Zesty Orange and Cranberry Granola
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~ raw, vegan, gluten-free ~
Cranberries… they are zesty, tangy, and bursting with red freshness! They evoke autumn hues and a celebratory flavor. When you think of fresh cranberries does your mouth pucker just at the mere thought of them as mine does?
I have been doing some interesting reading on cranberries, and I want you to know that we need to embrace that lip-puckering sourness. Sour taste increases bile production from the liver. Bile breaks up fat into little tiny bits that are easier to digest, a process called emulsification. By flushing bile, sour taste assists the liver in detoxifying the blood. Cranberries are also high in antioxidants which detoxify free radicals.
In this recipe, I added the complementary flavor of orange as well. Did you know that orange zest stimulates metabolism and reduces stomach stagnation?
Make a batch of this granola and once it is done, enjoy the sumptuous flavors that will tantalize your taste buds. Just be aware that without you even realizing it … a whole host of incredible health benefits is taking place in your body. Sneaky huh? :)
For the spices in this recipe, I used the contents of the Fire Light Chai Tea bags. I simply cut the bags open and poured them into my batter. I love using teas in this manner because you can find really unique flavor combinations. Feel free to use any cinnamon or chai tea mix that you can find.
Ingredients:
Yields 12 cups
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups rolled, gluten-free oats, soaked
- 1 cup raw hazelnuts, soaked
- 1 cup raw walnuts, soaked
- 1 cup raisins
Wet Ingredients:
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1/2 cup raw applesauce
- 3 bags Fire Light Chai Tea, contents only
- 1 orange, segmented, flesh only
- 1 Tbsp orange zest
- 1/2 tsp liquid stevia
Preparation:
- After soaking the oats and nuts, we need to drain and discard the soak water.
- Be sure to rinse the oats in cool water for about 2 minutes. Hand-squeeze the excess water from them.
- Feel free to rough chop the nuts if you want smaller pieces in the granola.
- Place the oats, nuts, and raisins in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In the food processor, fitted with the “S” blade, pulse together the; cranberries, applesauce, tea bag contents, orange flesh, and zest and stevia.
- Pulse just enough times to break up the cranberries but don’t over-process into a sauce. Pour into the bowl with the oats and nuts. Mix together until everything is well coated.
- If you don’t have access to fresh cranberries, you can use dried cranberries. They will be sweeter. You can also use organic frozen cranberries. Defrost and drain any liquid from the bag before using.
- Spread batter on the teflex sheets that come with the dehydrator and dry at 145 degrees (F) for 1 hour, then reduce to 115 degrees for 15-18 hours, or until dry.
- Dry times will always vary depending on your climate, humidity, how thick or thin the batter is spread, and how full the machine is.
- Once cooled, store in an airtight container on the counter for 1-2 weeks, in the fridge for 2-3 weeks, and even longer in the freezer.
The Institute of Culinary Ingredients™
- Click (here) to learn why I use stevia.
- 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 important 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 truly 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, sugar free, Vegan
this looks so good! and perfectly festive! thanks for sharing :-)
For the rolled oats: do you soak and then dehydrate it or do you use it the way it is from the store?
You can do it either way. Soaking the oats first will help rid it of some of the phytic acid. See the following link on soaking / dehydrating the oats.
https://nouveauraw.com/raw-recipies/breakfast/soaking-oats/
I made the granola and loved it! I did dehydrate the oats first and then dehydrate it before making the granola. The only change is to add a small amount of honey. So far, it’s my favorite!!!! Thanks for having so many wonderful recipes out it for us to try!
I am just thankful that you were inspired to try it! Thank you for sharing the end result with me, I love hearing about it all. Have a blessed holiday! amie sue
I never thought of putting the contents of herbal teas into granola before. Can you add other herbal teas to make different kinds of granola? Is there any herbal teas that should be avoided in recipes? If would be fun to try other kinds of granola with other flavor organic herbal teas.
Thank you for your speedy answers.
Good evening Marlene :)
I use tea contents quite often in my recipes… I love the different blends that they come up with. I can’t think of any that I wouldn’t recommend except to say that it boils down to; your tastes, are you ok with caffeine or do you need to seek caffeine -free ones or are you allergic to any of the ingredients in them… it’s pretty much up to you. Check out some of the brownie recipes that I have on here that use tea contents to, for ideas :) Blessings! amie sue
I just made this granola and like every recipe I’ve tried of yours it turned out wonderful. I wasn’t sure about the stevia as I normally don’t like it, but it was perfect without any bitter aftertaste. I did add a few drops of citrus therapeutic grade essential oil.
Here’s to breakfast. thanks again.
Thank you for trusting me Joanne. :) Happy to hear that you are enjoying it. I love that you added the essential oil to it. I just started selling/using essential oils myself. Have a wonderful day. hugs
Hi Amie-sue, this is my favorite granola so far from the 7 I have tried of yours. Love all the others, but particularly love the orange flavor pop from this batch.
Wonderful … just like you 🙂
I LOVE raw granola recipes… which might be obvious based on how many recipes I have for it. haha I find that you really can’t go wrong with them, using whatever ingredients you have on hand. I appreciate the feedback. blessings and hugs, amie sue