We have decided to give the vegan lifestyle our best effort for 3 weeks to see how we feel after. We’ve found a few different documentaries on Netflix and Amazon that have me convinced that plant-based lifestyle is what’s best. That and the immense amount of added sugar in processed foods, there is a reason that diabetes is a growing epidemic.

We’ve been trying to come up with some ideas of snack foods that we can have that aren’t packed full of sugar and that aren’t highly processed either. I always liked granola, but when you look at the nutrition label, it’s really not healthy. Typically it has high amounts of added sugar, and it’s full of stuff like chocolate, dried cranberries, and other stuff full of sugar. That is why I decided to make my own.

Granola doesn’t have to be bad. This recipe used minimal pure maple syrup as the sweetener and that was the only added sugar. Other ingredients included oats, almonds, shredded coconut, cardamom, cinnamon, and coconut oil. Simple as that. Use this as a topping for your favorite parfait, eat it plain, with your favorite berries or dried fruit, or even serve it like your favorite breakfast cereal with milk of your choice. Keep in mind the serving size is small, it’s not meant to eat 2 cups at a time. It is high fiber and nutrient rich, and because of that, it should be consumed sparingly, as are other store bought granolas.

We are also hoping to get healthier by adopting this lifestyle. I am fortunate that I’ve lost all but 9 pounds of my baby weight with minimal effort, but these last 9 pounds have been a bugger. I’ve been almost exactly the same weight for the last 6 weeks, so I think it’s time to take matters into my own hands and eat better, as well as incorporate more exercise into my day. I got the green light from my doctor to get back to normal activity, which means I am going to work out aside from our daily walks!

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup almonds
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF
2. Chop almonds with knife or in food processor
3. Mix together oats, almonds, and coconut in baking dish
4. Toast for 10 minutes or until fragrant
5. While they’re toasting, mix together remaining ingredients 
6. Pour syrup mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well to spread to all the dry ingredients
7. Turn off oven and place mixture in the oven for additional 5-8 minutes (until dry)
8. Store in air tight container for 1-2 weeks.

Nutrition Information (per serving)

Calories: 265
Protein: 6.5 g
Fat: 15.6 g
Carbohydrates: 27.8
Fiber: 5 g
Sugar: 6.3 g

Make it gluten-free by using steel cut oats.

Make it nut free by using sunflower seeds or pepitas in place of the almonds.

Let me know how you enjoyed your granola, or any modifications you made.

-Cassie 🙂