The whisked egg whites give this granola the crunch but you could use coconut oil instead. If you are transitioning to a less sweet and lower carbohydrate diet you could add 2 tbsp of maple syrup then reduce this as your taste buds adjust. There is no sugar or dried fruit in this granola and it has cinnamon which helps to regulate blood sugar, so it’s quite a decent option for stable blood glucose levels. However it is still baked and crispy food produces ‘advance glycation end-products’ which are linked to ageing. So go easy and keep this for travelling, morning emergencies or have it as a healthier pudding. I served it with yogurt, ground flaxseed and hemp seed plus a few blueberries.
Makes one jar, keeps for 2 weeks
2 cups rolled oats, GF if necessary
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup hazelnuts or pecans
1/2 cup pumpkin or sunflower seeds
1/2 cup coconut chips or desiccated coconut
4 medium organic egg whites OR 4 tbsp coconut oil + 4 tbsp light tahini
2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1. Preheat the oven to 110ºC if using the egg whites or 180 ºC for the coconut oil/tahini version
2. Place the almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts/pecans into a plastic bag and use a rolling pin or saucepan to gently bash them into chunky pieces. You can do this in a food processor but you end up with some dust and some big pieces so it’s personal preference. You may want to bash the pumpkin seeds also if they are those big ones.
3. Add the nut rubble to a bowl with the oats, seeds and spices and give everything a good mix together.
4. Separate your eggs and whisk the whites to stiff peaks. Once they are ready fold them into the oat mixture so everything is coated. OR melt the coconut oil/tahini mix and stir that in.
5. Spread the mix onto a baking tray and bake for 30-40 minutes giving it a stir every 10 minutes, try not to break it all apart though as the bigger clusters are the best bit! It is ready when it is all dry and falls back onto the tray with a lovely clicking sound.
6. Leave to cool slightly then stir through your coconut chips. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
