This Paleo granola is made of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit flavored with maple syrup and a hint of cinnamon. Clusters of crunchy, grain-free goodness!
Please welcome Becky Winkler of A Calculated Whisk, who will be sharing some of her favorite Paleo recipes from time to time on the blog.
A lot of people really miss cereal once they start eating Paleo. I’m not actually one of them, since I’ve always preferred a hot breakfast over a bowl of cereal with milk.
But this paleo granola is a different story: I can’t stop eating it! It’s great for breakfast with almond milk and fresh berries, or by the handful for a snack.
I even find myself choosing this over bacon and eggs on many a morning. If you’re new to the Paleo diet, you’ll be thrilled to realize that this is even tastier (and much more nutritious) than your favorite boxed cereal.
The base of this granola is a trifecta of nuts: almonds, pecans, and cashews. We chop them roughly in a food processor to get lots of little pieces along with a few bigger chunks and a bit of finely ground powder.
This gives the finished granola a nicely varied texture. Pepitas add another layer of crunch and nice pops of green. They're just the right size, so they don’t need to be chopped at all.
To hold the granola together, we whip an egg white until it holds soft peaks. Then, simply mix in the pure maple syrup, olive oil, vanilla, and a couple of warming spices.
The egg white helps form a light but crispy layer of flavor around the granola, and the sticky maple syrup allows it to develop clumps. During apple season, you can try Beaming Baker's Paleo Apple Pecan Coconut Crisp.
The granola bakes for forty minutes in a low oven, and needs to be stirred a few times. After it comes out, it must sit undisturbed for ten minutes so the clusters can form.
Once it’s rested a bit, we stir in dried fruit and if desired, cacao nibs—they add a hint of chocolate flavor and yet another layer of crunch. On top of being easy and fun to make, this granola will make your house smell wonderful.
This recipe also makes a nice big batch. You'll have plenty of Paleo granola for breakfast as a cereal stand-in, or for eating plain. It's also great for topping smoothie bowls, or for whatever else you can think of!