Holy granola!

Apple Pie Paleo Granola. Yum!

One thing that makes giving up so many different foods to follow a gluten-free, paleo, GAPs, or specific carbohydrate diet more bearable for me is discovering and trying out new recipes. It’s a bit like following the quest for the Holy Grail or engaging in a scavenger hunt.

Today, for example, I gathered the ingredients and made a batch of Apple Pie Paleo Granola. A close friend had messaged me the link to the recipe on Facebook—and it sounded so good that I immediately started collecting the ingredients and figuring out how to adapt it to SCD.

Here’s the original recipe, which came from a great blog called “multiply delicious.” (The website is www.multiplydelicious.com. Check it out.) The only things I changed were that I substituted honey for the maple syrup, and I left out the nutmeg. Oh, I also doubled the recipe—and I’m glad I did.

Apple Pie Paleo Granola

½ C almonds

½ C. pecans

½ C. walnuts

¼ C. pumpkin seeds

7 medjool dates, chopped

1/3 C. unsweetened shredded coconut

1 T. ground cinnamon (Celiyak: I might back off on this a bit next time.)

1 t. ground nutmeg (Celiyak: I’m not a big nutmeg fan, so I left it out.

1 t. ground allspice

¼ t. ground cloves

¼ t. sea salt

½ C. unsweetened applesauce (Celiyak: I used homemade applesauce, which I always keep on hand)

1/3 C. coconut oil, melted

2 T. maple syrup

1 t. vanilla extract

• Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Add nuts, dates, and unsweetened shredded coconut to a bowl of a food processor and pulse to slightly chop nuts. Add spices and salt and pulse again to combine.
• Evenly distribute granola (using fingers) on prepared baking sheet.
• Place in oven for 30 to 35 minutes until golden. Stop to stir ingredients halfway through the baking so the edges do not get over brown. It will allow things to cook evenly. The granola will harden up once cooled completely.
• Store granola in airtight container and keep in freezer.

Buying in bulk can save money!

Don’t be discouraged by the long list of ingredients. If you’ve been on a gluten-free diet for very long, you probably already have many of these items, and if you’re just starting out, you will be in need of them sooner or later. If you don’t have all the spices, just use the ones you have. If you can find a store that sells bulk foods that you dispense yourself, you can save a lot of money on nuts and many other gluten-free/paleo/SCD/GAPS ingredients. I’m fortunate to live right above a grocery store (Bistro Market) that offers bulk dispensers and fresh nut butters. (In Springfield, MO, the Mama Jeans stores and HyVee also sell self-serve nuts.)

Don’t be afraid to experiment. Sometimes my explorations lead me to cook up a dud, but the dishes are always at least edible. And sometimes I find wonderful recipes that become a part of my permanent repertoire. Furthermore, all the cooking and sampling fills you up so that you’re too full to feel in any way deprived.