon my site and find great enjoyment within it. :) I share my passion, hoping it becomes infectious.
To answer your question on the nut butter… you are usually always safe to exchange the almond and cashew butters. In this recipe, it is just fine. Keep me posted if you make it. Blessings, amie sue
Amie Sue, thank you so much. I made it and it was delicious! I have to confess….I do not own a dehydrator (yet) and had to cook it in the oven on the lowest setting for about 6 1/2 hours. As this is all new to me, I’m hoping this still counts as healthy?? Thanks so much.
Hello Audrey,
Indeed it still counts as healthy. :) You made it with whole, best quality ingredients… that right there is a huge step in the right direction. It is a far greater choice that boxed cereals. Good job! Happy to hear you enjoyed it. Blessings Audrey and keep in touch. amie sue
Hi there! Which of your granola recipes do you recommend for someone who likes it really crunchy? Thanks in advance for your time!
a
OH gosh, hard to say… they can all be dried nice and crunchy unless I specify that it is chewy. I like these two for starters: https://nouveauraw.com/raw-recipies/granola/raw-fall-harvest-granola-brittle/ and https://nouveauraw.com/raw-recipies/granola/nutty-gingerbread-granola/
Just remember that is a granola has a lot of dried fruit in it, it will be chewy. :) Blessings, amie sue