Pumpkin Granola!

I made this for my in-laws and my father-in-law loved it!

  • 1 1/4 cup oats
  • 1/8 tsp sea salt
  • 1 cup walnuts and/or pecans, roughly chopped or torn
  • 4 TB butter
  • 4-5 TB maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin purée
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla

*this recipe can easily be doubled for a larger batch

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Add oats and salt to a sheet pan or skillet and toast for 10 minutes.

While the oats are toasting, melt the butter over very low heat. Once melted, add the maple syrup, pumpkin purée, cinnamon and vanilla and stir to combine well. Remove from the heat.

After the 10 minutes, remove the oats and salt from the oven, add the walnuts or pecans and pour the maple syrup/butter mixture over the oats. Stir to combine very well. You want all the oats and nuts covered in the syrup mixture. Put the pan or skillet back in the oven for 25 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.

Remove the granola from the oven and stir around in the pan/skillet, so it doesn’t stick. Stir every 10 minutes until the granola comes to room temperature.

Enjoy!

Chocolate and Almond Granola

This is so yummy!!

  • 2 cups oats
  • 1 cup flax seeds, ground
  • 1 cup almonds, chopped
  • Large pinch sea salt
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 2 TB almond butter
  • 1/4 cup + 3 TB maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 3 1” cubes cacao paste, microplaned or finely grated
  • 1/2 cup dried banana

Toast oats at 325 degrees for 10 minutes.

While oats are toasting, melt coconut oil, almond butter and maple syrup over very low heat until coconut oil is melted. Turn off heat. Add vanilla and finely grated cacao paste to the maple mixture and stir to combine.

Remove the oats from the oven and add flax, almonds, salt and the chocolate maple mixture. Stir to combine. Cook in the oven for 25 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir in the dried banana. Allow the granola to come to room temperature (stirring every 10ish minutes, so it doesn’t stick to the pan).

Enjoy!!

Blueberry Granola

This is so fantastic!

  • 1/4 cup + 2 TB coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup + 2 TB honey
  • 2 TB maple syrup
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups oats
  • 1 cup flax seeds, ground
  • 1 cup chia seeds, ground or not
  • juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon
  • 1 heaping tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup walnuts, lightly chopped
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 cup freeze dried blueberries

Preheat oven to 325.

Combine coconut oil, honey, maple syrup, blueberries, vanilla, lemon juice and zest in a saucepan. Bring up to a boil over medium heat.

Combine the oats, flax and chia seeds on a parchment (or silpat) lined sheet pan. Place the the sheet pan in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove the oat mixture from the oven and add it to the bubbling honey and blueberry mixture. Turn the heat off the syrup and oat mixture and add the cinnamon, walnuts and sea salt. Stir to combine.

Place the pan in the oven for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Turn the oven up to 400 degrees and let the granola cook for an additional 8-10 minutes. Remove the granola from the oven and add the freeze dried blueberries. Stir to combine. Let the granola sit on the sheet pan until it cools completely, stirring every 10 minutes. This granola will keep in the refrigerator for 5 days or in the freezer for longer. Enjoy!

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Double Chocolate Granola Bars

These are crazy delicious!

  • 2 cups oats
  • 3/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 1/8 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1 cup almond butter
  • 1/4 cup cacao powder
  • 1 cup chia seeds
  • 1 cup walnuts or pecans, lightly chopped
  • 1 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, divided in half
  • 3 large dates, pitted and chopped

Heat oven to 325.

Toast oats in a 10″ skillet for 10 minutes.

Melt maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla and sea salt in a saucepan over medium low heat. Once melted, turn off heat and stir in almond butter and cacao powder until well combined.

Add melted maple syrup mixture, chia seeds, nuts and pumpkin seeds to the oats and stir together. Stir in 1/4 cup of the chocolate and the dates. Once the mixture is well combined, use the back of a spatula or spoon to push the mixture down so the top is flat.

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips. Once the chocolate on top melts, spread it around with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.

Let the bars cool completely. Cut into pieces and enjoy!

Cinnamon and Orange Granola with Blueberries

This is one of my favorite versions of my granola ever!

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 cups almonds, lightly chopped

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup + 1 TB honey (I used Savannah Bee Company‘s Tupelo Reserve)

Zest of 1/2 a small orange

Juice of 1 small orange

1/4 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup freeze dried blueberries

  1. Turn oven to 325.
  2. Combine oats and salt in a large cast iron pan or any large baking dish (a glass 9×13 will work). Toast oats and salt in the oven for 10 minutes.
  3. While the oats are toasting, combine the extra virgin olive oil and honey in a small pan over very low heat. Once hot and melted, stir together. Turn the heat off and add the orange juice and zest, vanilla and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
  4. Remove the oats from the oven. Add the almonds and pumpkin seeds to the oats, pour the hot fat mixture over the oats and stir well to combine. Make sure to stir enough so that all the oats and nuts get covered in the hot fat mixture. Place the dish back in the oven for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.
  5. Remove the dish from the oven and stir the granola around in the pan using a wooden spoon or a spatula. Stir in blueberries. Stir every 10 minutes until the granola reaches room temperature.
  6. Store in mason jars (or any air tight container of choice) in the refrigerator or freezer.

*please use organic ingredients, if possible.

Granola parfait is made with above Cinnamon and Orange Granola, The Coconut Cult yogurt, E3Live spirulina, wild blueberries and freeze dried bananas.

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Granola Basics

This recipe is delicious and you can customize it based on whatever nuts and seeds you have on hand.

Granola is a fantastic breakfast or snack!

Serving size is 1/4-1/2 cup (1/4 cup has about 1 1/4 tsp of honey in it):

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 2 cups nuts and/or seeds of choice. I usually use a mixture of 2-4 nuts and seeds: chopped almonds, pumpkin seeds, ground flax seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, chopped cashews, pistachios and ground chia seeds are my favorite.
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup fat (olive oil, grass fed butter or coconut oil)
  • 5 TB manuka honey or maple syrup
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup dried fruit. Freeze-dried raspberries, freeze-dried blueberries, dates and shredded coconut are my favorite dried fruits.
  • optional: 1/4 tsp mushroom powder
  • optional add-in for an indulgent granola: 1/3 cup chopped chocolate

*use organic ingredients, if possible

  1. Turn oven to 325.
  2. Combine oats and salt in a large cast iron pan or any large baking dish (a glass 9×13 will work). Toast oats and salt in the oven for 10 minutes.
  3. While the oats are toasting, combine the fat and honey or maple syrup in a small pan over very low heat. Once hot and melted, stir together. Turn the heat off and add the vanilla.
  4. Remove the oats from the oven. Add the nuts or seeds of your choice to the oats, pour the hot fat mixture over the oats and stir well to combine. Make sure to stir enough so that all the oats and nuts get covered in the hot fat mixture. Place the dish back in the oven for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.
  5. Remove the dish from the oven and stir the granola around in the pan using a wooden spoon or a spatula. Stir in the dried fruit. Stir every 10 minutes until the granola reaches room temperature. Stir in the cacao chocolate, if using.
  6. Store in mason jars (or any air tight container of choice) in the refrigerator or freezer.

I love my granola with milk or yogurt!

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Granola= Basic Culinary Skill Level- click to read how I rate the difficulty of my recipes

Granola and Yogurt Bowls

I love granola bowls! Check out my Granola and Smoothie Bowls Recipes for some granola variety.

Serves 1::

  • 1/4- 1/2 cup yogurt (any flavor: plain, vanilla, peach or flavor your own plain yogurt. Coconut yogurt is my favorite. To flavor yogurt: add a pinch of sea salt, 1-2 tsp of honey or maple syrup, 1 TB of cacao powder and less than 1/8 tsp of vanilla or 1 TB fresh fruit to yogurt and stir to combine).
  • 1/4-1/2 cup granola (check out my Oat Granola and my Oat-Free Granola recipes)
  • 1/4 cup fruit (fresh berries are my favorite)
  • a pinch of any or all of the following ingredients: shredded coconut, bee pollen, chlorella, spirulina, açaí powder, mushroom powder
  1. Add yogurt and granola to a bowl and top with fruit and toppings of your choice. Enjoy!

*please use organic ingredients, if possible.

**please use high quality organic and additive free yogurt. My favorite yogurt is Coconut Cult. Click to read about my love of Coconut Cult yogurt.

The below pictures feature a cacao and blueberry granola bowl. Sometimes Coconut Cult comes out with specialty flavors (like this chocolate mousse below). You can always flavor your own plain yogurt (see above in the ingredient list for instructions).

To make this recipe vegan and dairy free, use coconut yogurt.

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Below is a granola and yogurt bowl with a chia and coconut granola, blueberries, vanilla Coconut Cult yogurt, lions mane mushroom, chlorella, and açaí powder.

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Granola and Smoothie Bowls

I absolutely love this breakfast.

Half any LooKitchen smoothie or shake recipe (click here for Strawberry Mango Smoothie, click here for Almond Cacao Shake, click here for Coconut Cacao Shake) and top with 1/4-1/2 cup of granola. Click here for my Granola recipe or here for my Seed and Nut Granola recipe.

I have halved and provided the recipes below:

Serves 2:

Srawberry Mango Granola Bowl:

  • 1 1/2 cups coconut water
  • 3/4 frozen strawberries
  • 1/4 cup frozen mangos
  • 1/4 lemon or lime juice and zest
  • 1/2 TB hemp seeds
  • optional 1 tsp manuka honey
  • small pinch of salt
  • 1/3-1/2 cup granola (recipes listed below)
  • Optional: sprinkle with toppings: dried and/or fresh fruit, nuts, seeds and/or bee pollen
  1. Add the coconut water, strawberries, magics, lemon or lime, hemp seeds, honey and salt to your Vitamix, or another high power blender of your choice, in the order listed and blend on high until smooth.
  2. Pour into two bowls and top with 1/3-1/2 cup of granola (recipe listed below). Sprinkle with toppings, if desired. Enjoy!

Almond Cacao Granola Bowl:

  • 3/4 cups of water
  • 1/2 cup ice cubes
  • 2 scoops of collagen peptides
  • 1/2 TB flax seeds and/or hemp seeds
  • 1 TB almond butter
  • 1 TB cacao powder or 1/2 tsp cacao paste, chopped into small pieces
  • 2-3 dates
  • 1/2 TB manuka honey
  • 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
  • small pinch of sea salt
  • 1/3-1/2 cup granola (recipes listed below)
  • Optional: sprinkle with toppings: dried and/or fresh fruit, nuts, seeds and/or bee pollen
  1. Add water, ice, collagen, flax or hemp, almond butter, cacao, dates, honey, vanilla and salt to your Vitamix– or another high power blender. Blend on high until combined.
  2. Pour into two bowls and top with 1/3-1/2 cup of granola (recipe listed below). Sprinkle with toppings, if desired. Enjoy!

Coconut Cacao Granola Bowl:

  • 3/4 cups water
  • 1/2 cup ice cubes
  • 2 scoops collagen peptides
  • 1/2 TB flax and/or hemp seeds
  • 1 TB coconut manna
  • 1 TB cacao powder or 1/2 tsp cacao paste, chopped into small pieces
  • 2-3 dates
  • 1/2 TB manuka honey
  • 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 1/3-1/2 cup granola (recipes listed below)
  • Optional: sprinkle with toppings: dried and/or fresh fruit, nuts, seeds and/or bee pollen
  1. Add water, ice, collagen, hemp or flax, coconut manna, cacao, dates, honey, vanilla and salt to your Vitamix, or another high powered blender of your choice. Blend on high until combined.
  2. Pour into two bowls and top with 1/3-1/2 cup of granola (recipe listed below). Sprinkle with toppings, if desired. Enjoy!

Granola Recipe:

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup (2 oz ) nut or seed of choice. Almonds and pumpkin seeds are my two favorite.
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 TB fat (olive oil, grass fed butter or coconut oil)
  • 1-3 TB manuka honey or maple syrup
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • Optional: 2 oz dried fruit of choice (about 1/2 cup). Freeze-dried raspberries, freeze-dried blueberries, dates and shredded coconut are my favorite dried fruits.
  1. Turn oven to 325.
  2. Combine oats and salt in a large cast iron pan or any large baking dish (a glass 9×13 will work). Toast oats and salt in the oven for 15 minutes.
  3. While the oats are toasting, combine the fat and honey or maple syrup in a small pan over very low heat. Once hot and melted, stir together. Turn the heat off and add the vanilla.
  4. Remove the oats from the oven. Add the nuts or seeds of your choice to the oats, pour the hot fat mixture over the oats and stir well to combine. Make sure to stir enough so that all the oats and nuts get covered in the hot fat mixture. Place the dish back in the oven for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.
  5. Remove the dish from the oven and stir the granola around in the pan using a wooden spoon or a spatula. Stir in the dried fruit. Stir every 10 minutes until the granola reaches room temperature.
  6. Store in mason jars (or any air tight container of choice) in the refrigerator or freezer.

Low heat cooking option: (thereby preserving more vitamins and nutrients from the manuka honey)

  1. Turn oven to 150 or 200 degrees.
  2. Combine oats and salt in a large cast iron pan or any large baking dish (a glass 9×13 will work). Toast oats and salt on the stove top over medium low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat after toasting.
  3. While the oats are toasting, melt the fat over very low heat. Once melted, take off the heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Add the manuka honey (or maple syrup) and vanilla extract. Lightly stir together.
  4. Pour the fat and honey mixture over the oats and combine using your hands (it is the easiest way to evenly distribute the honey, since it wasn’t completely melted).
  5. Bake at 150 degrees for 2 hours, stirring halfway through cooking. Or bake at 200 degrees for 1 hr and 15 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.
  6. Remove the dish from the oven and stir the granola around using a wooden spoon or a spatula. Stir every 10 minutes until the granola reaches room temperature. Stir in the dried fruit.
  7. Store in mason jars (or any air tight container of choice) in the refrigerator or freezer.

Seed and Nut Granola Recipe:

  • 1/4 cup flax seeds
  • 1/4 cup hemp seeds
  • 3/4 cup almonds
  • 3/4 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 3 TB fat (coconut oil, grass fed butter, or extra virgin olive oil)
  • 3 TB raw honey or manuka honey
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup dried fruit (freeze-dried raspberries or blueberries, or shredded coconut are my go-tos)
  1. Grind flax and hemp seeds together into a powder using a food processor or Vitamix (or another high power blender of your choice).
  2. Add almonds and pumpkin seeds to the food processor or blender and chop until small pieces of almonds still remain. Pour the nut and seed mixture into a bowl and stir in salt.
  3. If using a solidified fat, like coconut oil or butter, heat the fat over very low heat until melted. Pour fat, honey and vanilla over the nuts and seeds and stir to combine.
  4. Pour ingredients into a cast iron skillet and bake, stirring halfway through cooking. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir. Allow the granola to come to room temperature in the skillet.
  5. Enjoy granola with milk or yogurt!
  6. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to eat!

*please use organic ingredients, if possible.

To make any recipes vegan that contain collagen peptides, sub out the collagen for pea or hemp protein. Use 2 TB.

Granola bowls require basic culinary skills. Click to read about how I rate the difficulty of my recipes.

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Seed and Nut Granola (No Oats)

Serving size is 1/4-1/3 cup:

  • 1/4 cup flax seeds
  • 1/4 cup hemp seeds
  • 3/4 cup almonds
  • 3/4 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 3 TB fat (coconut oil, grass fed butter or extra virgin olive oil)
  • 3 TB raw honey or manuka honey
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup dried fruit (freeze-dried raspberries or blueberries, or shredded coconut are my go-tos)
  1. Allow oven to reach 325 degrees.
  2. Grind flax and hemp seeds together into a powder using a food processor or Vitamix (or another high power blender of your choice).
  3. Add almonds and pumpkin seeds to the food processor or blender and chop until small pieces of almonds still remain. Pour the nut and seed mixture into a bowl and stir in salt.
  4. If using a solidified fat, like coconut oil or butter, heat the fat over very low heat until melted. Pour fat, honey and vanilla over the nuts and seeds and stir to combine.
  5. Pour ingredients into a cast iron skillet and bake, stirring halfway through cooking. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir. Allow the granola to come to room temperature in the skillet.
  6. Enjoy granola with milk or yogurt!
  7. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to eat!

*please use organic ingredients, if possible.

This recipe requires basic culinary skills. Click to read about how I rate the difficulty of my recipes. 

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Granola: Low-Heat Variation

Using my same granola recipe, I have created a way to cook it using a much lower heat, thereby preserving more vitamins and nutrients from the manuka honey.

Recipe using low heat:

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 1/2 cups (2 oz ) nut and/or seeds of your choice. I usually combine 2-4 nuts and seeds: chopped almonds,pumpkin seeds, ground flax seeds, chopped cashews, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and pistachios are my favorites
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 5 TB fat (olive oil, grass fed butter or coconut oil)
  • 5 TB manuka honey
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • optional: 2 oz dried fruit of choice (about 1/2 cup). I used dried raspberries and shredded coconut in the batch pictured

*please use organic ingredients, if possible. Be wary of processed honey. Make sure to buy raw honey.

  1. Turn oven to 150 or 200 degrees.
  2. Combine oats and salt in a large cast iron pan or any large baking dish (a glass 9×13 will work). Toast oats and salt on the stove top over medium low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat after toasting.
  3. While the oats are toasting, melt the fat over very low heat. Once melted, take off the heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Add the manuka honey (or maple syrup) and vanilla extract. Lightly stir together.
  4. Pour the fat and honey mixture over the oats and combine using your hands (it is the easiest way to evenly distribute the honey, since it wasn’t completely melted).
  5. Bake at 150 degrees for 2 hours, stirring halfway through cooking. Or bake at 200 degrees for 1 hr and 15 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.
  6. Remove the dish from the oven and stir the granola around using a wooden spoon or a spatula. Stir every 10 minutes until the granola reaches room temperature. Stir in the dried fruit.
  7. Store in mason jars (or any air tight container of choice) in the refrigerator or freezer.

This recipe requires basic culinary skills- click to read about how I rate the difficulty of my recipes.

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