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There was a period in my life where I pretty much lived off granola. I was working full-time as a Nurse in Nottingham and I was living on my own. In a bid to try and be a little more healthy I started making my own granola. I would make a huge batch on a day off that would last me a week or two and then I would pack a portion or two and take it to work with me. Add some fresh berries and Greek yoghurt and you’re onto a winner. There are times I would even have it for dinner because have you tried cooking for yourself after a 13 hour shift? N’thank ya.
Skip ahead a few years and I realised I had not made granola in a reaaaally long time. So with that thought in mind I dove into the cupboards to see if I had the ingredients to make a quick batch. Unsurprisingly I didn’t. But what I did have was a half used bag of quinoa flakes (the remnants of an unsuccessful elimination diet), a bag of mixed seeds and some maple syrup. Mix it together and what do you get? Bippity boppity boo Quinoa Seed Granola!
This Quinoa Seed Granola is a little bit different from the sort you might find on the shelf, you won’t find any nuts or oats in this recipe! However it’s still full of all sorts of nutritious good stuff – pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds and quinoa (which is also a seed, who knew?!). Basically it’s a pretty seedy granola. But in a good way. That being said, the recipe is super versatile and if you want to add some extra oats or nuts throw them in! Make it your own, that is the beauty of granola.
This recipe isn’t excessively sweet like a lot of store bought granola, and will last in an air tight container for weeks! So it’s ready for you at breakfast time, or snack time, or after those 13 hour days where all you can do is stuff handfuls of granola into your face. No judgement here my friends.
What are quinoa flakes and how do you use them?
Similar to rolled oats, quinoa flakes are quinoa seeds flattened to produce flakes that can be used for all sorts of recipes. Quinoa flakes are higher in protein than regular oats and are also gluten free. They are so versatile and as well as using them in granola you can use them to make porridge, muesli, cakes, biscuits and even to bulk up dishes like burgers and meatballs! I buy Amisa Organic Quinoa Flakes in bulk, which makes them much cheaper than if you were to buy them in the supermarket.
What if I can’t get quinoa flakes?
No problem. You can easily substitute the quinoa flakes for rolled oats and the recipe will still turn out great! If you can’t find quinoa flakes in your local supermarket I like to buy mine off amazon.
If you try this recipe let me know by leaving a comment and a rating!
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This nut-free Quinoa Seed Granola is full of all sorts of nutritious good stuff. Make it in a huge batch and enjoy it for a filling breakfast or snack.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 5 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp chia seeds
- 100g sunflower seeds
- 100g pumpkin seeds
- 50g flax seeds – I use Linwoods Organic Milled Flaxseed
- 50g quinoa flakes – I use Amisa Organic Quinoa Flakes
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 150ºC.
- In a large saucepan melt the coconut oil over a medium-low heat. Then add the maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla and salt and mix everything to combine. Turn off the heat.
- To the pan add the chia, sunflower, pumpkin and flax seeds and the quinoa flakes. Mix everything together until all of the dry ingredients are coated in the oil and maple syrup.
- Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and spread the granola mix in an even layer over it. Place the tray in the oven for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes remove the tray from the oven, stir the granola then return to the oven for a further 15-20 minutes. Check the granola often in that time to make sure its not burning.
- The granola is ready when it is golden brown in colour. Remove it from the oven and leave it to cool before storing in an airtight container, where it will keep for up to a month!
Notes
- Some ovens cook hotter than others therefore it is important to regularly check the granola in the last 15-20 minutes of cooking to ensure it doesn’t burn.
Keywords: Nut-Free Granola, Quinoa Granola, Healthy Granola Recipe, Granola Recipe, Quinoa Recipe, Nut-free Recipe
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