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Raw Cranberry Maple Granola

This is a delicious and versatile raw gluten-free granola that I absolutely love! It is soooo....easy to make. You will need a dehydrator, a food processor, some nuts & seeds, an apple, dates, maple syrup, orange zest, vanilla, cinnamon and sea salt. You will also need to make some nut milk. The way I like to eat this granola is to put just a bit of it in a bowl with lots of fresh fruit, like chopped bananas, whole blueberries, strawberries, etc. The granola is really heavy, so you don't need much to satisfy you. Then I top it with some fresh raw almond milk-YUMMY and satisfyingly good!! The granola will stay fresh in the refrigerator for weeks.

Soaking nuts and seeds and then dehydrating them to their crispy state again, helps aid in their digestion. If you soak or sprout them, then you not only neutralize enzyme inhibitors, phytic acid, and lectins, you also have prepared the nut or seeds for optimal absorption for your body. This is similar to sourdoughing grains for bread to make them more digestible.

Ingredients: (Makes 10 cups)

1 apple, cored and chopped

14 regular dates soaked in 1/2 cup water (save soak water to make paste)

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons orange or mandarin zest

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

1/2 cup sunflower seeds, soaked 2 hours or more (drained & rinsed)

1 cup almonds, soaked 4 hours or more (drained & rinsed)

3 cups walnuts, soaked 2 hours or more (drained & rinsed)

1 cup pumpkin seeds, soaked 2 hours or more (drained & rinsed)

1 cup dried cranberries (sweetened with fruit juice)

Directions:

1) In a food processor, place the apple, dates & date water, maple syrup, lemon juice, orange zest, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and 1/4 cup of the sunflower seeds and grind until completely smooth. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl.

2.) Add the remaining 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, the almonds, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds to the food processor. Coarsely chop the nuts and seeds in a few quick pulses. Add them to the bowl with the apple mixture, add the cranberries and combine well.

3.) Spread the granola on either fruit roll or Teflex-lined dehydrator trays and dehydrate at 115 degrees F. for 6 to 8 hours. Remove granola from the fruit roll or Teflex trays and place directly on the screens. Continue dehydrating for another 8 to 12 hours, or until the granola is crunchy. Break into pieces and, once completely cooled, store in an airtight container. To maintain freshness longer, store the granola in the refrigerator for up to a few weeks.

Recipe inspired by: Raw Food, Real World.

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Permalink Reply by Sunny Hicken on March 16, 2012 at 10:42am

I recently started dehydrating, and don't know what a Teflex-line tray is. I have fruit roll trays, a screen, and then the rack itself. What should I use for the granola first? Do I need to get something new? And wow, not even any oats ...

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Permalink Reply by The Health Seekers Kitchen on March 16, 2012 at 12:27pm

Hi Sunny,

You are going to love this granola. Your fruit roll trays will work perfect for the first stage of this granola. I am going to mention that in my post, instead of using Teflex-liner-thank you! I have three different dehydrators and have used them all for the granola. Just spread your mixture out evenly on two of the fruit roll trays. Dehydrate 6 - 8 hours and then remove the granola from the fruit roll trays and place directly on the screens. Continue dehydrating for another 8 - 12 hours, or until crunchy. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator and it will lasts for weeks! You can also use pecans instead of walnuts and raisins instead of the cranberries. Please let me know how it turns out and if you have any additional questions:)

Stay healthy!

Debbie