Gluten Free Cranberry Almond Coconut Granola

Gluten Free Cranberry Almond Coconut Granola

Gluten Free Cranberry Almond Coconut Granola

I don't know if you've ever tasted Costco granola but I'm pretty sure they put crack in it.  I can't shove it in my face fast enough.  I had to quit.  I wanted to make my own.  It had to have that chewiness and, at the same time, that crunch.  That's a tough combo to pull off and believe me I've been trying.  Some either stayed too soft and just fell apart when I tried to pick it up or was so dry and flaky it felt like I just put everything in a bowl and stirred.  Well, no more!  I set out to make a recipe that struck the balance and I finally figured it out.  I am so giddy to share this with you right now.  I also snuck in a few hidden goodies that are sometimes a challenge to incorporate into your diet.  I contemplated calling this "wreck the kitchen granola" because, well, it kind of explains itself, but trust me when I say, it's worth it.  It makes a nice big batch that will last a while.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups raw almonds
2 cups gluten free rolled oats
1/2 cup organic flax seeds
1/4 tsp Himalayan sea salt
1 cup pitted dates
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
3 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 cup organic raw honey
1/4 cup organic maple syrup
4 Tbsp water

Use Organic whenever you can

Directions

Set the oven to 350º.

Rough chop one cup of the almonds and place on a baking sheet.  To that, add the coconut, rolled oats and sunflower seeds.  Lightly mix with your fingers then place in the oven for 10 minutes, or until a light golden brown.  Take out and allow to cool.  Turn your oven down to 300º.

While the mixture is cooling take the remaining half cup of almonds and 2 Tbsp of water and place in a food processor.  Process until you have a paste.  Place in a bowl and set aside.

Next take the dates and add them to the food processor with 2 Tbsp of water and pulse until you have a paste.  Place in the bowl with the almond paste and set aside.

On the stovetop in a small saucepan combine the coconut oil, honey and maple syrup.  Bring to a boil then turn off the burner.

Pour your dry, toasted ingredients into a bowl, add the cranberries, flax, salt and give it a quick stir.  Pour the oil mixture over the ingredients and stir.

Next add the almond and date paste and stir until well distributed throughout the rest of the ingredients.

Pour onto a silicone lined baking sheet and pat to a 1/2 in thickness.










Bake for 25 minutes.  Take the granola out of the oven and gently turn over the granola using a spatula.  You're doing this to make sure the edges don't get too brown while it's baking.  Pat back down firmly and return to the oven.  Continue baking for an additional 5-10 minutes or when it reaches a golden brown.  Remove from the oven and place the pan on two potholders and cool for 30 minutes.  It's an important step in order to let the granola cool enough to clump together.  Break into bite size pieces and store in an airtight container.  I'd love to tell you how long it keeps but we go through it so fast it never has a chance to go stale.