Recipe - Kirsty’s ‘Almost Keto’ Granola
Photo by Olivier Amyot on Unsplash
There is something incredibly satisfying about making your own granola — and it is so much less expensive than most superior brands you find in health food shops.
This granola is so good I have to make it in a double batch. Every single time. Consider yourself warned.
What I love about this one is that it genuinely feels like a treat. The pecans give it a buttery richness, the coconut flakes toast up beautifully, and that pinch of sea salt against the cinnamon is the detail that makes it. For those of us in post-menopause the fat and protein from the nuts and seeds means you stay satisfied for hours with steadier blood sugar - no more mid-morning crash.
Perfect with a few tablespoons of 5% Greek yoghurt and some organic berries. I genuinely look forward to eating this.
Make a batch on a Sunday and it keeps in an airtight jar for two weeks — though in my house it rarely lasts that long.
(For a strictly keto version, substitute the honey/maple syrup with a few drops of liquid stevia or monk fruit sweetener to taste.)
Ingredients
2 cups mixed nuts
½ cup pecans
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup coconut flakes
2 tbsp organic coconut oil
1 tsp raw honey or maple syrup
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp sea salt
1-2 tbsp goji berries (optional)
1-2 tbsp organic cacao nib (optional)
Preheat oven to 150C
Roughly chop the nuts and seeds (a very brief hit in a food processor works well) - place in a large bowl.
Add the coconut flakes, sweetener of choice, cinnamon, and salt, and give it a quick toss.
Warm the coconut oil a little in a saucepan to melt, and pour over the nut mix, and combine well so everything is well coated.
Spread evenly over a large baking sheet and pop in the warm oven for about 20 - 25 minutes - giving it a bit of a mix halfway through. (Be sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t start to burn. When done it should be slightly golden brown and aromatic.)
Allow it to cool completely, and then transfer to an airtight container - adding the goji berries and cacao nibs if using.