LoveJoy Bakery Granola

Granola is kind of a big thing in Salt Lake City.  I can't tell you exactly why, but almost every new bakery or coffee shop I sample has their own homemade granola.  It's also a pretty big thing in our house, and I've got an extremely particular granola snob at home that I aim to woo with my vegan delicacies.  I was super stoked to come up with this delightful recipe with the inspiration from a fellow food blogger @viveleveganrecipes.blogspot.com.  It can also be made gluten free if you substitute the Barley Flakes with gluten free Oats and reduce the oil to 3 tablespoons.

LoveJoy Bakery Granola

Mix:

2 cups Barely Flakes (looks like oatmeal)

1 cup Oat Flakes

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded Coconut

1/2 cup Hazelnuts (optional: soak in water overnight first)

1/2 cup raw Cashews (optional: soak in water overnight first)

1/2 cup Hemp Seed Nuts

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground Cardamon (ground nutmeg can be substituted)

1/2 tsp Salt

1 cup dried Cranberries

In a separate bowl mix:

1/4 cup coconut oil 

2/3 cup maple syrup

1/2 tsp blackstrap Molasses

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

I added the dry to the wet ingredients in a bowl and mixed well.  Then I put them in my dehydrator btw 125-145 degrees for about 6-9 hours.  If you don't soak your nuts (soaking nuts releases an enzyme in them which our bodies don't digest...making the soaked nut far easier to digest) you will save time in the dehydrator.  If you don't have a dehydrator, you can bake them on parchment lined pans in your oven at the lowest setting for a couple hours.  With either dehydrating or baking you'll want to check on the granola while its cooking to see when its done to your liking!