Tropical Macadamia Nut Muesli

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~ raw, vegan, gluten-free ~

One of the best parts of eating cereal for breakfast is the milk at the bottom of the bowl… you know, those last few mouthfuls of sweet heaven?!  This cereal didn’t fail that test. Cinnamon, pineapple and mango swimming in sweet milk almost makes you feel as though you were just awarded “breakfast dessert.”

Must I soak my oats?

As you have noticed as you thumb through all my muesli recipes that I talk about soaking the oats prior to creating the recipe.  If you click on the link below, it will tell you how and why, but I just wanted to quickly say that there is a lot of power in soaking grains. For some,  life-changing or better yet….  digestion-changing!  You choose what works best for you.

Must I soak my muesli?

When it comes to enjoying a bowl of muesli, I prefer to eat it soaked overnight. Once you introduce this type of breakfast cereal into your menu, you will start to figure out what your desired consistency is.  As far as the liquid goes,  that is entirely up to you. There is a huge selection out there, raw nut milk (thickened or thinned to your liking), coconut milk, juice, or yogurt… regardless of your choice, it will pair perfectly with your muesli.

I don’t eat macadamia nuts all that often, mainly due to the expense, but they are sure a wonderful, buttery tasting treat for the times that I do.  They pair so beautifully with the tropical flavors of the pineapple, mango, and coconut.  It’s just a sun-kissed island explosion to help you start your day.  But don’t take my word for it… make it yourself and let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

yields roughly 8 cups dried cereal

• 4 cups gluten-free rolled oats, soaked
• 1 cup raw chopped macadamia nuts, soaked
• 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds, soaked
• 3 1/2 oz (by weight)  dried mango, soaked & diced
• 3/4 cup dried pineapple, soaked & diced
• 1/2 cup Medjool dates, soaked
• 3/4 cup dried coconut flakes
• 2 Tbsp cold pressed coconut oil, melted
• 2 Tbsp chia seeds (soaked in 1 cup of water for 30 minutes)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt

Preparation:

1. After the oats are through 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 the oats in a large bowl.
2. After soaking the nuts and seeds, drain, discard the soak water and add to the bowl with the oats.
3. If the dried fruit is really hard and tough, soak them in enough warm water to cover them for about 15 minutes.
4. Drain the soak water and add just the dates, soaked chia seeds, coconut oil, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in the food processor, fitted with the “S” blade.  Process until everything is well combined.  Pour into the oat bowl.
5. Add the mango, pineapple, and coconut flakes… all ingredients should now all be in the big bowl!  Mix everything well.
6. Spread the batter on the teflex sheets that come with the dehydrator.
   • If you don’t have those you can use parchment paper, but don’t use wax paper because the granola will stick to it.
7. Dehydrate at 145 degrees (F) for about 1 hour, reduce heat to 115 degrees (F) for about 4 hours and then flip the batter over onto the mesh screens that comes with the dehydrator, peeling off the non-stick sheet.
   • Continue drying for about 16-24 hours or until desired dryness is reached.
   • The dry time will always vary, based on your climate, humidity, the make/model of your dehydrator and how full it is.
8. Once it is completely cool, it should crisp up even more. At this time, in small batches, place the dried cereal in a food processor and pulse just enough times to break it down to a small crumble.
9. Store in a glass sealed containers for 2-3 weeks on the counter or even longer in the freezer.
10. I suggest 1/2 cup of muesli + 1/3 cup of non-dairy milk, yogurt, or fruit juice.  Soak or not to soak… that is up to you.

• Dates are an amazing ingredient for raw food recipes,  click (here) to read why.
• Why do I specify Ceylon cinnamon?  Click (here) to learn why.
• 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, Dehydrated, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, Vegan