Thank you, Melissa of Real Food Eater for inspiring me to make my own granola. Her original recipe for Homemade Soaked Granola made me ask myself, “What in the world are you waiting for?” Plus, while I was away on Fall Break I ate once a day at a raw foods truck called Raw and Juicy, and my once turned into twice when I tried their raw granola with acai sauce, bananas, and a side of carrot juice. YUM!

I had to have raw granola and bananas when I got home.

Raw granola really isn’t very difficult to make. It just takes a little extra time. But it’s not stand in the kitchen time. It’s soak and wait time while you go about your business, work, or play. It’s dehydrate time while you sleep, watch all the movies in a trilogy, or run a marathon.

People say that eating raw takes too much time. But most of the “time” can also be spent doing something else.

Can you make granola without sprouting?  Sure! But why skip it when soaking provides benefits like these?

• Improved taste. (Walnuts are no longer bitter.)
• Increased enzyme activity
• Improved digestibility
• Spiked nutrient profile as the sprouting process begins

You can make this granola and crumble it up like a cereal or keep it in chunks for more of a crisp.  Either way, it’s delicious with a cup of coffee for breakfast or for a quick snack.

It also makes a great gift for the health foodie on your Christmas list who will wrinkle up her nose at one more cookie-in-a-jar or hot-chocolate-in-a-jar. Surprise her with your healthy alternative!

Heck, you can skip the jar and just scoop this into a bag.

Anyway you like it, just enjoy!

Raw Soaked Granola

by Heather

Ingredients:

• 1 c. almonds, soaked for 12-24 hours
• 1 c. pecans, soaked for 12-24 hours
• 1 c. walnuts, soaked for 12-24 hours
• 1 c. sunflower seeds, soaked for 12-24 hours
• 10 dates, soaked for 1 hour
• 2 apples, cored and cut in eighths
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 c. grade b maple syrup
• 1 c. soaked oat groats

Directions:

1. Soak all nuts and the sunflower seeds in separate bowls for 12-24 hours. Drain and rinse every 6 hours or so.

2. Soak oat groats in a medium bowl overnight. Rinse and drain in the morning.

3. Rinse and drain all nuts and coarsely chop them, one kind at a time, and mix them together in a large bowl.

4. Then place all other ingredients in the food processor and process until combined but still chunky. Mix together with the chopped nuts and sunflower seed mixture.

5. Crumble onto teflex dehydrator sheets in the dehydrate at 115 for 12-16 hours depending on desired crunchiness or chewiness.

Options: Mix in your favorite dried fruit or coconut.

Yields 2 quart jars of crumbled granola

Readers, dish!

• What is your favorite kind of granola?
• Have you ever tried to make your own?
• Do you soak your nuts? Why or why not?

This recipe is shared with:

• Gluten-Free Monday hosted by Heidi of One Creative Mommy
• Fat Tuesday hosted by Jill of Real Food Forager
• Slightly Indulgent Tuesday hosted by Amy of Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free
• Gluten-Free Wednesdays hosted by Linda of The Gluten-Free Homemaker
• Real Food Wednesdays hosted by Kelly the Kitchen Kop
• Allergy Free Wednesdays hosted by Tessa the Domestic Diva , Amber of The Tasty Alternative, and friends.
• Keep it Real Thursdays hosted by France of Beyond the Peel
• Raw Foods Thursdays here at Gluten-Free Cat
• Wellness Weekends hosted by Ricki of Diet, Dessert & Dogs
• Healthy Vegan Friday hosted by Gabby of The Veggie Nook
• Dehydrator Recipes Thursdays hosted by Lea of Nourishing Treasures