I am in love....with granola. I have always had a love affair with this delicious mixture of oats, nuts and dried fruit. During the years of my struggle with an eating disorder, store bought granola was something I both loved and feared. Looking at the nutrition facts, seeing all of those calories and fat, fear would always strike me. The war would begin in my mind, as it did with any food. "I can't eat this, but I want to. If I do 3 hours of cardio than I can have it." Making food choices were never easy. Thankfully, those days are behind me. However, I keep them close because I want to remember how far I have come and how much I never want to return to that time.
I never buy store bought granola anymore, it has been years since I have. Why? Well because granola is one of my favorite things to make and my version is always healthier than what you find in a store. Most of the time, packaged granola is filled with WAY too much refined sugar and oil. Besides, when you make your own granola you can add anything you want! Get creative! For me, having control of what I put into my body is of utmost importance. If you love your body, it will love you back.
I add cinnamon to every granola recipe that I make. This time, I decided to take it a step further. CINNAMON BUN granola....boom! Did I just blow your mind? Who doesn't love cinnamon buns? My husband is a cinnamon bun connoisseur. Any time we go to a cafe or bakery, he has to try their cinnamon bun. When we were living in San Diego, I worked at a little restaurant in Solana Beach. Everyday they made homemade croissants, muffins, danishes and the largest cinnamon buns I had ever seen. The restaurant was only open for breakfast and lunch. Once we had closed, we were allowed to take home any of the pastries that didn't sell. It was then that I saw that lonely cinnamon bun sitting there, whispering to me, "Mark would love it if you brought me home." After that day, I would bring him home a cinnamon bun after each shift. To this day, he has not met a cinnamon bun that can compare to those.
Lets talk Buckwheat! Contrary to its name, buckwheat is not related to wheat at all, which makes it safe for those who are sensitive to wheat. Buckwheat is a fruit seed to a plant that is similar to rhubarb.
Buckwheat supplies you with all the essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. Buckwheat is also high in magnesium and is good for cardiovascular health.
You can find Buckwheat in your local health food stores, it is often called buckwheat groats.
CINNAMON BUN GRANOLA
Dry Ingredients
leftover nut pulp (about 1/2 cup)
3 cups oats
1 cup buckwheat groats
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup chopped almonds
1 1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon
pinch sea salt
Wet Ingredients
1 cup dates
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1/2 cup water
pinch cinnamon, cardamom & vanilla
Directions
Preheat oven to 300*F
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.
In a saucepan, combine the dates, maple syrup and water. On low/med heat, use a wooden spoon to begin breaking up the dates. Bring to a simmer and continue to break down the dates with your spoon. Continue this until a paste forms, add more water if needed, a tablespoon at a time. Stir in a pinch of cinnamon, cardamom & vanilla.
Pour date paste over your dry ingredients. Mix until all of the dry ingredients are coated with the date paste. Pour onto lined baking sheet.
Bake at 300* for about 25 minutes. Make sure to stir around the granola every 10 minutes to prevent over browning around the edges.
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