Turmeric Granola

This post is also available in: Suomi (Finnish)

For the past few weeks I’ve been craving all things warm, comforting and mildly spiced. Everything, that makes me feel good, balanced and warm me up. We’ve got minus degrees and snow in here, so warm sees to be the keyword in my life right now.

I’ve definitely been using more spices than before and made less smoothies and salads, and other cold things. My favorite spice seems to be turmeric, as I’ve been adding it into everything, including my morning pancakes. I’ve also made turmeric rice, golden milk lattes, and lots of turmeric-spiced stews. And given the headline, you can probably guess that my latest add to the bunch is turmeric granola – a.k.a probably my favorite granola ever.

This granola started from my ongoing project of emptying our cupboards, as all those open bags and packets of different grains and who-knows-whatever started to wear me out. I wish I was super organized with that stuff, but unfortunately I’m not. I tend to save a lot of things for the future, thinking I’ll get a magical idea for a specific ingredient, but most times all those bags just end up sitting in the shelves for a loooong time. So as I was staring a bag of pine nuts I decided that there’s no better time than the current to use whatever luxury goodies we’re saving for later. That jar of almond butter? Enjoy it! The bottle of champagne? Open it! A bag of pine nuts? Go for it! And so I did. I toasted a bunch of them on top of my soup and decided that next up were two bags of organics nuts that would go to a gorgeous granola.

Given my addiction to turmeric, I decided to add a spoonful to the granola mixture and the end result was wonderful: a super crunchy, naturally sweetened granola, that’s like little pieces of edible gold. I wanted the granola to be crunchy but with a bit of chewy parts too, so I made a mix of rolled oats, nuts and dried mulberries that are absolute favorite for bringing a bit of caramel-like taste to anything. The granola is sweetened with bananas and maple syrup, which are really lovely together with the turmeric and bring just the right amount of sweetness without taking things over the top for everyday snacking. Little pieces of gold in everyday life never hurt, at least if you ask me :)

Stay cozy and enjoy the granola, friends! xo

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Turmeric Granola (vegan + gluten-free)

notes: I’m a big fan of dried mulberries and love them in granola, but in case you don’t have them they’re easily replaced with other dried fruit like dates or raisins. other nuts would work too if you’re not a fan of brazil nuts or almonds!

makes one baking sheet

1 2/3 cups gluten-free rolled oats
2/3 cups brazil nuts, chopped
1 cup almonds, chopped
1/2 cup dried mulberries

5 tbsp coconut oil
2 ripe bananas
1/3 cup maple syrup
1-2 tsp turmeric powder (depending on how much you like the taste of it)
1/2 tsp vanilla powder
a pinch of ground cardamom

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 C / 400 F degrees. Line a baking sheet with baking paper and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, chopped nuts and mulberries. Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan on low heat. Pour the melted coconut oil into a blender and add the bananas, maple syrup, turmeric, vanilla and cardamom and blend until smooth.

3.  Pour the banana mixture over to the dry ingredients and mix well. The mixture should be a bit sticky.

4. Spread the granola mixture in an even layer to the baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until it gets a beautiful golden color. Stir the mixture halfway to get an even color. Allow the granola to cool completely before serving, as it will get crispy after cooling.

5. Serve with for example with plant yogurt and berries and enjoy! Store the granola in an airtight glass jar at room temperature for up to one month.