Rest Days are for Paleo Baking.....

Since my Paleo-approved Beef Brisket was such a success this week, I am already in the hunt for my next paleo-approved testing recipe. I love that lately I've had time to bake, cook and experiment but I have honestly not had any time to actually come up with a recipe on my own. So I want to thank Albany Crossfit for this awesome Granola recipe that I was just dying to try out.

Pre-Paleo, I would mix granola in yogurt or hot oatmeal and that was about it. So when I found this recipe, my instant excitement went to confusion.....ok great, paleo granola but um....what do I eat it with?! (Other than my hands - thanks to those who suggested the obvious! :P)

Although this was pretty easy to buy for and make, this recipe does have it's challenges. This is not what I would call an inexpensive recipe, even though you get a huge batch out of this that should last you a few weeks. But the biggest challenge wasn't the grocery bill but keeping my hands out of it once it was made! Since I'm on Day 3 of Paleo, I still haven't gotten over all of my sweet cravings, which this does satisfy.

Paleo Approved Granola:

1.5 Cups of Slivered Almonds
1.5 Cups of Chopped Pecans
1 Cup of Pumpkin Seeds
1/2 Cup of Flax Seeds
1/2 Cup of Sunflower Seeds
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 cup raisins
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1.5 blocks of unsweetened baking chocolate, grated
1/3 cup honey (or maple syrup or any other Paleo-approved sweetener)
1/3 cup Paleo-friendly oil (I used coconut and highly recommend it)




Mix honey, oil, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small saucepan and bring to a boil on the stove. Let it cool. Spread the nuts and seeds out on a greased baking sheet, sprinkle on raisins, chocolate and coconut, and pour the cooled honey mixture over the top. Mix it around to get everything covered, and bake for 30 minutes at 300 degrees. Allow the pan to cool slightly and then put the mixture into a bowl.







What I love about this recipe is that you can add such a variety; the original recipe didn't call for unsweetened chocolate. I believe my next batch will have fewer pumpkin seeds, as I found this batch to be slightly more salty than I would have liked. I plan on mixing my current batch with almond butter, press into a brownie pan, and chill in the freezer to make granola bars!



Just to note; originally the recipe states that you mix in the raisins and coconut after baking; I was super excited and in a hurry and didn't 'read' this part until after I mixed in everything. So I baked away with my fingers crossed. It worked out well; it toasted the coconut and melted the chocolate.