Food Marshall Homemade Granola: eight Flavors, Grain-Free or Sprouted
Golden, crunchy clusters of soaked and dried nuts and seeds, lightly sweetened with maple syrup or raw honey and toasted in coconut oil, with unsweetened dried fruits, warming spices, and superfoods stirred in at the end. Every flavor can be made grain-free or with sprouted oats, and there's a low-PUFA, nut-free oat granola too.
Each recipe makes about 6 cups. Double any recipe for a full batch of about 12 cups, which fills three 32-oz mason jars.
The Master Method
Soak and dry the nuts and seeds (optional, but traditional). Soaking nuts and seeds in salted water, then drying them low and slow, makes them crispier and easier on digestion for many people. This is the "crispy nuts" method from Sally Fallon Morell's Nourishing Traditions. See "Crispy Nuts" below.
Heat the oven to 300°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
Chop. Pulse the nuts in a food processor in short bursts, so you have a mix of whole pieces, halves, and smaller bits. The small bits are what glue the clusters together.
Make the binder. Warm the coconut oil (or butter), sweetener, vanilla, spices, and salt in a small saucepan just until melted and combined. Whisking the fat and syrup together well keeps the syrup from burning.
Toss. Pour the warm binder over the nuts and seeds (and sprouted oats, if using) and stir until every piece is glossy and coated.
Bake. Spread it in an even layer about ½ inch thick, and press it down firmly with a spatula.
Grain-free: bake 20–25 minutes.
With oats: bake 30–40 minutes.
For clusters, don't stir. For loose granola, stir every 10 minutes. Nut-only granola browns quickly, so watch the edges after 15 minutes.
Add the coconut. Scatter the coconut flakes over the top for the last 5 minutes, so they toast without burning.
Cool completely. Let it cool on the pan, untouched, for at least 30 minutes. It crisps up as it cools.
Finish. Break it into clusters and stir in the dried fruit, freeze-dried fruit, and any superfood add-ins. Adding fruit after baking keeps it soft and chewy, not burnt.
For clusters in any flavor: Whisk 1 pasture-raised egg white into the binder before tossing, and don't stir while it bakes.
Make it with sprouted oats: In any recipe, swap 2 cups of the nuts for 2 cups of sprouted rolled oats, and add 1 extra tbsp sweetener and 1 tbsp coconut oil to coat the extra surface.
Baking with honey: Honey browns faster than maple syrup, so keep the oven at 300°F and check the granola a few minutes early. (Baking does end raw honey's enzymes, so any good local honey works.)
Storage: In an airtight glass jar at room temperature up to 3 weeks, or frozen up to 3 months. Keep it away from heat and light, which helps the nut oils stay fresh.
Crispy Nuts (Soaked and Dried)
Almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and pistachios: Cover with filtered water plus 1 tbsp sea salt per 4 cups of nuts, and soak 7–12 hours.
Cashews and macadamias: Soak only 4–6 hours, since they turn soft and slimy with longer soaking.
Pumpkin and sunflower seeds: Soak 7 hours.
Then dry: Drain and rinse well, then dry in a dehydrator at 115–150°F (or your oven's lowest setting with the door cracked) for 12–24 hours, until completely crisp. Any moisture left behind can turn moldy, so they must be bone-dry.
Crispy nuts keep in an airtight jar in the fridge for months, ready for granola anytime.
1. Sunshine Granola
Cashew, coconut, and toasted seeds, brightened with orange and lemon zest and studded with mulberries and blueberries. Our everyday favorite.
2 cups cashews, roughly chopped
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1½ cups unsweetened coconut flakes (added in the last 5 minutes)
⅓ cup maple syrup
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp Ceylon cinnamon
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon (added to the warm binder)
¾ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
After baking:
½ cup dried white mulberries
½ cup dried wild blueberries (unsweetened or apple juice-sweetened)
Make it your own
More fruit: golden berries, dried mango, or freeze-dried pineapple
More spice: a pinch of ground ginger or cardamom, or a tiny pinch of turmeric for a golden glow
Why it's nourishing: Cashews bring magnesium, copper, and zinc. Pumpkin seeds add zinc and iron, and sunflower seeds bring vitamin E and selenium. Orange and lemon zest bring d-limonene and flavonoids from the peel, blueberries and mulberries add anthocyanins and vitamin C, and coconut brings lauric acid and fiber.
2. Golden Orchard Granola (Grain-Free)
A rich mix of four nuts with sweet apricots and honeyed white mulberries.
1 cup almonds, roughly chopped
1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1 cup cashews, roughly chopped
1 cup macadamia nuts, halved
½ cup pumpkin seeds
⅓ cup maple syrup
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp Ceylon cinnamon
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¾ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
After baking:
¾ cup unsulfured dried apricots, chopped
¾ cup dried white mulberries
Make it your own
More fruit: golden raisins, dried pears, or chopped figs
More spice: freshly grated nutmeg, ground ginger, or vanilla bean powder
Why it's nourishing: Walnuts bring ALA omega-3s, macadamias add monounsaturated fats (including palmitoleic acid, an omega-7 fat), and almonds bring vitamin E. Apricots add beta-carotene and potassium, and mulberries bring iron, vitamin C, and fiber.
3. Pistachio Rose Granola with Apricots and Mulberries
Pistachios, cardamom, orange zest, and rose petals, with sweet apricots and mulberries. Inspired by Persian flavors, and best with sprouted oats.
2 cups sprouted rolled oats (or 2 more cups of nuts, for grain-free)
1½ cups pistachios, roughly chopped
1 cup almonds, roughly chopped
½ cup sunflower seeds
1 cup unsweetened coconut chips (added in the last 5 minutes)
⅓ cup maple syrup, plus 1 tbsp if using oats
¼ cup coconut oil, melted, plus 1 tbsp if using oats
2 tsp Ceylon cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom
Zest of 1 orange
¾ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
After baking:
½ cup unsulfured dried apricots, chopped
½ cup dried white mulberries
2 tbsp dried edible rose petals
Make it your own
More fruit: unsweetened dried sour cherries, golden berries, or freeze-dried raspberries
More spice: a pinch of saffron steeped in the warm binder, or extra cardamom
Why it's nourishing: Pistachios bring vitamin B6, copper, and lutein. Cardamom is traditionally used to support digestion, orange zest brings d-limonene, and sprouted oats add fiber and minerals that are easier to absorb.
4. Cacao Crunch Granola with Cherries and Hazelnuts
A deep, dark chocolate granola with crunchy hazelnuts, cacao nibs, and tart cherries. Rich in magnesium.
1½ cups hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1 cup almonds, roughly chopped
1 cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup sunflower seeds
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (added in the last 5 minutes)
¼ cup raw cacao powder
⅓ cup maple syrup
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¾ tsp Baja Gold sea salt, plus flaky salt to finish
After baking:
½ cup unsweetened dried tart cherries
¼ cup cacao nibs
Make it your own
More fruit: freeze-dried raspberries or strawberries, chopped figs, or goji berries
More spice: a pinch of cinnamon and chile, for a Mexican chocolate twist, or 1 tsp espresso powder to deepen the chocolate
Why it's nourishing: Raw cacao and cacao nibs are some of the richest food sources of magnesium, plus iron and flavanols. Hazelnuts bring vitamin E and manganese, and tart cherries add anthocyanins. (Cacao contains theobromine, a gentle stimulant, so this one's best in the morning.)
5. Maple Pecan Pumpkin Spice Granola (Seasonal, Fall)
Warm and cozy, with toasted pecans, real pumpkin, pumpkin pie spices, and chewy figs.
2 cups pecans, roughly chopped
1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (added in the last 5 minutes)
⅓ cup pumpkin purée
⅓ cup maple syrup
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1½ tsp cinnamon plus ½ tsp mixed ginger, nutmeg, and cloves)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¾ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
After baking:
¾ cup dried Mission figs, chopped
A tip for this one: The pumpkin adds moisture, so bake it at 275°F for 40–50 minutes (grain-free), until dry and golden, then let it cool in the turned-off oven with the door cracked for 30 minutes to crisp.
Make it your own
More fruit: dried apple rings, chopped dates, golden raisins, or dried cranberries sweetened with apple juice
More spice: extra ginger, a pinch of cardamom, or orange zest
Why it's nourishing: Pecans bring manganese, zinc, and polyphenols. Pumpkin adds beta-carotene, figs bring calcium, potassium, and fiber, and the warming spices are traditionally used to support digestion.
6. Big Cluster Vanilla Maple Granola
Big, crunchy, snackable clusters you can eat by the handful, made with three easy tricks: finely chopping some of the mix, an egg white binder, and a slow, no-stir bake.
1½ cups almonds
1 cup pecans
1 cup cashews
½ cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup sunflower seeds
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 pasture-raised egg white
⅓ cup maple syrup
2 tbsp raw honey (it's stickier than maple syrup, which helps the clusters hold)
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
2 tsp pure vanilla extract (or 1 tsp vanilla bean powder)
1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon
¾ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
For clusters with oats: Swap the cashews for 2 cups sprouted rolled oats.
Method
Chop. Heat the oven to 300°F. Combine the nuts, seeds, and coconut, then pulse about 2 cups of the mixture in a food processor until very finely chopped, almost like coarse meal. Stir it back into the rest. The fine bits fill the gaps and glue everything into clusters.
Make the binder. Warm the maple syrup, honey, coconut oil, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until combined, and let it cool for a minute. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy, then whisk the warm binder into it.
Press. Toss everything together until well coated, spread it on a parchment-lined sheet, and press it down very firmly into a flat, even layer, with no thin edges.
Bake without stirring for 25–30 minutes, until golden.
Dry in the oven. Turn off the oven and leave the granola inside, untouched, for 1 hour (or longer), so it dries out and crisps without burning.
Cool completely on the pan before breaking it into big clusters.
Make it your own
Fruit: dried blueberries, tart cherries, or chopped apricots, stirred in after breaking it into clusters
Spice: a few drops of almond extract, cardamom, or orange zest
Why it's nourishing: Almonds, pecans, and cashews bring vitamin E, magnesium, and zinc, and the pasture-raised egg white adds a little extra protein.
7. Raspberry Honey Oat Granola (Low-PUFA and Nut-Free)
A simple, golden oat granola made with honey and coconut oil and finished with tangy freeze-dried raspberries. It's naturally low in PUFA and nut-free, which makes it perfect for school lunches.
4 cups sprouted gluten-free rolled oats
⅓ cup honey
⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
Optional: 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (added in the last 5 minutes)
After baking:
1 cup freeze-dried raspberries
Method
Make the binder. Heat the oven to 300°F. Warm the honey, coconut oil, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt until melted and combined.
Toss with the oats until every flake is coated, then spread on a parchment-lined sheet and press it down firmly.
Bake 30–35 minutes, stirring once halfway for loose granola (or not at all, for clusters), until golden. Honey browns quickly, so watch the edges.
Cool completely, then stir in the freeze-dried raspberries.
Make it your own
More fruit: freeze-dried strawberries, blueberries, or mango
More spice: lemon zest, cardamom, or vanilla bean powder
Why it's nourishing: Sprouted oats bring fiber, including beta-glucan, plus minerals that are easier to absorb. Coconut oil is a stable, saturated fat for toasting, and freeze-dried raspberries keep much of their vitamin C, fiber, and ellagic acid.
Why Low-PUFA?
PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids) are the most delicate fats in our food. Most nuts and seeds are rich in them, especially linoleic acid, an omega-6 fat. Their structure makes them easily damaged, or oxidized, by heat, light, and air, so they're the fats most likely to turn rancid. That matters for granola, which is toasted in the oven and then often sits in a jar for weeks.
There's also a bigger-picture reason. Over the last century, linoleic acid intake has risen dramatically, mostly from industrial seed oils like soybean, canola, corn, and sunflower oil, and many people in ancestral and traditional nutrition aim to bring it back down closer to traditional levels. Saturated fats like coconut oil and butter are far more heat-stable, so they're ideal for toasting.
To keep it balanced: the health effects of omega-6 fats are still debated, and mainstream nutrition guidelines consider whole nuts and seeds part of a healthy diet. Whole nuts are also far more nourishing than refined seed oils, since they come packaged with vitamin E, minerals, and fiber. A low-PUFA granola is simply a lovely option if you're keeping your PUFA intake moderate.
Making any flavor lower in PUFA:
Choose lower-PUFA nuts: macadamias, cashews, and hazelnuts are much lower in PUFA than walnuts, pecans, and sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
Toast low and slow at 300°F, rather than higher.
Use coconut oil or grass-fed butter as the binder fat.
Store it in a cool, dark place, and enjoy it within a few weeks, or freeze it.
More Flavor Ideas for the Product Line
Berry Bright: cashews, coconut, and freeze-dried strawberries and raspberries, with camu camu powder, one of the richest natural sources of vitamin C.
Savory Rosemary Seed: pumpkin, sunflower, and sesame seeds with olive oil, rosemary, garlic, and flaky salt, as a crunchy topper for salads, soups, and roasted vegetables.
Gingerbread: almonds and pecans with ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and a touch of blackstrap molasses (a winter seasonal).
Golden Milk: cashews and coconut with turmeric, ginger, black pepper, and cardamom.
Tropical Coconut Lime: macadamias, cashews, and coconut with lime zest and dried mango (naturally low in PUFA).
Apple Pie Walnut: walnuts and pecans with cinnamon, nutmeg, and dried apple rings.
Butter and Collagen: made with grass-fed butter instead of coconut oil, with grass-fed collagen stirred into the binder, for vitamin A, K2, and extra protein.
8. Golden Chai Pecan Granola
Warm chai spices, toasted pecans, coconut, and a little turmeric, with big, crunchy clusters and chewy dates or figs. The cozy fall and winter granola.
Yield: About 6 cups · Active: 15 min · Total: 1 hour, including cooling · Best in North America in fall and winter · Best eaten: morning
Dry ingredients
1½ cups pecans, roughly chopped
1 cup walnuts or sliced almonds
½ cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup sunflower seeds
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (added halfway through baking)
¼ cup hemp hearts (added after baking)
2 tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp ground turmeric
⅛ tsp ground cloves
A pinch each of freshly ground black pepper and nutmeg
½ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
Wet ingredients
⅓ cup coconut oil (or grass-fed ghee), melted
⅓ cup maple syrup
2 tbsp pecan butter (or almond butter), for bigger clusters
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Optional: zest of ½ orange
Stir in after baking
½ cup chopped Medjool dates or dried figs
For bigger, crispier clusters: Whisk 1 pasture-raised egg white until frothy, and fold it into the coated granola before baking, like in the Big Cluster Vanilla Maple Granola.
Sprouted oat option: Swap the walnuts for 1½ cups sprouted rolled oats.
Method
Prep. Heat the oven to 300°F, and line a large baking sheet with parchment.
Mix the dry ingredients. Toss the pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, spices, and salt in a large bowl. (Hold back the coconut and hemp hearts.)
Mix the wet ingredients. Whisk the melted coconut oil, maple syrup, pecan butter, vanilla, and orange zest (if using) until smooth.
Coat. Pour the wet mixture over the dry, and toss until everything is evenly coated. Fold in the whipped egg white, if using.
Press and bake. Spread it on the baking sheet, and press it down firmly with a spatula, so it forms clusters. Bake 15 minutes.
Add the coconut. Sprinkle the coconut flakes over the top, gently press everything down again, and bake 15–20 minutes more, until golden and fragrant. Watch it closely at the end, since coconut burns quickly.
Cool without stirring. Let it cool completely on the pan, so it crisps up into clusters.
Finish. Break it into clusters, and toss with the hemp hearts and chopped dates or figs.
Storage: Airtight at room temperature up to 3 weeks, or frozen up to 3 months.
Serve it with: raw milk or yogurt, over baked apples or pears, or by the handful with a cup of chai.
Nourishment: Chai spices have long been used in Ayurveda to warm the body in cooler months: cinnamon helps moderate blood sugar, ginger and cardamom are traditionally used to support digestion, and turmeric's curcumin is best absorbed with black pepper and fat, both of which are here. Pecans bring vitamin E, manganese, and zinc, pumpkin and sunflower seeds bring magnesium, zinc, and vitamin E, hemp hearts bring complete plant protein and omega-3s, and dates or figs bring potassium and fiber.
Sourcing: Organic, raw pecans, walnuts, and seeds (kept in the fridge); organic, unsweetened coconut flakes; organic hemp hearts; organic, non-irradiated spices (Ceylon cinnamon from Sri Lanka); organic Grade A dark maple syrup; organic pecan or almond butter; organic Medjool dates or dried figs; and organic sprouted rolled oats, if using.
Nourishment Notes
Soaked and dried nuts and seeds — soaking is a traditional practice thought to reduce phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors, making nuts easier on digestion for many people, and drying makes them extra crisp. Nuts and seeds bring vitamin E, magnesium, zinc, copper, selenium, and healthy fats.
Sprouted oats — sprouting begins to break down phytic acid, which can make minerals easier to absorb, and many people find sprouted oats easier to digest.
Maple syrup and honey — unrefined, with trace minerals.
Coconut oil — lauric acid, a medium-chain fat, and a stable, saturated fat that holds up well to toasting.
Unsweetened dried and freeze-dried fruits — fiber, potassium, iron, vitamin C, and polyphenols, with natural sweetness and no added sugar.
Citrus zest — d-limonene and flavonoids concentrated in the peel.
Ceylon cinnamon — polyphenols that help moderate blood sugar.
As a circadian food, granola belongs to the morning, paired with raw kefir, yogurt, or milk for protein.
Sourcing
Nuts and seeds — organic: almonds (unpasteurized Spanish almonds, like Terrasoul's, can be soaked and dried; U.S. almonds are pasteurized by law), walnuts, pecans, cashews, macadamias, hazelnuts, pistachios, and pumpkin and sunflower seeds, kept in the fridge so their oils stay fresh
Sprouted rolled oats — organic and certified gluten-free; One Degree Organic Foods makes sprouted rolled oats
Coconut flakes and chips — organic, unsweetened, and sulfite-free
Dried fruit — organic, unsulfured, and unsweetened: apricots, white mulberries, wild blueberries, tart cherries, Mission figs, and golden berries (many dried blueberries, cherries, and cranberries are sweetened with sugar, so check the label)
Freeze-dried fruit — organic, with nothing added
Maple syrup and honey — organic Grade A dark maple syrup; organic, local, unfiltered honey
Coconut oil — organic, virgin, and unrefined (or grass-fed butter)
Eggs (for clusters) — organic and pasture-raised
Raw cacao powder and nibs — organic, and ideally tested for heavy metals
Pumpkin purée — homemade from roasted sugar pie pumpkin, or organic in a BPA-free can
Rose petals — organic, food-grade, and pesticide-free
Citrus — organic oranges and lemons (you're using the zest)
Spices — organic and non-irradiated Ceylon cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spices
Vanilla — organic pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean powder
Salt — Baja Gold sea salt; Maldon for finishing
— Anna aka Food Marshall