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In this Vanilla Cinna-Yum Grain-Free Granola, I swapped out the “typical” oats for a mixture of seeds and sprouted nuts—making it completely gluten-free and Paleo-friendly. Fragrant vanilla, maple syrup, and cinnamon give these crunchy clusters the classic granola taste you crave, minus the artificial ingredients.
Oh, I do love my cinnamon, but not just ANY cinnamon. I strictly use Ceylon cinnamon, which you can read more about (here). Back when I was around the age of twelve, a group of us sat around playing, Truth, or Dare. It was all innocent, and the ideas we came up with were harmless until it became my turn. I took a dare. I was dared to eat a spoonful of cinnamon. I rolled my eyes backward and let out a smirk. How easy is that?!
Soon a spoon of cinnamon was being presented to me. Without hesitation, I grabbed the spoon and dumped the whole spoonful into my mouth. Commence choking-hazard! The more I choked, the deeper my inhales pulled the fine powder into my throat! That was a vicious cycle that felt as if it wasn’t evergoing to end. I ran to the bathroom, trying to spit the contents of my mouth into the toilet. Friends gathered as I choked and gasped for air. It seemed like an eternity as tears rolled down my cheeks from choking and from the fear of passing out.
After some time, the issue resolved itself, and here I sit, sharing my story. Shew, that was a close call. Thankfully, the tragic event didn’t affect my love for cinnamon. Moral of the story, if you craving cinnamon, eat a spoon of Vanilla Cinna-Yum Grain-Free Granola NOT a spoon of cinnamon powder! Just saying.
I intended for this granola to be low-sugar. If you wish for it to be sweeter, go ahead and add more maple syrup, but be sure to give the batter a taste test before doing so. If you’re not opposed to using stevia and you want this granola to be a bit sweeter, I would recommend using the same about of maple syrup but add liquid NuNaturals stevia until it reaches the level of sweetness. This way, you get that sugary hit without it affecting your insulin levels too much.
Excellent question, my friend. First off, did you know that all nuts and seeds contain phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors? For those of you who have been around for a while, this is old news, BUT I can’t skip this teaching opportunity for those of you who are new to this way of eating. Phytic acid interferes with the body’s ability to absorb nutrients.
While many traditional cultures naturally soaked or sprouted nuts/seeds, this practice is no longer common, mainly because it’s time-consuming. For me, it is a regular practice. It’s simple, inexpensive, and can significantly increase the nutrient content of the nuts/seeds you consume, therefore, it’s a no-brainer to me. Frankly, it’s your call whether you skip this process or not. If you are on the fence about this process, do a test. Eat some nuts raw, unsoaked, and dried. Then try some that have been soaked and dried.
Throughout the taste testing trials, I found that once the granola had sat in milk (enjoyed it as a cereal), the vanilla flavor really popped. The milk also helps activate the chia seeds and flax, giving it a more porridge-like texture. It’s a great snack as well, but my favorite way of eating it is with macadamia milk. Umm mmm. blessings, amie sue
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