Two Grain-free, Low-Carb Granola Flavors for Fall

I've been experimenting with new flavors for my reduced-carb baked granola recipe and here are two winners perfect for the season: Pumpkin Spice and Cranberry Nut! Both incorporate ingredients that are local and in season right now, namely pumpkin and fresh cranberries. I recently baked my Halloween "decorations" to make a creamy batch of puréed pumpkin and used it to make this delicious granola. It was so good, I was inspired to chop some fresh cranberries and create another fall favorite. Both are great as breakfast cereals, toppings for yogurt or applesauce or for snacking. This granola is quickly becoming a staple in my pantry. It's so easy! Because I make so much, usually a batch every week, I want to share a tip for making it even easier: When you're measuring out the ingredients for one batch, go ahead and measure out the dry ingredients for a second batch and place it in the refrigerator in a sealed container. When it's time to make more (and you will want to), just add the wet ingredients, stir to combine and bake. These granola flavors make great holiday gifts, too.

Pumpkin Spice Granola

Makes 12 servings (1/2 cup each)

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds

1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

1/2 cup hazelnut or almond meal/flour

1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut

1/4 cup chia seeds (ground in a nut grinder) or flaxseed meal

2 tablespoons LaKanto Monkfruit Sweetener (or other erythirtol sweetener)

3/4 teaspoon stevia powder (I used Sweet Leaf brand)

3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

1/4 cup butter or ghee (clarified butter), melted (substitute non-dairy, if desired)

1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses

10 drops English Toffee stevia drops, or to taste

1/4 cup pumpkin purée (canned or homemade)

1 tablespoon water (only if needed)

1. Preheat oven to 250-degrees Fahrenheit.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray with non-stick coconut oil spray; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix very well. Spread the granola mixture on the parchment paper-lined pan. Compress it into a firm, even sheet of granola by pressing mixture flat with your hand that is protected by parchment or a plastic sandwich bag or rubber spatula. The granola should be about 1/4-inch thick.

3. Bake for 75-80 minutes or until golden throughout (the longer it bakes, the crunchier it gets). If you notice that the edges are well browned, but the center is not, use a spatula to remove the outer edge of the granola and place on a plate to cool. Return the cookie sheet to the oven, reduce heat to 200-degrees and continue baking until golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Break into bite-size pieces and enjoy! Store in an airtight container.

Nutritional Information per 1/2 cup serving: 262 calories, 8.8 g carbohydrate (4.6 g dietary fiber, 2.6 g sugars), 23.8 g total fat (5.4 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 10 mg cholesterol, 131 mg sodium, 74.1 mg calcium, 258 mg potassium, 7.3 g protein.  Net carbs per serving: 4.2 grams

Cranberry Nut Baked Granola

Makes 15 servings (1/2 cup each)

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup sliced almonds

1 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

1/4 cup chia seed (ground in a nut grinder) or flaxseed meal

1/4 cup hazelnut flour

1/4 cup almond meal/flour

1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut

3/4 teaspoon stevia powder (I used Sweet Leaf brand)

3 tablespoons Lakanto Monkfruit sweetener (or any monkfruit/erythritol blend)

3/4 teaspoon apple pie spice or cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped

1 tablespoon raw honey, melted

1/4 cup butter or ghee (clarified butter), melted (substitute non-dairy, if desired)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons water

15-20 liquid stevia drops, or to taste

Preheat the oven to 250-degrees and follow the directions above to make the granola.  Makes about 7-1/2 cups of bite-size pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Nutritional Information per 1/2 cup serving: 246 calories, 9.7 g carbohydrate (4.6 g dietary fiber, 2.6 g sugars, 1.6 g sugar alcohol), 22.6 g total fat (4.7 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 8 mg cholesterol, 81 mg sodium, 66.7 mg calcium, 191 mg potassium, 5.9 g protein.  Net carbs per serving: 5.1 grams

Recipes by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2015

Baked Cinnamon Spice Grain-Free, Low-Carb Granola

It's granola...so it must be healthy, right?  No, not necessarily.  Granola is one of those foods that is touted as healthy but can often be so full of sugar and carbohydrate that it's no better than eating right out of the sugar bowl!  If you check out the nutritional label on a store-bought granola cereal, you'd be shocked to see that there are about 45 carbs per serving, which translates into 8-1/2 teaspoons of sugar.  You can just imagine the spike in your blood glucose that is anything but healthy for your body.  In this grain-free recipe, there are only 4 net carbs per serving and I think the taste is better than a processed, boxed variety.  I used a combination of honey and no-carb sweeteners to achieve the right touch of sweetness without overpowering the warm spices and crunchy nuts.  It makes a delicious and nutritious breakfast topped with your favorite cold, non-dairy milk or sprinkle it on yogurt, applesauce or eat it plain as a snack.  Recently I stirred some into homemade vanilla kefir ice cream and it tasted like Cookies and Cream!  I always have some of this granola around because it's simple to make ahead of time and convenient when I need a quick and easy breakfast.

Baked Cinnamon Spice Grain-Free, Low-Carb Granola

Makes 12 servings (1/2 cup each)

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds

1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut

1/2 cup hazelnut or almond meal/flour

1/4 cup chia seeds, ground in a nut grinder (or 1/4 cup ground flaxseed)

1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup melted butter (or 1/2 butter & 1/2 coconut oil)

2 tablespoons LaKanto Monkfruit Sweetener (or other erythirtol sweetener)

3/4 teaspoon Stevia powder (I use Sweet Leaf brand)

1 tablespoon raw honey, melted

10 drops of Vanilla Creme liquid Stevia, or to taste (I use Sweet Leaf brand)

1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon mace

1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

1/4 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 250-degrees F.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray with non-stick coconut oil spray; set aside.

2. In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix very well.  Spread the granola on the parchment paper-lined pan.  Compress it into a firm, even sheet of granola by pressing mixture flat with a rubber spatula or your hand that is protected by parchment or a plastic sandwich bag.  The granola should be about 1/4-inch thick.*

3. Bake for about 70-90 minutes, or until golden throughout (the longer you bake it, the crunchier it gets).  Remove from the oven and allow to fully cool.  Break into pieces and enjoy!  Makes about 6 cups of bite-size pieces.  Store in an air-tight container.

*If you want to make this mixture into bars, shape into 12 equal-size bars or rounds, flatten and bake as directed.  Cool bars completely before removing from pan.  Wrap each bar individually with plastic wrap, then store bars in a zip-lock bag.

Nutritional Information per 1/2 cup pieces: 260 calories, 8.7 g carbohydrate (4.6 g dietary fiber, 2.5 g sugars), 23.8 g total fat (6 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 5 mg cholesterol, 124 mg sodium, 61.2 mg calcium, 184 mg potassium, 7.1 g protein.  Net carbs per serving: 4.1 grams

Recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2015