The Only Raw, Vegan Granola Recipe You’ll Ever Need

by Gena on June 1, 2011

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Raw granola is one of the first dishes that many raw foodists try to make at home. It makes sense: granola is a crowd pleaser, and the raw versions don’t tend to taste all that different from the cooked ones, so it’s a great transition food. The downside is that dehydrators are usually called for; the upside is that raw granola offers more texture and more satiety than a smoothie (of course this depends on the smoothie), which means it’s a comforting and convenient breakfast option for those who are stumped for raw breakfast ideas (that doesn’t include CR readers, who get tons of breakfast ideas from yours truly!)

The fact that I did not attempt a raw granola until last week is pretty weird, given how popular the stuff is. And now that I have made it, I imagine it’ll become a habit, since I absolutely loved the results. As the title of this post suggests, I won’t be doing much to alter my recipe: it turned out wonderfully, at least to my taste. This granola is rich in protein, healthy fat, and just the right amount of sweetness, and it has a wonderful cinnamon flavor that enhances the whole dish. It’s also very easy to make, especially since most of the proportions work in thirds.

As usual, you can turn this into a regular oven recipe without any fuss. Just bake it at 350 until it has started to get toasty and crispy—I’d say about 30-40 minutes. Enjoy.

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Choosing Raw Granola (raw, vegan, gluten and soy free)

Yields about 3 cups

1 cup soaked and dehydrated buckwheat
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup dried, chopped apples
1/3 cup maple syrup (agave is also fine)
1 tbsp coconut or flax oil
2 tbsp water
1 tsp cinnamon
Dash nutmeg
Dash salt

1) Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

2) Whisk together the maple syrup, water, coconut oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Pour over dry ingredients and mix them well with your hands. If you’d like to make a sweeter granola, you can add another tbsp maple syrup, or a few drops of stevia; the amount listed is intended only to add gentle sweetness and to bind the granola together.

3) Dehydrate at 115 degrees for about 10-12 hours, or until granola is sticky but adhering firmly. Refrigerate till ready to use; this will help maintain crunch and texture!

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It’s heavenly with blueberries, bananas, and almond milk—not to be missed!

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Can’t wait for your reactions.

Apartment update! Not much has transpired since yesterday, so I’ll refrain from showing you progress photos that don’t earn the name. That said, my clothing and bedding has been (mostly) put away. Aside from my horror at how much clothing I own, this is a big accomplishment. So glad you guys like the new place as much as I do.

Hasta manana!

xo

{ 43 comments… read them below or add one }

Bianca- Vegan Crunk June 1, 2011 at 4:37 pm

I must order some more raw buckwheat for this! I’ve only been able to find the roasted kasha stuff at Whole Foods. But this sounds delicious.

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Janessa June 1, 2011 at 4:49 pm

This recipe looks spectacular. Let’s get real; anything with blueberries looks spectacular, but this looks extra-special. Yum!

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Averie (LoveVeggiesandYoga) June 1, 2011 at 4:56 pm

Congrats on getting most of your clothes put away. That is HUGE progress.

And again, can’t believe you’re breaking out real posts, i.e. full on recipe posts in the midst of a move. You rock. Or rawk. <—I usually refrain from that word, but the raw granola recipe is rawkin' :)

I love that you used apples in it,too. Mmmmm, good!

And all those seeds. Yay for that and you know what I also love: no nuts! I do love nuts like the rest of the world, but in raw cooking and baking they tend to be a bit over-used so I love seeing sweet-ish or breakfast-ey type recipes, sans nuts. And full of blueberries and apples. Yummy!

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ste rhymes with tree June 1, 2011 at 5:06 pm

Looks tasty! It doesn’t look well-combined…do you find that buckwheaties can combine well with seeds and fruits? Or maybe it is time for me to store this away for a day my tummy settles down because lately it has been unhappy :-(

I’ve been trying to think of a well-combined granola…so far I’ve come up with buckwheaties, coconut shreds, and banana. Are there any other mixins you can think of that would work with that?

Oh! And your place looks amazing — I bet putting away the clothes was a lot of progress! Don’t seel yourself short!

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Ela June 1, 2011 at 5:33 pm

Amazing productivity you’re modeling over there!

I’m just waiting for my dehydrator any day now and granola for my husband is close to top of the list of ‘to-makes.’ He’s just recently been finding that oats give him a tummyache, so this might be perfect. He also claims to hate buckwheat, but I’ve seen him eat store cereal (um, kashi?!–obviously buckwheat) without realizing the buckwheat, so maybe if I don’t tell him he’ll like it.
Thanks so much for sharing!
love
Ela

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Mountain Girl (Eat Hike Sleep Repeat) June 1, 2011 at 5:55 pm

I’ve made raw granola once before, not sure what to expect. It came out the dehydrator, my friends tasted it, and said, “is that all you made?”. Now that I know I love it and it keeps well, I triple or quadruple the recipe to make sure the dehydrator is packed full. If the dehydrator is going for that long, I make sure every tray is used. How nice that the dehydrator isn’t humming away in your bedroom any more!

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megan @ the oatmeal diaries June 1, 2011 at 5:58 pm

How beautiful is this?! Will definitely be making this once I get all the ingredients. Thanks, Gena!!

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Mama Pea June 1, 2011 at 6:07 pm

I love when you have grandiose titles like this because I know you don’t take these things lightly and you can totally back it up. I have everything to make this in my pantry…well, except the dehydrator, so thanks for the oven instructions as well!

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JL goes Vegan June 1, 2011 at 7:09 pm

The recipe looks great! The first time I made raw granola I sprouted buckwheat groats. I much prefer just soaking and going from there — especially with this mini-heat wave as I’m terrified of sprouting in this hot house (say no to mold!) Can’t wait to try it.

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Jen June 1, 2011 at 7:11 pm

I love granola that stays chunky instead of falling apart (but I hate the word chunky). Rather, I love granola that stays in big pieces (that’s better). This looks delish. Wait! Clusters! That’s the right word! This looks wonderfully clustery. And bananas make everything better. Yum.

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Katelyn @ Chef Katelyn June 1, 2011 at 9:42 pm

Would this work in an oven?!

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Marie June 1, 2011 at 10:41 pm

Congratulations on your new beginning, Gena! I’ve heard DC is a great place to live. I was wondering, any recommendations on dehydrators? I don’t have much counter space and I don’t want to spend a huge amount of money… I just feel bad letting all of this juice pulp go, even if it is composted! (and I wouldn’t mind having a new kitchen gadget to play with ;)

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Hannah June 1, 2011 at 11:24 pm

Granola is like the love of my life.

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Stephanie June 2, 2011 at 12:00 am

I can’t wait to get my braces off so I can try this recipe! I made buckwheaties a few weeks ago, and LOVED them, but they killed my teeth! I’ve missed granola since going gluten free 5 years ago. Thanks for an amazing-looking recipe.

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Stephanie June 2, 2011 at 12:52 am

I *need* to get a dehydrator. There are soo many raw recipes that I want to try, and I know I can use an oven, but it’s just not the same. Either way, though, this looks dreamy.

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Amanda June 2, 2011 at 2:11 am

Love me some raw granola! But I don’t have a dehydrator :-(
Since you said we could make this using an oven, how long & at what temp do you suggest baking the buckwheat for in order to get it to the desired dehydrated consistency? Also, would we still soak the buckwheat?

THANKKKKKS :)

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Karen June 2, 2011 at 6:45 am

Oh, my! This looks like the perfectly clumpy, balanced granola I’ve been craving and I have every ingredient…fingers crossed the oven method turns out as nicely. Excited!

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Christina June 2, 2011 at 8:57 am

That looks absolutely amazing! I really want a dehydrator but they’re kinda pricey. I think I’ll be saving up for one though, I’m not completely raw by all means but I think with a dehydrator I’d definitely eat more “raw” foods…..like kale chips! yum!

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Katie (quick cook rice) June 2, 2011 at 9:04 am

Now that you live here, I can so justify hunting you down and demanding that you feed me breakfast, right? Because honestly, I can’t seriously consider turning on the dehydrator when it’s this hot.

I just made raw granola last week too, and I have to admit it was great, but it used a ton of expensive nuts. I think your version is much more wallet friendly.

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SquatLikeALady June 2, 2011 at 9:40 am

I LOVE raw granola. And I’m not even a raw foodist ;-) it’s just so good! The texture is amazing.

I’m sure you’re making lots of progress with the moving!! It just sometimes doesn’t feel like it because there’s so much to do!

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Kelsey June 2, 2011 at 11:54 am

this looks amazing!! a dehydrator is so on my list!

question (maybe this is obvious but I don’t know!): do you soak then dyhdrate the buckwheat yourself, or do you buy them that way?

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Gillian June 2, 2011 at 1:21 pm

YUM! Could I dehydrate it in my oven at a low temp??

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Meg June 2, 2011 at 2:19 pm

This looks delightful. I can’t wait to try it. mmmmmmm. Granola is the one thing I miss the most about going raw. This is so great. Thanks you!

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Christine (The Raw Project) June 2, 2011 at 4:11 pm

Wow, this looks wonderful, I need to load my dehydrator with this now! Perfect since I’m trying to experiment with raw breakfast alternatives to smoothies.

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Pure2raw twins June 3, 2011 at 7:18 am

Love raw granola, it has been sooo long since I have made any

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Shelby June 4, 2011 at 11:03 pm

absolutely delicioussssssss!
if only i had a dehydrator…..

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Chelsea June 5, 2011 at 5:54 pm

Gina, I am hooked! Thank you! I have tried several raw granola recipes, and this one is by far the easiest and best tasting. I made a single batch, ate about half of it off the dehydrator, and immediately began soaking enough buckwheat for a double. :-) I have so enjoyed your blog! I live near DC and look forward to gleaning from your discoveries and insights into scrumptious vegan/raw eats in the city. :-) Wishing you a smooth transition and settling! Welcome to the area!

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Zarah June 13, 2011 at 3:23 pm

Just found you – but already tucked you into my blogroll. WOW! Just the images makes me hungry…! Sounds absolutely divine. Thank you for sharing! :D

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Alyssa January 6, 2012 at 12:56 pm

I also just found your site and could not be happier! I’ve been experimenting with gluten-free granola recipes and have been dying to make one using buckwheat. Top it off that it’s raw and I’m in! Can’t wait to try this yummy recipe this weekend.

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Noel January 24, 2012 at 8:03 am

Wow! This granola looks amazing, your pictures are making me drool! I have to make this very soon. Thank you very much for posting this recipe!

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OrganicLives January 25, 2012 at 3:45 pm

What a great recipe! Yum. We’ve managed to get together a tasty grain-free raw granola and it’s available online if you are interested: http://bit.ly/xWSMJc.

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Maria @ Little Miss Cornucopia July 2, 2012 at 12:43 pm

YUM!! Looks and sounds amazing!! I’m going to make this RIGHT NOW!! Thank you sooooo much for this recipe :)

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Maria @ Little Miss Cornucopia August 5, 2012 at 3:55 pm

This granola is the best!! I’ve made it quite a few times.. keeping it in mason jars in the fridge, then enjoying it with almond mylk, banana, blueberries, or on its own. My only suggestion to others…Make a double batch..you won’t regret it!

Thanks again for sharing this incredibly tasty treat!!

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Iris July 4, 2012 at 10:20 am

Thank you for all your help. I am new to raw and looking for basics. So thanks again. One quick question, where can one read about the soaking and dehydrator 101?

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angel August 26, 2012 at 8:04 am

Hi can you buy this?

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Rachel @ My Naturally Frugal Family September 7, 2012 at 9:33 am

This looks absolutely delicious. I have a dehydrator question: How do you pick one? I have seen several, but just wanting to jump into raw foods I want to make sure I invest in the proper one. I would want to make granola, crackers, fruit leathers, etc.
Any advice you have is welcomed.

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SageK November 8, 2012 at 12:01 pm

Your passage; “As usual, you can turn this into a regular oven recipe without any fuss. Just bake it at 350 until it has started to get toasty and crispy—I’d say about 30-40 minutes. Enjoy.”

…I would add “HOWEVER, if you choose to bake, cook this dish at any temp exceeding 111 degrees, it will no longer be considered RAW, as you will have destroyed the beneficial enzymes in the food, rending it now ‘cooked’, ‘dead’, ‘an empty calorie’, just so you know.”

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Michele December 2, 2012 at 8:48 pm

I just bought a dehydrator but I’m completely new to it – can you explain more specifically how to prepare the buckwheat and the dried apples for this recipe? Thanks-
Michele

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Alba January 20, 2013 at 8:51 pm

Your yummy receipt is dehydrating as we speak.. it is so good I keep eating it under the guise of “stirring” it. I substitued ginger for nutmeg because I LOVE ginger. And it is amazing. Got a zing to it..

I made some nut based granola with some nice citrus peel in it which was good too but I like that this is buckwheat based. Lots of protein and not quite so heavy.
Merci!!!

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jody January 21, 2013 at 3:35 pm

I made the buckwheat sprouts. Do I need to dehydrate the buckwheat sprouts before adding the additional ingredients and then dehydrate the entire thing? Or do I mix the sprouts and then dehydrate everything one time?

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lorrie April 2, 2013 at 5:27 am

This looks great. We just got a Ronco dehydrator with temp. control and 4 trays for about 70.00 online. One question: we like to backpack. Could this get any drier and still be good?

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Gena April 2, 2013 at 7:35 am

You can definitely try dehydrating it longer to see how it turns out, Lorrie. Usually more dehydration time can’t hurt.

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Sylwia May 13, 2013 at 4:30 pm

Perfect. and No Milk nor Mylk. Namaste :)

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