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The first recipe of 2018!!!!
Here we go! We are starting 2018 off strong with my favorite golden granola recipe!!!
Since it’s January I feel like I should have had a salad ready or a soup packed with veggies to detox a little from all of the Holiday indulging. Instead, this golden granola recipe flowed in the schedule. If you are craving salads try my warm curry salad with crunchy chickpeas. I am obsessed, and it’s served warm so that you can survive this arctic weather the world is going through.
It’s so cold in my drafty old kitchen that I sometimes turn on the oven just to warm up – nope nothing is inside of it. And by drafty I mean you can literally feel a “breeze” coming from the cupboards when you open them!
I know. A waist of gas. BUT it’s better than turning up the heat in the entire house. My kitchen is one of the coldest parts of the house in the winter and the hottest parts of the house in the summer LOL! Oh well, it’s the love I put into the food I make that matters, not the kitchen itself. Right?! RIGHT!
Okay this golden granola is super simple to make! Toss some rolled oats, raw cashews, flaked coconut, and buckwheat groats into a large bowl!
WAIT BUCKWHEAT GROATS IN GRANOLA?! Emily, are you insane?!
Sounds weird but they add a serious crunch and nuttiness that I love. Never fear, if you don’t have buckwheat on hand just swap it for more rolled oats. NBD.
Now for the spices: lots of turmeric, which is what makes this granola golden – a little ground ginger and cinnamon for flavor. AND black pepper.
Again, WHAT?!
Black pepper helps to absorb the health benefits of turmeric into our bodies (anit-inflammatory properties and lots of other amazing stuff). Don’t worry you won’t really taste it.
Vanilla extract for more flavor, maple syrup for a natural sweetness and a little coconut oil to help everything get nice and crunchy!
Stir together -> bake until golden -> cool until crunchy -> eat up!
And then you can just look at how gorgeous the golden color is of the turmeric – I mean it makes you feel good just looking at it, doesn’t it?!
Okay, you should probably eat some too because it’s tasty.
Super crunchy oats, buckwheat, coconut flakes, and cashews are all coated with sweetened turmeric and a hint of spice from the ginger and cinnamon.
My mouth is watering over here!
My fave way to enjoy this golden granola is to spoon it over plain fat free Greek yogurt and add an extra drizzle of pure maple syrup…just enough to sweeten up the tartness of the yogurt. Makes a great addition to my eggs in the morning or a good afternoon snack.
My second fave way is to eat it as cereal. It’s super crunchy and doesn’t get all soggy on you! I’m one of those people who can’t stand soggy cereal. Okay, that’s mostly because I don’t love milk on it’s own which makes me not love cereal. BUT super crunchy granola in milk is the way I like to roll!
When I first thought of this golden granola recipe I envisioned adding some chopped crystalized ginger because ginger and turmeric make a perfect flavor couple.
Flavor couple?! What? Please excuse me for my weirdness, I’m tired today LOL!
Anyways, I tried the crystallized ginger in some of the golden granola and didn’t love it. It was way too sweet and the strong ginger flavor detracted from the rest of the lovely subtle golden granola goodness. So I left it out. BUT if you wanted to add a little fruitiness I bet some golden raisins would be a good addition.
Not regular black ones, we gotta keep with the golden color theme, k?! Because we eat with our eyes first.
That statement is so true…especially after becoming a food stylist/food photographer I really appreciate a well photographed menu at a restraunt and a nicely styled plate of food. Not that I style my every day real life food, but it makes you re-think about just dumping food on your plate. I digress…read above statement about being tired today.
I’m so looking forward to having some of this feel-good, sunshine golden granola for breakfast tomorrow morning. Anyone else?!
Ooooh maybe I should have called it sunshine golden granola because it’s gold and beautiful like the sun! Who doesn’t need a little sun in their lives during winter?!?!
Yay for sunshine for breakfast! A great way to start the day if you ask me! 😉 Enjoy!
Favorite Golden Granola
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 5 cups 1x
- Category: Breakfast, Snack
- Cuisine: Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Description
Golden granola, to start your day off right. Packed with good-for-you turmeric and super crunchy ingredients: rolled oats, buckwheat, cashews, flaked coconut! Naturally sweetened with maple syrup. Eat it plain or sprinkle it on yogurt. So yum!
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free rolled oats
- 1 cup buckwheat groats*
- 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper**
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil (to prevent the turmeric from staining the baking sheet + easy clean up), set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients: To a large mixing bowl add the oats, buckwheat, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, salt, black pepper, cashews, and coconut flakes. Stir to combine.
- Stir in the wet ingredients: Add the coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Stir until everything is well combined.
- Bake: Transfer the granola to the prepared baking sheet. Spread out into a mostly even layer. Bake for 20 to 25 mintues, stirring after 10 minutes and then every 5 minutes until everything has browned slightly and smells amazing.
- Cool: Allow the granola to cool on the baking sheet, it will crisp up once cooled.
- Eat/store: Once cooled eat plain serve over Greek yogurt with a little maple syrup )my fave) or with some almond milk as a cereal – possibilities are endless. Store in air tight containers, mason jars work best. It will keep at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
*If you don’t have buckwheat groats on hand just swap them for 1 cup of the rolled oats. However, I love the crunch they add, so recommended. BUT make it work for you! 🙂
**black pepper sounds weird in a granola but it helps out bodies to absorb the nutritional benefits of the turmeric. Plus, it adds a nice little kick (ever so slightly)
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