Honey Coconut Granola

This granola is so simple and so delicious!  It's completely grain-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and free of refined sugar, and is safe for the GAPS diet.  

The only tricky thing about this recipe is remembering to keep a close eye on it while it's baking because honey burns very easily.  Do not let it overbake at all.  It will be moist when it comes out of the oven, but will harden as it cools.

Enjoy!

2 cups organic unsweetened coconut flakes (we used the fine flakes from Wilderness Family Naturals)
2 cups raw organic pumpkin seeds
2 cups raw organic sunflower seeds
1 cup local raw honey  (we used our own TPN Local Raw Honey)
2 Tbsp organic Vietnamese ground cinnamon (we used Frontier brand)
1 Tbsp natural vanilla extract (we used our own TPN Vanilla Extract, available at local markets and shows)
1/4 tsp sea salt (we used RealSalt)



Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Oil two baking sheets with sides with TPN Coconut Oil.  We used Pampered Chef Stoneware Large Bar Pans.

In a large bowl, mix together coconut, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.

In a small saucepan, mix together and gently warm the honey, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and sea salt.

Pour the honey mixture over the coconut and seeds, mixing well until seeds are completely moistened.

Divide mixture between the two prepared pans.

Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Honey burns very easily, so you may want to stir it every five minutes at the end, and be sure to keep a close eye on the granola so that it doesn't get too dark.

Remove from oven promptly, and stir frequently while it's cooling to prevent it from sticking to the pan.

Store in an airtight glass container.

Eat as a snack or serve as a cereal with freshly made Coconut Milk.

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Granola for the Whole Family

I make up this recipe and then bake about 4 cups, divided between 2 stoneware jelly roll pans, at a time.  That way, I can add whatever extras, such as coconut, seeds, and dried fruit, that different people like, and of course leave a plain batch for the picky kids!

12 cups GF rolled oats  
2 Tbsp ground cinnamon  
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 cups local raw honey 
1 cup coconut oil, melted 
2 Tbsp vanilla extract  

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a large bowl, stir together rolled oats, cinnamon, and ginger.

In a small bowl, whisk together honey, coconut oil, and vanilla extract.

Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients, mixing well.

Add any optional extras:

GF oat bran
Unsweetened flaked coconut
Sunflower, pumpkin, chia, hemp, or flax seeds

Divide about 4 cups of granola between two stoneware jelly roll pans.

Bake for 10 minutes.  Stir.  Bake for 10 more minutes.

Remove from oven.  Stir in any optional dried fruit:

Organic raisins
Dried apples, bananas, berries, dates, mango, pineapple, cranberries

Continue cooking a total of about 4 cups at a time, divided between the two stoneware pans, adding any optional ingredients that you'd like.

Granola will crisp up as it cools.  Store an airtight container.

Banana Bread Oatmeal

1 c coconut milk
1/2 c mashed very ripe banana
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 c GF rolled oats

Garnish:
Banana slices
1/2 tsp coconut sap sugar
1/8 tsp cinnamon

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together coconut milk, mashed banana, 1 tsp cinnamon, vanilla extract, and nutmeg. When the mixture comes to a boil, stir in rolled oats.

Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5-6 minutes until moisture is absorbed and oats are tender.

Mix together coconut sap sugar and cinnamon.

Serve oatmeal garnished with banana slices and coconut sap sugar/cinnamon mixture.



Adapted from Grubography

Individual Baked Oatmeal (Muffins)

I got this amazing recipe from Sugar-Free Mom. I made a few small changes, and it was a hit with everyone. These are a cross between baked oatmeal (without the texture that some people don't like) and very moist, delicious muffins. I love that I could add different fruits or toppings to different muffins, so I didn't have to listen to complaints from the kids who can't stand raisins or don't like coconut! Everyone got what they liked!

I made some plain, and some with frozen blueberries, frozen raspberries, raisins, chocolate chips, and coconut/chocolate chips. I just placed the toppings on top of the batter before the muffins went in the oven, or, in the case of the frozen blueberries, I pushed a few down into the batter and then placed several on top.

I read that some people had problems with these sticking, so I did a few different things. I melted a little bit of coconut oil, and, using a pastry brush, lightly coated the insides of our silicone muffin liners. In another pan, I brushed the muffin tins with coconut oil, and didn't use any liners. There was a little bit of leftover batter, so I took a mini-muffin tin and coated a few of them with organic shortening.

The result was that the oatmeal slid effortlessly out of the silicone liners. With the other two pans, the muffins stuck while they were still warm. So, I cooled them almost completely, gently ran a knife around the edges of each muffin, and then they came right out.

I made 24 regular-sized muffins, and six mini-muffins. The regular muffins baked for 30 minutes, and the mini-muffins for about 15 minutes. I will freeze some of these on a baking sheet and then pop them into zip-lock bags once they're frozen. Sugar-Free Mom suggests taking them out the night before so that they'll be thawed by breakfast time.

This recipe is definitely a keeper!


2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1 ripe banana, mashed
1/2 cup raw honey
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp stevia powder
5 cups GF rolled oats
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1 Tbsp GF baking powder
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp sea salt
2 3/4 cups unsweetened coconut milk
Toppings: raisins, chopped apples, blueberries, shredded coconut, chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk together applesauce, banana, raw honey, eggs, vanilla, and stevia.

In a larger bowl, mix rolled oats, flaxseed meal, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir well.

Add coconut milk, stirring until mixed evenly. Batter will be runny.

Prepare muffin pans. (See above.)

Add ¼ cup batter to each tin.

Sprinkle muffins with desired toppings: shredded coconut, chocolate chips, blueberries, apples, raisins, or other frozen fruit.

Bake 30 minutes until a toothpick in center comes out clean. Enjoy!

Baked Oatmeal II

Here's another recipe that we like that doesn't call for soaking. I find that grains are more digestible after being soaked, but I don't always take the time to soak them the day before.


Baked Oatmeal II

3 cups coconut milk or other milk substitute
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup raw honey
3 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp cinnamon
3 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 apples, peeled, cored, & chopped, opt.
3/4 cup raisins, opt.
Dairy-free chocolate chips, opt.*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9-inch square pan with coconut oil or Spectrum shortening

In a saucepan, combine coconut milk, honey, oil, and cinnamon. Cook on low heat.

Meanwhile, combine the oats and sea salt with the chopped apple, raisins, and/or chocolate chips. Spread evenly in prepared pan.

Just before the milk mixture begins to boil, pour it evenly over the oatmeal mixture.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed and the oatmeal is tender.

Serves 6

*This recipe is refined sugar-free if made without chocolate chips.

Baked Oatmeal

I recently found a recipe called Our Favorite Oatmeal Bake on Our Backyard Homestead. I doubled the recipe and made a couple of small changes to suit our family, and I'm thrilled to say that it was a hit with everyone. That may not sound like a big deal, but when I can find a recipe that works for our food allergies and that everyone likes, I'm a happy camper!


Baked Oatmeal

6 c gluten-free rolled oats
1 lemon, juiced

1 1/2 c coconut, unsweetened & unsulphured
8 Medjool dates
1 c organic raisins
1 heaping Tblsp cinnamon
1 tsp sea salt
2 c organic applesauce
2 c coconut milk (not canned)
2/3 c raw honey
4 organic apples

The night before, soak the rolled oats in just enough water to cover, with the juice of the lemon added to the water.

In the morning, drain the rolled oats and rinse well. Let drain while preparing the rest of the recipe.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 11 x 15" baking dish with Spectrum Organic Shortening or coconut oil.

Place the coconut in a large bowl. Chop the dates finely, and, one at a time, add to the coconut, mixing to coat the date pieces with the coconut to prevent them from sticking to each other. Stir in the raisins, cinnamon, and sea salt; mix well. Add the drained oats, applesauce, coconut milk, and honey.

Peel and chop the apples and add to the oats mixture, mixing well.

Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake for 30 - 35 minutes.

Note: This makes a LOT! I thought that the leftovers were good, but if I didn't need leftovers, I definitely would not double this recipe!

Simple Coconut Granola

I made granola today. From start to finish, it took three days! Don't get me wrong; it's an easy recipe that would normally take no time at all, but this has been The Week of Incessant Interruptions!

I like the simplicity of this recipe. Since we can't do nuts, and the kiddos tend to pick out the sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and organic dried fruit that I've added in the past, I decided to just omit those ingredients. If I chose to add the seeds, I would do so in the beginning, along with the rolled oats and oat bran. I'd add the fruit as soon as the granola came out of the oven.

I use two different types of coconut oil because not everyone in our house likes a strong coconut flavor. The virgin coconut oil smells and tastes like delicious fresh coconut. The expeller pressed oil does not have any coconut taste or smell at all. By combining the two, I get a light coconut flavor, but the recipe would work just as well with all virgin oil or all expeller pressed.

Simple Coconut Granola


8 cups gluten-free rolled oats (or 6 c rolled oats and 2 c steel cut oats)
1 cup gluten-free oat bran
1 cup organic unsweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup organic coconut milk (classic, NOT light)
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup expeller pressed coconut oil
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1 cup raw honey
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, oat bran, and flaked coconut.

In a saucepan, combine coconut oils, brown rice syrup, and honey. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for two minutes.

Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon.

Pour the syrup over the oats and coconut, and stir until the dry ingredients are fully coated.

Divide evenly between two large stoneware jellyroll pans, spreading out to cover the entire surface of the pans.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until toasted. Remove from oven and cool on jellyroll pans.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Enjoy!