My mom’s granola recipe is somewhat legendary. Apart from a few variations, my mom has been making this same granola recipe since I was a little kid. It’s light and delicious for breakfast or as a snack. I use it to make my Vegan Chocolate Protein Balls and even blend it with my Vanilla Protein powder from Arbonne, fruit and nut milk for the Ultimate Breakfast Smoothie.
This granola recipe has never been published before by our family, but it was adopted from a recipe a book my mom cherished called Diet for a Smaller Planet by Frances Moore Lappé. (Published in 1971, the bestselling book is credited to be the first to note the environmental impact of meat production.) I asked my mom if I could share her version of the granola recipe now because it is a staple part of our picnic breakfasts during our annual Morning Yoga by the Lake. In anticipation of the upcoming sunrise retreat in August, I thought this recipe might be well appreciated.
Full disclosure: I have never actually made this granola myself. My mom, Marta (a retired physical education teacher and now a yoga teacher and guide at the Museum of Fine Arts in Montreal), makes copious amounts of granola and generously gives large jars of it to my brother and I. This said, my mom says it is easy to make.
Ingredients
- ½ – 3/4 cups Sweetener: Agave syrup or Maple syrup
- ½ cups Coconut oil or grapeseed oil – healthy cooking oils with a high smoke point
- 1 tbsp. Vanilla extract
- ½ tsp. Sea Salt
- ½ cup Sesame seeds – raw
- 1 cup Pumpkin seeds – raw
- 2 cups Coconut slivers – unsweetened
- 7 cups Large rolled oats – could be gluten-free*
- Optional: Cinnamon, Nuts, Raisins, Dried Cranberries and/or other small pieces of dried fruit.
*Oats are by nature gluten-free, but they are often grown with wheat and become cross-pollinated, which means that there could be some gluten compounds (a protein) in conventional oats. For celiac or people highly sensitive to gluten, it is therefore recommended to use certified gluten-free oats.
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees;
- In a large pot on the stove, heat oil, sweetener and vanilla until the mixture is thin;
- Turn stove off;
- Stir in the remaining ingredients in the order given. Make sure each ingredient is coated with the sweet mixture (except for the coconut and rolled oats which you will just have to mix in);
- Put the mix into a large baking dish and place in the middle rack of oven;
- The cereal will begin to toast in about 15 minutes;
- Once it has begun to brown, stir it every 10 minutes up to about 20 more minutes;
- Turn heat off and leave granola in oven to continue toasting with the door slightly open for an additional 45 mins;
- Check occasionally to ensure it is not scorching;
- Let cool on the counter.
How to enjoy my mom’s granola – Be creative!
- Enjoy with fruit, almond or coconut milk or with your favourite yogurt!
- Add this granola into a trail mix of nuts and dried fruit for a snack
- Blend it into a smoothie (you need a good blender for this)
- Use it to make protein balls – Click here for a recipe!