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Chai Paleo Granola

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chai paleo granola
You may have heard me saying how we’re getting ready for a road trip. We are so excited. Most of Andy’s family lives near the Adirondack mountains of upstate New York, and they have a family cabin on Lake George. Andy, Zoe, Ashley, our dog, Cherry, and I are driving to the cabin on the lake. Eeek! I can’t wait to show you pictures.

For the drive I made my best yogurt recipe, which is chilling now. I know I’m obsessed with it 😉 I got this great cooler that is just the right size to fit on the floor behind the console. Also I wanted to make some Chai Paleo Granola for munching on in the car. It came out great. The applesauce and the chia meal created these lovely little clusters 🙂
 paleo granola

Chai Paleo Granola

4 cups raw nuts, soaked for 8 hours, rinsed and strained (I used almonds and cashews for this photo)
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup coconut sugar
2 tablespoons Chia Seed meal (This creates clusters! I grind mine in a coffee grinder)
2 teaspoons cardamom
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoons ginger
1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 cup applesauce with no added sugar
1/8 teaspoon vanilla liquid stevia
  1. Pulse the nuts in the food processor in 2 batches (or roughly chop). Add to a large mixing bowl.
  2. Add the shredded coconut, almond flour, coconut sugar, chia seed meal (this is what creates awesome clusters), cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and sea salt. Combine well.
  3. Add the applesauce and stevia and combine again.
  4. Spread onto lined dehydrator trays and dehydrate overnight (about 115F), or until it’s dry and crunchy.
  5. Break to desired size and enjoy by the handful or with berries and nut milk!
  6. Store paleo granola in an airtight container in the fridge. (Nuts and seeds should always be refrigerated to prevent them from going rancid.)
We’ll be driving for days before we get there. Hopefully there will be some fun stuff to post as we drive East, and I’ll definitely be posting from the lake when we get there! 🙂
♥, Kelly
Click for the link to my dehydrator, the Nesco American Harvest
 
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  2. Hello! This sounds delicious and I want to try it. If I don’t have the Stevia liquid, what would be a good substitute?

    • I make mine with liquid lo han for sweetener and use about half the called-for amount (I don’t care for much sweetness in my granola).

  5. Oh, Lake George…I’m so jealous. I grew up an hour away from Lake George and spent many a summer day in the cool waters of the most beautiful lake in the world!

  6. I absolutely love how scenic and relaxed the Adirondacks are! It doesn’t look like we’ll make our way there this year though. Too many other trips slated. Can’t wait to see your photos! I love cabin and lake life. 🙂 I’m thinking you’ll be nowhere near the Adirondack Museum at Blue Mountain Lake, but if you pass by it on the way, do stop. It’s one of the best museums of all. I know you all would love it.

    That granola looks fab, but is it chai or chia granola? 😉 Both sound good! Granola is wonderful for a road trip.

    xo,
    Shirley

  10. I absolutely love this! Whenever I have granola, I must have clusters. For some reason, that makes the granola much better (crunch!).

  14. This is the best granola I’ve ever had. I made a batch yesterday and the family couldn’t wait to taste it. The smells in the house were wonderful. Thank you for a great recipe.

  15. Hey!

    This looks fantastic for so many things: breakfast, snacking, dessert toppings – yum! My roommate (who isn’t gluten or dairy free) said, “Make it!” when she saw the picture. I don’t have a dehydrator, but I’ll see what I can do to make it work in an oven.

  18. oh, a cabin on a lake sounds divine! We are searching for a place to getaway next week (here in VA) and I’m excited about it! And your granola — YUMMMMM!! Can’t wait to try it — I know my 3 kids will love it. Have a safe trip!

  20. Hi! I am new to your blog but I have already tried some of your recipes and really enjoyed them! As someone with multiple food sensitivities, and as a mother of two young boys with sensitivities as well, I am always looking for new things to try! I am very interested in trying your chai granola but unfortunately I don’t have a dehydrator. My oven will only go as low as 170 degrees. Do you know if it would be possible to make this recipe in the oven? And, if so, for how long and at what temperature? Thank you and I look forward to more of your wonderful recipes.
    Sarah

  23. Yes, you could also substitute flax see meal. I would just add a little more. It’s the chia/flax seed meal that acts as a glue and creates the clusters 🙂

  26. Thank you! We don’t have access to Azure here unfortunately. I use United co-op, but I don’t think they carry coconut sugar (they didn’t when I checked in the past). I found evaporated palm sugar on Amazon that is listed as “coconut sugar”. Do you know if that’s the same thing?

    Thanks!

  28. Hi! I just discovered your blog via Elana over at elanaspantry and am very excited to try some of the recipes-especially this granola! Unfortunately, I do not have a food dehydrator…do you think that baking it at a low temperature for a few hours would work?
    Or, if anyone else has done this and could comment-that would be great!
    Thank you!

  29. I was in the midst of making this and realized I have no applesauce. Could I use oil in place of the applesauce? If not what would be a good substitute if any at all?
    Thanks for all your inspiring recipes! AMAZING 🙂

  30. i am making this right now.. yes, my house already smells wonderful. i used pureed pumpkin instead of applesauce and used sucanat for the sugar and used 3/4 cup and elimated the stevia. i like stevia.. but my husband doesn’t care for it.

  32. Yum!!! If I don’t have a dehydrator, will this work in the oven? I really want to make this as well as your Vanilla Almond Strawberry Granola. Is there a way to buy already dehydrated strawberries then maybe do everything else in a low temp in the oven?

  33. Yum!!! If I don’t have a dehydrator, will this work in the oven? I really want to make this as well as your Vanilla Almond Strawberry Granola. Is there a way to buy already dehydrated strawberries then maybe do everything else in a low temp in the oven?

  34. Can I use walnuts that have already been soaked and dried? Or do I need to use raw nuts? And…do you ever do a combination of nuts? Or is it better to stick to one kind? I have some walnuts and some pecans but not sure they would mix well!

    Thanks!

  35. Thanks guys!

    I’ve never made this in my oven, so I’m not sure if it would work. If you try it I would turn the oven as low as it goes (150 or so) so you preserve some of the omega 3 and 6. Heat destroys omega fatty acids.

    Great idea on the pumpkin! I have to try that myself!

    Yes, nuts that are already soaked and dried should be fine. I’ve also used diced almonds and that was good too 🙂

  36. This was fabulous!!! What a healthy snack and breakfast! I refer to you a lot now to those who are fighting Chronic Lyme Disease. I am thankful that you share all your ideas. A few weeks ago I had no idea how I was going to be able to drastically change my diet SO much, SO fast-but your blog has been the difference between just eating to eat and eating for health and enjoyment!

    My blog site for Lyme Disease is: http://thelymeofourlives.blogspot.com/

  37. Hi Kelly! I wanted to share a great source for chia seeds and a lot of other great stuff. I get mine from this couple at http://www.TheRawFoodWorld.com, one example-Chia Seeds, 5lb – $21.91, Normally $32.95 – with 7% coup0n. I can’t wait to try this recipe. Thanks!

  40. I’m new to all this and just curious why you soak the nuts? Also do you soak them in water and how much? Thank you. The recipe looks wonderful and I can’t wait to try it!

  41. Hi again
    I just ate this granola for breakfast w/ chopped pear and cacao nibs- yummy. The clusters are great.
    I was wondering, after nuts are soaked and dehydrated, do they need to be refridgerated again?
    thanks

  42. Thanks guys!

    If you don’t have a dehydrator you could try using your oven on the lowest setting. I don’t think it would take nearly as long.

    I soak the nuts to help form the clusters and because nuts contain enzyme inhibitor which make them hard to digest. Soaking removes the enzyme inhibitors so they are easy to digest 🙂

    After soaking and dehydrating they would be fine at room temperature for probably a week, but they will last really long in the fridge. Unrefrigerated nuts and seeds will go rancid after a while, especially if it’s warm or moist.

  43. I’m flying overseas in a few months and was looking for some “different” granola to bring with me for emergency vegan snackage. This recipe looks perfect!

    Plus I just got a dehydrator for Christmas!!

  44. Hi There, I have just stumbled upon this blog and cant WAIT to try this granola and take it with us on our Easter trip. I am Fructose intolerant and unable to consume the applesauce (or the pumpkin sauce, can you or anyone help me in recommending something else I can use to replace the applesauce?? Thanks so much look forward to giving it a go!

  45. How much does this make?

    Can you replace the coconut sugar with more liquid stevia? If so, how much stevia?
    Thanks!