Low Carb Caramel and Spice Granola (Low Oxalate too)

Here’s another great granola recipe! This caramel and spice flavor is perfect for the fall. It is baked at a lower temperature for a longer time resulting in a very crunchy granola. One thing I often miss on a low carb/keto diet is something crisp and crunchy! This granola satisfies that craving. Serve it for breakfast or enjoy it as a snack.

Low Carb Caramel and Spice Granola (Low Oxalate too!)

Makes 12 servings (1/4 cup each)

1-1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

1/3 cup sunflower seeds

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1/2 cup macadamia nuts (or pecans)

1/2 cup golden flaxseed meal

1/2 cup LaKanto Golden Monkfruit sweetener (or Swerve Brown)*

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 egg whites

2 tablespoons butter, melted (use coconut oil for dairy free)

3 tablespoons sugar free maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon Pumpkin Spice extract (or 1-1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, if not concerned with oxalates)

1 teaspoon caramel extract (see photo below)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the coconut, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and macadamia nuts (or pecans) into a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse oatmeal. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

2. Add the flaxseed meal, monkfruit sweetener, pumpkin pie spice (if using in place of extract) and salt. Stir to combine.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy. In another bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar free maple syrup and extracts.

4. Add the egg whites and butter/syrup mixture to the nut mixture and stir until well coated.

5. Once the granola is evenly coated, spread it into an even, thin layer in a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 90 minutes to 115 minutes, turning and mixing half way through cooking and again at the end of cooking (moving the darker pieces into the center). It is ready when the granola has reached a deep, golden brown color.

6. Turn off the oven and leave the baking sheet in the oven until it cools; stirring occasionally. The granola will crisp up as it cools. Once completely cooled, break into small pieces and place in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to two weeks.

*You’ll want to use an erythritol-based granulated sweetener to achieve a crispy texture. Other sweeteners may not crisp up as well.

Nutritional Information per 1/4 cup: 164 calories, 6 g carbohydrate (3.1 g dietary fiber, 1.3 g sugars), 14.6 g total fat (6.3 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 2 mg cholesterol, 113 mg sodium, 10.4 mg calcium, 31 mg potassium, 1 mg iron, 8 IU Vit A, 4.2 g protein. Net carbs per serving: 2.9 grams

Total Oxalate per serving: 3.81 mg; Soluble oxalate 2.13 mg

Photos and recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2020

All rights reserved. Please do not duplicate without the author’s permission. 

Keto, Nut Free Cowboy Cookies (Low Oxalate too!)

Cowboy Cookies are a throw-back recipe from the 1950’s that has become popular again. Traditionally, they are big cookies with big flavor and a lot of different textures coming from rolled oats, shredded coconut, nuts and chocolate chips. In this recipe, the delicious flavor and crunchy/chewy texture replicates the original without the sugar and carbs, making this cookie one of my all-time favorites! There may be other low carb Cowboy Cookie recipes out there that call for almond flour, pecans and dark chocolate chips that are so high in oxalates that I feel a kidney stone forming just thinking about them! But with my nut free recipe, you can enjoy the same crispy-on-the-bottom and chewy-in-the-middle decadent cookie you love without worrying about the after-effects of oxalate overload.

Keto, Nut Free Cowboy Cookies (Low Oxalate too!)

Makes 24 generous-sized cookies

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup flaxseed meal

1 cup sunflower seed flour

1 tablespoon unflavored dry gelatin powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (1-1/2 sticks)

1/2 cup erythritol brown sweetener (such as Swerve Brown or LaKanto Golden)

1/2 cup granulated erythritol sweetener

2 large eggs, room temperature

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons lemon juice (*see note)

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 cup pumpkin seeds, roughly chopped (you can pulse in a food processor)

1/3 cup + 1/4 cup sugar free milk chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Set your upper oven rack in the second from the top position and your lower rack in the second from the bottom position. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, flaxseed meal, sunflower seed flour, gelatin powder, baking powder and salt; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and two sweeteners with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. (It’s important to use erythritol-based sweeteners in this recipe for a crispier cookie. Allulose or xylitol will cause the cookies to be softer and more cake-like.) Add the eggs, vanilla and lemon juice and beat until well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and beat on medium until just combined and a soft dough forms.

4. Using a wooden spoon, fold in the shredded coconut, pumpkin seeds and sugar free milk chocolate chips. (It’s important to use milk chocolate chips, not semi-sweet or dark, for lower oxalate. You can substitute white chocolate chips and reduce the oxalate further by 3 mg per cookie, if you prefer. Personally, I like using the milk chocolate chips for a more authentic taste.)

5. Form the dough into 2-inch round balls and place them about 2-3 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Using the palm of your hand, gently flatten each ball until it’s a 1/2 inch thick, round circle. Place your cookie sheets in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Switch the position of each cookie sheet and rotate them around and continue to bake for an additional 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are well browned around the edges and bottom (but not burned). Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the pans for at least 10 minutes (they will firm and crisp up as they cool). Transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely before serving.

*Note: It may seem odd to include lemon juice, but sunflower seed flour tends to turn a slightly green color in baked goods, unless an acid is included in the dough or batter. The lemon juice is important to prevent that from happening.

Nutritional Information per cookie: 121 calories, 3.9 g carbohydrates (1.6 g dietary fiber, 0.3 g sugars), 10.5 g total fat (6 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 31 mg cholesterol, 118 mg sodium, 37 mg calcium, 10 mg potassium, 60 IU Vit A, 4.2 g protein. Net carbs per serving: 2.3 grams

Total Oxalate per cookie: 5.98 mg; Soluble Oxalate: 3.83 mg. This cookie is considered a medium oxalate food.

Photo and recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2020

All rights reserved. Please do not duplicate without the author’s permission.