One of the more popular articles on this site outlines the dangers of granola even if organic and low sugar. Granola or muesli made with rolled oats or other grains is not only very indigestible but potentially harming your long term gut health. Over time, frequent consumption may contribute to the development of autoimmune disease like allergies or worse.
Newsflash for those who eat traditionally. Even homemade granola made with soaked or sprouted oats is not a very digestible choice at all which initially can come as a shock to granola lovers who thought it was a healthfood.Â
Homemade Nutola (Paleo Granola)
I don’t like to point out problems without also providing a solution if possible. For you granola fans out there, here is a grain free granola recipe from Kim Schuette, founder of BioDynamic Wellness that should satisfy that hankering for a bowl of granola without compromising your digestive function. It uses soaked nuts and seeds instead of grains. Sprouted nuts and seeds can be used as well or a mixture. This article compares the benefits of sprouting vs soaking.
It is the perfect granola substitute for Paleos or those following a gut healing protocol like the GAPS Diet, Autoimmune Paleo or SCD.
Paleo Grain Free Granola Recipe (Nutola)
Tasty grain free granola, also called nutola, for improved digestibility and nutrient absorption. Perfect for Paleos or those on a gut healing protocol.
Ingredients
- 3 cups raw soaked almonds
- 3 cups raw soaked walnuts
- 3 cups soaked cashews
- 1 cup sprouted pumpkin seeds
- 1/4-1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup raw honey optional
- 2 cups raisins or chopped dates
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 Tbl vanilla extract
- 1 Tbl ground cinnamon
- 1.5 tsp sea salt
Instructions
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Chop soaked nuts. Tip: it is easier to chop different types of nuts if they are not mixed together.
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Mix nuts and sprouted pumpkin seeds together in a bowl.
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Combine coconut oil, honey, vanilla, cinnamon and sea salt in saucepan over low heat until fully mixed. Be sure to keep this mixture under 118 F else the beneficial compounds in the raw honey will be destroyed. Pour over nuts and mix well.
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Add raisins and shredded coconut. Store your grain free granola in an airtight container. Best if refrigerated.
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Serve grain free granola with raw milk or cream and add some berries if desired.
Recipe Notes
Substitute chopped dates for raisins or use half raisins, half dates as desired.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
This sounds like it would be delicious just eating it by itself! I’ll probably be adding this to my yogurt in the morning from now on. Could probably make it once a week or so.
I understand the desire to find a healthy alternative to granola but I don’t believe this is it. Even with the soaking and dehydrating which minimizes the phytic acid, there is still all that roughage which is tearing through your GI tract. I don’t have allergies to nuts but even a small well-prepared handful can give me a stomach ache. And Gavin above is correct in questioning this because almonds (1100-1400 mg 1/2 cup) most of the time have more phytic acid than oats (1100 mg 1/2 cup). And that doesn’t even take into the amounts of walnuts, cashews, pumpkin, etc.
I’m a little confused on why raw granola from sprouted oats is indigestible, but kibbeh or essene bread made from ground sprouted wheat is ok… (according to NT)
I’ve tried to use my oven to dry almonds, but my oven only goes down to 170F and it cannot be changed to less than that. I was just on the phone with Whirpool, the only thing I can do is adjust the calibration to -30F but that really doesn’t change the set 170F temperature, what it does (so they told me on the phone) is that it bakes it more slowly (?).
Will it be ok to dry almonds at 170F though?. What other alternatives do I have?, I don’t have a dehydrator.
Thanks in advance for your answers!.
I’d really want to introduce almond flour in my baking and pizza recipes!.
If you are planning on cooking or baking with the almonds, drying them at 170F is fine. If you want all the “raw” benefits of the sprouted almonds and will not be heating them above 115F, you’ll probably want to invest in or build a dehydrator. There are plans on the internet for creating solar or lightbulb dehydrators. Another option is to dry them in the oven, with the oven off but with the oven light on. It will probably be around 95-110F in that situation, which is ideal for drying sprouted nuts. It will take quite a while (several days) to do so with the oven light method, so placing a small electric fan inside the oven with the nuts will help speed things along. Building some screens will help them dry more evenly and reduce the chance of mold forming. Take a large wooden picture frame without the glass and staple window screening from the hardware store to the frame…wallah…you have a large drying frame!
The “Food for Life” company, the one who make the Ezekial 4:9 bread also has a line of sprouted granola cereals, which are very tasty as well. They don’t contain any oats, sprouted or otherwise, but do contain sprouted organic soybeans in case you don’t do any soy at all. Personally, I am okay with fermented (miso, tempeh) or sprouted soy as long as the soy is organic.
Please tell me, how can I turn these into bars?? So they can be taken on the go. Thanks!
Delicious recipes. I am gonna try this at home. Here are one more granola bar recipe.
this is great recipe. thanks
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HI! I am looking for something sweet to pack with my son`s lunch for school. Is it bar or not? It will be wet at the end? Do you have a picture of this Nutola when it actually prepared and ready to eat? Thanks! Sarah for your blog! Love it!