This homemade granola recipe has a Middle Eastern twist, featuring pistachios, pomegranate, currants, and rosewater .

Even healthified granola recipes tend to stick to the basic flavor combinations, so it’s extra delightful to nosh on this recipe, which surprises the palate with flavors you normally don’t associate with granola (think: floral). And homemade granola is ideal if you’re a control freak (like me). It allows you to monitor what goes into the mix, from the choice of sweetener and fat to the variety of add-ins.

Enjoy it by the handful or pair it with homemade lavender rose almond milk, which takes the experience to a whole new level and will validate your gourmet baking chops.

Before you make this recipe, consider preparing a homemade version of rose water. Sure, you could buy some, but don’t homemade ingredients always feel and taste more authentic and satisfying?

Middle Eastern-Inspired Homemade Granola Recipe

Serves six

Ingredients

• 3 cups gluten-free rolled oats
• ½ cup sesame seeds
• ½ cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup raw almonds, chopped
• ½ cup coconut palm sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
• ¾ cup pistachios, chopped
• ¾ cup dried sour cherries
• ½ cup currants
• 2 teaspoons rosewater

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, seeds, almonds, coconut palm sugar, cinnamon, and ginger.

In a small bowl, whisk together the applesauce, maple syrup, olive oil, and pomegranate molasses. Pour the wet mixture into the oat mixture bowl. Use clean hands or a spatula to massage or fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until evenly distributed.

Transfer the granola to a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Spread the granola so that it makes for an even layer. Place the baking sheet into the oven for 50 minutes, or until the granola is lightly golden-brown. Stir the granola every 15 minutes while it bakes.

Remove the granola from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes. Lastly, add in the pistachios, sour cherries, currants, and rosewater. Stir until the add-ins are evenly dispersed throughout the granola mixture. Let cool to room temperature before storing in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

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The post Middle-Eastern-Inspired Granola with Pomegranate Molasses and Pistachios appeared first on EcoSalon.

Introducing: Kale Granola! That’s right. Kale made way into your smoothies, soups, salads, and chips, and now it’s in your very own homemade superfood granola recipe.

Kale is anywhere and everywhere. It’s the go-to superfood attraction and readily available in most supermarkets. And if you think kale’s potential has been exhausted at this point, you couldn’t be more wrong. The following kale granola recipe is an easy way to make your granola that much healthier and unique.

You can make this granola recipe with a dehydrator or the oven. You can also replace the dried fruit, nuts, and seeds components with those you like the best. The cranberries are tart and sweet, balancing well with the more earthy ingredients in this recipe, but you could also use chopped dried apricots, dried figs, or dried raisins. Experiment with the nuts and seeds components by introducing pecans, macadamias, chia seeds, peanuts, hazelnuts, or cashews. Whatever you do, keep the kale in the recipe – it’s what makes it so special and unique. Meanwhile, other greens won’t really hold their shape and overall integrity after being cooked (kale stays in form and gets crisp). Enjoy!

Superfood Granola Recipe With Kale

Makes 5-6 cups

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried cranberries, soaked
• 1.5 cups chopped kale
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, liquid form
• Sea salt to taste
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup flaxseeds
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes
• 5 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
• Up to 3/4 cups water

The post Vegan Superfood Granola Recipe With Kale (Yes, Kale!) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Granola is one of those “health” foods that can be quite misleading. While some brands seem virtuous with their organic labels and promise of only natural ingredients, they are still quite heavy due to all the oils, syrups, and sugars. And while some of their ingredients, such as oats, nuts, and dried fruits are in and of themselves nutritious, their calories can add up and ultimately leave you feeling weighed down. That’s why I put together a straightforward homemade granola recipe that keeps the bulk at bay but still provides the crunch and flavor.

Let’s take a popular brand of granola – Nature’s Path’s Hemp Plus Granola – and analyze its nutritional facts. The granola contains rolled oats, evaporated cane juice, soy oil, brown rice flour, flax seeds, hemp seeds, oat syrup solids, sea salt, and molasses. While the ingredient list is relatively short and completely organic, there are some reasons for concern. In one serving size – 3/4 cup — there are 260 calories, 90 fat calories 10 grams of fat, 10 grams of sugar, and 36 grams of carbohydrates. The fat and sugar grams are high in such a small serving and even more alarming is the source of the sweetness. Cane juice, brown rice flour, oat syrup solids, and molasses are not the kind of ingredients that scream wholefood. They’re sweeteners and flavor enhancers that do little in the line of nutritional benefit. Also cause for concern is soy oil. Soy oil is high in linoleic acid, also known as omega 6, which is detrimental to your health since it tips the omega-6:omega-3 ratio in favor of the far more common and easily accessible omega-6. This imbalance leads to inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and brain disorders.

The following recipe for homemade granola uses rolled oats, almonds, and apricots as well as maple syrup, a sweetener that doesn’t overwhelm your blood sugar levels, and safflower oil, a fat the includes a healthy balance of omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. The safflower oil can also sustain baking temperatures and has a subtle taste that lets the other ingredients shine through instead.

Homemade Almond Apricot Granola

Makes about 3 cups

Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1/2 cup almonds, chopped
• 1/2 cup dried coconut flakes
• 2 tablespoons safflower oil
• 5 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix together the oats, apricots, almonds, and coconut in a large bowl. Set aside. In a saucepan over high heat, combine the maple syrup with the oil. Whisk and then bring to a boil. Once the bubbles have covered the surface of the mixture remove from heat and pour into the oat mixture. Using a spatula, mix the granola until all is evenly covered. Add the salt and mix again. Spread granola on parchment-paper-lined baking dish. Cook in the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, mix and re-spread the mixture on the baking dish and pop back into the oven for another 5 minutes. When finished, the granola should be lightly browned. Let sit at room temperature until it cools.

Photo Credit: SweetOnVeg, GlowKitchen

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