Sweet and Salty Coconut Cran Granola

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~ raw, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free ~

Do you ever create a recipe and deep down inside of you, you think that no one will really care for it?  Even after all these years of making raw foods, that little creepy voice pops up.  This was one of those times.  I am not sure why maybe because the ingredients seemed just too simple?  But simple is good!

I had a lineup of raw granolas spread out on my counter as I was getting ready to bag them for gift giving.  I had all my taste testers start with the other granolas, leaving this one at the tail end of the tasting experience.

After many nibbles and nods of approval, they made their way to this sweet and salty granola. First, tiny bite-size pieces were picked out of the container; then they started searching for large chunks, in the end, I had to snatch the container way to assure I would have some left for gift giving. hehe

Even my little sister who claims that she doesn’t like coconut said that she loved this granola the most and actually liked the coconut in it.

This granola is great all on its own but is amazing served up with almond milk.  For substitutions:  If you don’t wish to use oats, use a mix of nuts and seeds.  The recipe will be completely different, but that isn’t a bad thing either.  You can sub out the cranberries with raisins, dates, or any other dried fruit.  I strongly recommend keeping the raw coconut crystals in the recipe, it adds a great “brown sugar” taste to it.  And speaking of sweeteners, if you wish to swap out the maple syrup, you can use any liquid sweetener of choice.  Have fun with it!

Ingredients:

Yields 8 cups granola

• 4 cups gluten-free, rolled oats, soaked
• 1 cup sweetened cranberries
• 1/2 cup raw coconut crystals
• 1 tsp Himalayan pink salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup cold-pressed coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 cup maple syrup

Preparation:

1. After the oats are done soaking, drain, and rinse them under cool water for 2 minutes.
   • Use your fingers to agitate them while rinsing.
   • Hand squeeze the excess water from them and place them in a large bowl.
2. In a large bowl combine the oats, cranberries, coconut crystals, and salt.  Toss together.
3. Add the water, oil, and maple syrup and stir together.
4. Spread the batter out on the mesh sheets that come with the dehydrator.  I basically just let it drop off my fingertips onto the mesh sheet.  I didn’t force or spread it flat.
5. Dehydrate at 145 degrees (F) for 1 hour, then reduce to 115 degrees (F) and dry for 8 hours or until thoroughly dried.
6. Once cooled, store in air-tight containers.  On the countertop, I would give it about 7 days.  Fridge… 14 days and in the freezer… 1-3 months.

• Raw Coconut Crystals add a “brown sugar” flavor to a recipe.  Read about it (here).
• What is Himalayan pink salt and does it really matter?  Click (here) to read more about it.
• 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.

Tags: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Nut Free Option, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, Vegan