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VANILLA NUT GRANOLA

 

Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Cooking
by Beverly Lynn Bennett & Ray Sammartano
Enjoy this crunchy and slightly sweet blend of oats, nuts, and coconut as a cold breakfast cereal, as a snack, or as a topping for nondairy ice cream or sorbet.
Prep tune: 5 to 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 to 40 minutes
Yield: 4 cups
Serving size: 1/2 cup dry granola

INGREDIENTS
• 4 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup raw sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup raw pecans, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup oat bran
• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup raw hemp seeds or ground flax seeds
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 3 TB. water
• 3 TB. safflower oil
• 1 TB. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. pure almond extract
Choice of one or more for individual servings:
• Soy milk or other nondairy milk of choice
• Soy yogurt of choice
• Sliced fresh fruit or berries

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly oil a large cookie sheet.

2. In a large bowl, combine oats, coconut, almonds, pecans, oat bran, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, cinnamon, and cardamom.

3. In a small bowl, combine maple syrup, water, safflower oil, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients, and stir well to combine.

4. Transfer oat mixture to prepared cookie sheet and spread out into a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes.

5. Remove from the oven, stir granola with a spatula, spread out into a single layer, and bake for 15 more minutes. Stir granola again and bake for 15 to 20 minutes longer or until golden brown and dry.

6. Let cool completely and then transfer granola to an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place for up to a month. Enjoy bowlfuls of granola topped with your choice of soy milk, soy yogurt, and sliced fresh fruit or berries.

Variation: If you like your granola with big chunky pieces, only stir once, watching carefully and rotating trays to avoid burning. When granola is cool, break up into big pieces.

Sour Grapes: Granola often contains excessive amounts of fat, salt, and sweeteners, including the non-vegan honey. When purchasing granola, compare brands and carefully check nutritional labels and ingredients.