5.29.2017

dark chocolate raspberry granola

Now that Adaline is almost 4 months old and we've gotten into a nice routine with 3, I've been able to spend more time cooking, baking and trying new recipes. Being in the kitchen has always been something I really enjoy and that gives me life. It's one of those things I do for "me" and I know I'm a better Mom to my girls when I am filled up; I have more to pour out to them. 

One of my favorite cookbooks, Against All Grain, has been my go-to lately when it comes to trying new recipes. Last week I made a version of Danielle's grain-free paleo granola and it was such a hit I have plans to make it again soon. So many of you asked for the recipe when I shared a peek on my instastories @blessednestblog, so I thought I'd post it here!


This recipe can easily be modified with your favorite freeze-dried fruit and while it's a little bit of work up front, it's well-worth it for how delicious it is. It's completely grain-free but you'd never know it. We love it on top of unsweetened coconut yogurt, in a bowl with almond milk or just as a snack by the spoonful. The original recipe calls for strawberries but raspberries & dark chocolate is one of my favorite combinations, so I went for that instead. It also says to let the granola cool completely before mixing in the dark chocolate chunks, but I wanted it to melt and almost coat the granola, so I did it shortly after I removed the trays from the oven and used closer to 1/2 cup versus 1/4. Enjoy!


what you'll need
1 cup raw almonds
1 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup raw pecan halves
1/2 cup raw hazelnuts
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon golden flaxseeds
1 3/4 teaspoon sea salt, divided
1 cup honey
3 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons raw cacao
1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup dark chocolate chunks
1/2 cup freeze-dried raspberries or strawberries
large food processor + 2 baking sheets lined with parchment

what you'll do
1 / place all the nuts and seeds in a bowl, add enough water to cover by 1 inch and stir in 1 teaspoon of the sea salt; cover and let soak for 24 hours

2 / after 24 hours when you're ready to make your granola, preheat the oven to 170° degrees

3 / drain the nuts and seeds and place on a paper towel to absorb the remaining water; transfer to the bowl of a large food processor and pulse the nuts until they're the size of oats

4 / place the honey, coconut oil, cacao and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat until the cacao has dissolved; add to the food processor with the cinnamon and remaining salt; pulse twice to combine

5 / pour the mixture into a bowl and mix in the coconut with a spoon; turn the mixture out onto 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spreading evenly into thin layers

6 / once the oven is heated, put the baking sheets in and use a wooden spoon to keep the oven door open just a crack to let the moisture out; after 2 hours, carefully stir the granola; dry for another hour at 170°; after the additional hour drying, turn the oven off, close the door completely and dry for 1 more hour -- so 4 hours total in the oven: the first 3 at 170° with door slightly open, the final hour with the oven off and door completely closed

7 / after 4 hours of drying, remove the baking sheets from the oven and let cool; once cooled, mix in the dark chocolate chunks and freeze-dried raspberries or strawberries; store in a glass jar or airtight container

Hope everyone has had a wonderful long weekend!! If you make it, I'd love to see how it turns out! Post a photo in your stories or on your feed and tag me @blessednestblog so I can see! XO

1 comment:

  1. Can you do a blog post about your routine with 3 kiddos? I would love to read that!

    ReplyDelete


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