I have been making this delicious, super nutritious granola for years and it is unlike any other homemade or store bought.
I was originally turned on to the idea of a similar granola from a book called Eat Fat, Lose Fat, which talks about how certain types of healthy fats in the diet can actually help with weight loss. I have since created my own recipe that our whole family loves.
This granola is made by soaking the oats first, to neutralize phytates and make the nutrients more available and it doesn't have any refined sugar but is rather sweetened with real maple syrup, so it tastes great but it's also very nutritious!
e helper!
We like to make a large batch because it keeps very well for a few months in airtight containers. You can cut and divide the recipe as you please.
To make this granola you need:
15 cups organic rolled oats
2 cups of butter
4 cups of yogurt
3 cups of real maple syrup
1 to 3 cups shredded coconut
1 cup powdered cinnamon
1 to 2 cups nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans)
1 to 3 cups dried berries (raisins, blueberries, cranberries)
The first four ingredients are the granola, and the other ingredients are optional. I usually use everything listed for a dynamic and tasty treat!
First you melt the butter on low heat and then blend in the yogurt
Then you will pour this mixture over your oats and mix thoroughly
Make sure you distribute the yogurt/butter mixture evenly over and into all the oats
Then you will cover this container and leave the sit for 12 to 24 hours. The yogurt will help "activate" the oats, or, neutralize the phytates, which all grains have. This will make the finished product easily digestible as well as maximizing the nutritional content of the oats.
When I made granola this week, I did not have any properly prepared nuts. (If you aren't familiar with this please see my blogpost about soaking nuts here)
So I went ahead and soaked my walnuts, with the intention of adding them in to the granola the next day, after the oats had soaked too.
The next day you will mix in the Cinnamon, Maple Syrup, Nuts and Coconut to your Oats mixture. (Mix well!)
Once you have it all mixed together, spread onto dehydrator trays to finish in the dehydrator, OR on parchment lined cookie sheets to finish in the oven.
(As you can see I needed to use the bottom trays to dry my nuts separately this time, since I didn't already have the finished nuts to mix in. Normally I would've just had the granola mixture on all the trays.)
If you are using a dehydrator set at 155 degrees and place the lid on. If you are using an oven, set at 155 degrees if your oven goes that low. Most ovens tend to only go to 170, if that is the case, you can place your cookie sheets in the oven at 170, leaving the door cracked open several inches. The granola will usually be done in about 4 to 7 hours. Check it by grabbing a piece and breaking it. It should be dry, but not rock hard, with the the slightest bit of chewiness.
When your granola is finished you can break the pieces apart and add in some dried berries!
This granola keeps for months in airtight containers. It is so forgiving. You can even alter some of the ingredient amounts and still get a great granola. You can try adding in pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and even chocolate chips!
You can also substitute coconut oil instead of butter for your soaking. The main thing to stay consistent with is making sure your oats are soaked overnight in the yogurt mixture, and using maple syrup as the sweetener.