In this crazy world, I feel less like I am a nut (there are plenty of those crazy kind of nuts to fill that bill; you’ve been reading the news?!) and more like eating a big handful of them (the edible variety, that is).
One of my favorite things, lately, is to start my morning with a semi-small bowl of really good (high emphasis on that), full-fat, plain, Greek-style yogurt mixed with Vital Proteins collagen powder, tossed about with blueberries and (wait for it…) finally, topped with a healthy scoop of my homemade granola. My granola, by the way, is chocked-full of three kinds of nuts and four kinds of seeds. Healthy stuff here!
I mix up the batch with just enough sweetener (maple syrup and coconut sugar) to counter-balance the tartness of the yogurt, but not enough to make me feel like I am eating something you know, overly sweet. There are coconut chips in there too, which crisp up to the perfect texture and leave you fully satisfied about not having added more sugar! Trust me on this. Just wait and judge me later. If you are on the sweet tooth train, by all means, add more. I don’t think it is needed. My humble opinion, not everyone else’s.
My fat of choice (to create the toasty quality needed for a proper granola), is olive oil. Why, you ask? Because that is usually the most appropriate oil I have in my pantry. Yes, I suppose I could use butter, but I’m thinking that could easily burn and I have been known to forget to check in on the items in the oven (as my husband likes to remind me; don’t ask about last night’s soup prep, but I digress). I sometimes mix in little dabs of coconut oil too, but lately I have been keeping it a little less coconut intense. That might change at any moment, but for now I leave it sitting on the sidelines for cooking something else.
If I were treating my granola like my smoothies, there would be ample bits of ginger to add a fiery heat. Instead, I choose cardamon, cinnamon and vanilla to tweak the flavor bursts instead.
I mixed my last batch nearly 2 months ago, so it was time to make another batch. This never went stale, by the way. It was good to the very last bit.
Did I mention how easy this is to make? I usually refrain from saying that because that statement is usually met with the rolling of eyes, “oh, please…”! But this one really is easy!
My current favorite yogurt is Alexandre (CA), followed closely by Ellenos (WA). These are available locally to me, Ellenos is local. Sorry. I bet you also have some great yogurt local to you. Try that one.
PrintSometimes You Feel Like a Nut Granola

- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30-45 minutes
- Total Time: 28 minute
Ingredients
2 cups quinoa flakes
3 cup oat flakes (or rolled oats)
1/2 cup almond slices
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/2 cup chopped, raw cashews
1 1/2 cup chipped coconut
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup brown coconut sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp cardamom
2 tsp vanilla paste
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tsp salt
1/3 cup hemp seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F
- Mix all together making sure it is all evenly coated
- Put on rimmed baking sheet, evenly spread
- Bake, stirring occasionally for approximately 30-45 minutes
- Let cool before storing in an airtight container(s)
Notes
- You can use any variety of nut. I sometimes use pistachios instead of hazelnuts.
- You can skip the quinoa flakes and add more oats.
- If you like things sweeter, add more sugar or maple syrup.