Deliciously Crunchy Grain-Free Granola

This nutrient-packed Granola is a real favorite in my house. It can be used for a quick healthy breakfast or mid-day crunchy snack. Every couple weeks I make my Granola from what ever nuts, seeds and dry fruits I have at the moment. In this particular recipe I used dry turkish apricots and cranberries. Ideally I like to use dry cherries. The combination of apricots and cherries reminds me of my childhood and the small village I grew up in. Every spring our village would turn white because of blooming Apricot and Cherry trees. My grandma would dry apricots on top of the roof under a cheese cloth. As children we would climb on to the roof to snack on drying apricots . This granola can be sprinkled on oatmeal and yogurt, I also love to top my homemade chia seeds pudding with fresh fruits and my homemade granola

Ingredients:
  • 2 cups of raw almonds
  • 2 cups of raw walnuts or pecans
  • 1.5 cup of raw hazelnuts or cashews
  • 2 cups of raw sunflower seeds
  • 1 cup of raw pumpkin seeds
  • 1 or 2 tsp of cinnamon
  • pinch of salt
  • 2,5 cups of chopped dry fruits and berries of your choice.
  • In this recipe I used dry turkish apricots and cranberries.
  • 1/3 of melted coconut oil
  • 1/3 of maple syrup
  • vanilla extract
  • 2-3 tbsp of water

Instructions:
  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Roughly chop all the nuts. Next, mix nuts, seeds, cinnamon and salt in a large mixing bowl
  • In a separate bowl mix together melted coconut, maple syrup, vanilla and couple tbsp of water
  • Combine dry and wet ingredients and stir well
  • Line the baking sheet with non-sticky paper and spread granola mix evenly on top.
  • Bake it in an oven for 30-35 min or until desired golden brown.Make sure, to rotate granola every 5-10 min to ensure that it baked evenly
  • Remove the tray from the oven and while it is still hot, mix in chopped fruits and berries. The heat will enhance the flavor of fruits and berries into granola
  • Let granola cool down completely before you put it in a sealed glass jar. Keep it refrigerated for optimum freshness. Enjoy and be healthy!