Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
Several readers have emailed me recently inquiring about how to best go about making homemade granola.
One person carefully soaked oats for 24 hours in water with an acidic medium and then dehydrated before mixing with the other ingredients and toasting in the oven.
Another used sprouted, organic rolled oats and baked in a 200F oven with various other ingredients to make her favorite version of homemade granola.
While both of these approaches to making granola are certainly a huge improvement over any of the granolas to be had at the store, the fact is that even organic granola made with rolled oats that have been sprouted or soaked is not an easily digestible food.
The proteins in grains are extremely difficult to digest. They have the potential to cause health problems over the long term, which is why traditional societies took such great pains to soak, sprout, or sour leaven them before consuming.
Not only did traditional peoples soak, sprout, or sour leaven their grains, they also thoroughly cooked them as the final preparation step before eating.
Why Granola is SO Difficult to DigestÂ
The dry heat of an oven at the proper toasting temperature is simply not hot enough to complete the breakdown of anti-nutrients in oats or other grains. Thus, even homemade granola is extremely difficult to digest. Eaten often, it can damage the gut over time.
Perhaps if a person has an iron gut, then homemade granola that is soaked or sprouted might work on occasion. The reality is that most people have sensitive guts anymore due to several generations of children raised on antibiotics and processed foods. Most people have some sort of digestive sensitivity to grains even if there are no grain allergy symptoms present.
I know for me, I bloat terribly if I eat homemade granola that has been soaked or sprouted and then toasted. I have no grain allergies and my digestion is in pretty decent shape. Interestingly, thoroughly cooked unsoaked oatmeal digests far better. The lesson at least to me is that the final cooking step is very important!
I have only made granola for my family once or twice. However, I stopped after observing the undigestibility of consuming this non-traditional food even when seemingly prepared in a traditional fashion.
Do your digestion a favor and opt out of any grain based granola entirely. Even homemade, organic, and soaked and/or sprouted versions aren’t good for your long term gut health.
Healthy Alternatives to Granola
Don’t hesitate to use soaked or sprouted grains that are fully cooked for all your other dishes and baked goods!  This article plus video tutorial for a healthy cold breakfast cereal recipe is a very digestible alternative to granola.
Another alternative is to make grain free Paleo granola using the linked recipe.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Â
Sources and More Information
Nourishing Traditions, p. 454
Soaked Oatmeal Benefits Without the Soaking?
You’re off on this one. Page 454 of NT, as you reference, does NOT say to avoid ALL granolas. Rather, in referring to commercial granolas, they say “we do not recommend granola”. In fact, the WAPF, in their annual shoppers guide, gives “soaked granolas” a GOOD rating. Be careful. Your readers are relying on you to post accurate information about traditional foods. If YOU feel strongly for/against soaked/sprouted granolas, then claim it as your opinion and don’t bring NT into it as if the authors share your postion.
Hi Sarah
Renee here again. You mentioned that the bulgur wheat in Sally Fallon’s Kishk is flour. She does not indicate flour, just bulgur wheat. Being part Lebanese, I always have organic bulgur wheat in the house. So now I am confused… should I grind the bulgur into flour?
Thanks a mill, Renee
My copy of Nourishing Traditions refers to bulgur as sprouted wheat flour. Is your version different?
Hi Sarah
on pg 112 of NT, it states that bulgur wheat is a coarsely ground sprouted wheat. It is not flour… but as you mentioned previously, it is sprouted so that must be the difference. An update on todays batch: it is working much better then the 1st batch. I have the oven temp at the lowest temp. Much better results, even if it is a much slower process.
Also, You WERE advising your readers correctly. On pg 464 in NT, Ms Fallon states that they do NOT recommend granola because it is extremely indigestible. So thanks for being here to answer all of your readers inquires!!!
Recipe please!! Is it fresh ground?
I have a organic rice flour version in the oven now – smells yummy – I halved all the ingredients and it makes LOADS … fingers crossed it works!
Also, is a food processor just as good for grinding grains?
I have a vitamix with a regular container and hope to get a dry blade container for grinding soon. But I know I can start with what I have. Can anyone tell me the best and quickest way to grind my own flour? I would love to, but am very busy, in pain from pregnancy, and have a husband saying to add the junkiest of junk cereal to the shopping list. I’m going to Trader Joe’s today. Tell me quick, what do I grind that will work well?!?! Also, if not fresh ground, which of my stale old bulk flours might work best? TIA!
Hi Sarah
I thought I would let you know I made up the oatmeal in a batter exactly like you did with the flour. It was kind of like baked oatmeal without the eggs. Cooked it in the wet batter (after soaking overnight) till it was cooked like a coffee cake and crumbled it the same way before drying it. It is great -much better than granola. I like not having it completely dried out but rather alittle softer and chewy.
Thanks for all your help in this experiment.
Excellent! Very very creative 🙂
the conclusion I got from the article was that oats were more the problem than “granola” so it could be made with another rolled grain like spelt, kamut, or barley. (soaked of course)
Holly I’ve been doing something similar, using pomegranate syrup sometimes, and homemade candied ginger. Thing is, the soaked dried oats are SO delicious alone that some batches don’t make it to the granola stage. These oats + raw milk + cinnamon = wow breakfast or snack.