Saturday, January 29, 2011

Apple Snap Granola (GAPS-legal, gluten- and grain-free)

This grain-free granola is a real hit in our house.  Pecans have such a wonderful flavor and make the granola nice and crispy.  I've tried making it with almonds, and it was not nearly as good (but maybe I'm biased as pecans are definitely my favorite nut). And luckily for me, pecans are a local crop here in southern New Mexico.

This granola makes a great breakfast cereal or a great snack at any time.  For a twist, try it with plain whole-milk yogurt and sliced banana. You could also eat it without dehydrating it.  My daughter loves to eat it that way as a soft and simple breakfast on days that I'm making granola. I like to make a double batch to really fill up my Nesco dehydrator.


Apple Snap Granola:
4 heaping cups pecans, soaked in water with a little salt for 12-24 hours* and then rinsed and drained
2 cups organic unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup local raw honey
1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt

Chop the nuts in a food processor until fairly small and uniform. Stir together nuts and other ingredients. Spread onto dehydrator sheets (I use the fruit roll sheets for my Nesco dehydrator), and dehydrate for 18-24 hours (I use the max temperature of 155 degrees F on my Nesco dehydrator). (Of course, you could also bake it in the oven instead, but I like using the dehydrator as it is impossible to burn the granola that way.) To check whether the granola is done, break off a small piece and allow to cool completely before eating.  When it is nicely crunchy, it's done! Allow to cool, break into pieces, and then store in the fridge.

*Soaking the nuts neutralizes phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors. Phytic acid blocks mineral absorption of calcium and magnesium (among others); enzyme inhibitors make nuts hard to digest.

This recipe is part of Permanent Posies, Monday Mania at The Healthy Home Economist, Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade, and Pennywise Platter at The Nourishing Gourmet!

24 comments:

hobby baker Kelly said...

Mmmm, think I'll have to try this recipe for snackies for my girls. I did a similar pineapple coconut one and took it to the crunchy stage and we loved it that way, so I know this one will be great too!

Sarah Smith said...

I hope you like it! You could certainly add some shredded coconut as well; it is tasty that way too! Pineapple coconut sounds like a good variation to try.

christin b said...

Wonderful blog! Great recipes!!

Sarah Smith said...

Thank you! I'm glad you like it!

PERMANENT POSIES said...

This looks awesome! My daughter is a Celiac so, always looking for special treats. I have a blog link-up and I would love it if you would share your recipe. Here is the link:
http://permanentposies.com/2011/04/meatballs-and-potatoes/

magda said...

I've had this bookmarked for weeks and I finally made it! Yum yum! I left out the honey, added twice as much homemade raw applesauce, and left in the my dehydrator at 115. It is delicious! Thanks so much for this recipe!

Sarah Smith said...

Magda: Great, thanks for letting me know about your successful changes! With double the applesauce I bet it was super apple-y and delicious!

hellaD said...

Wow these sound fantastic I wish we had a dehydrator. Our oven's low temperature is still rather hot.

Sarah Smith said...

I'm sure you could cook this in the oven instead. It would just cook much faster and you'd need to stir probably every 20 minutes or so. Let me know if you try it, and how it turns out!

Brenda said...

These look good! Hopping over a little late from the Tasty tidbits hop! Can't wait to check out your site!
You can visit me at www.busymomonthego.com
if you have a chance.

Denise @ Creative Kitchen said...

Oh can't wait to try this!! I'm just recently finishing my first month of a low carb/controlled carb experiment! These look like something my whole family would love. I love homemade granola, but this looks like a GREAT grain free lower carb option with the pecans.

I just shared a Low Carb Cream Cheese Pancake a couple weeks ago on my blog. They are tasty & also grain free.

Denise @ Creative Kitchen

Laurie S said...

I'm really excited about this recipe, since all my kids love it! Even my oldest, who won't eat any kind of nut, eats handfuls of this and wants it in her lunchbox. :)

Sarah Smith said...

Wonderful, Laurie! Thanks for letting me know!

Lauren P. said...

This looks great! Why is it only GAPS-friendly (and not GAPS legal)?
Thanks!

Sarah Smith said...

It is GAPS-legal! I think it was just in the early days when I was using a different term.

Jakarta Hotel said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Unknown said...

This looks amazing! and pecans are definitely my favorite nut too! :)

Anonymous said...

oops! i roasted the pecans first, uhm.. can i add ingredients and let cook in my oven for a few hours instead. also my oven only goes down to 170 but my thermometer read 160, is that to hot

Sarah Smith said...

I think that should work fine, although I'm not sure if the applesauce will be able to dry out enough before the pecans start burning...

Anonymous said...

This looks like some pretty big clusters in the picture? That would be great if they were or if there was a way to make them into more of a granola bar. Any ideas? Looks great! Can't wait to try it!

Sarah Smith said...

I don't think this granola would stay together well as granola bars, as it is too wet. But try this recipe instead: http://nourishedandnurtured.blogspot.com/2013/09/fruit-and-nut-power-bars-primal-gaps.html

Liz said...

What a treat!!! This granola is becoming a Christmas tradition :). Thank you for this simple, delicious and nourishing treat.

Beth-a-knee said...

I have been making this granola for years. It is SO yummy. Everybody who tries it loves it.

Sarah Smith said...

Fantastic, Beth-knee! Thanks for letting me know!