By Wendy Gabbe Day, Guest Contributor
Raising Vegan Kids—Hearty Bowl O’ Breakfast!
What better way to start the morning than a big bowl of granola, fresh fruit, and non-dairy milk? My kids often jump out of bed hungry—so I love having this ready-to-go breakfast awaiting us.
You just can’t beat the taste of freshly baked granola packed with fiber-rich, complex-carb loaded whole-grain oats, nuts, seeds, and fruit. And best of all, this granola doesn’t amp up our kids on sugar—it’s gently sweetened with an apple and dried fruit!
Think of this recipe as your basic template—you can have fun with the mix-ins and make your own special batch!
Fruit-Sweetened Granola
Yields about 6 cups.
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled oats
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds, or other seeds
- ½ cup almonds, or other nuts
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup dates, pitted
- 1 apple, chopped
- 1 cup water
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Mix the first 5 dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Place the remaining wet ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour the wet mixture into the bowl and mix thoroughly.
- Lightly oil a large cookie sheet.
- Spread ½” thin layer on the cookie sheet.
- Bake for 30 minutes, stir, then bake an additional 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
Recipe Tips/Variations
- Add in chocolate chips after the granola has cooled—otherwise they’ll melt. Toss in coconut shreds or flakes. Mix in hemp seeds or chopped walnuts after the granola has baked. Add a few tablespoons of blackstrap molasses to the wet ingredients in the blender. Sky’s the limit!
I’ll try this at cookery class in June others as well thanks