A healthy, raw granola recipe that’s soaked and doesn’t end up rock hard? Yes, that’s exactly what we’re sharing with you today! With endless flavor options, this easy homemade granola makes a fantastic breakfast, snack, or even dessert!
Table Of Contents
What Makes This Recipe Healthy?
I wanted a granola recipe that combined the benefits of soaked oats (or any other flaked grain, if oats are off your list) and soaked nuts.
Soaking the grains neutralizes phytic acid, a mineral absorption blocker. This makes the granola easier to digest and a better option for those with stomach sensitivities.
Furthermore, the oats and nuts contain heart-healthy nutrients and are filled with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Just a single half-cup serving contains manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, folate, vitamins B1, B3, B5, and B6, calcium, and potassium.
Why Soak The Oats, Nuts & Seeds
Soaking the nuts starts the process of germination and de-activating enzyme inhibitors. Raw granola that is soaked is a highly nutritious and a great source of digestive enzymes!
Just like many grains, raw nuts and seeds contain enzyme inhibitors.
While these have an important role to play in the life of a plant, enzyme inhibitors, such as phytic acid, can act as an anti-nutrient to humans. They are considered anti-nutrients because of their ability to impact the absorption of other nutrients (source).
Besides impacting the absorption of other nutrients, enzyme inhibitors make nuts more difficult to digest.
Granola Ingredients
There are many ways to go about this, with varying degrees of complexity. My goal was to make this homemade granola recipe as simple as possible.
I aimed to start all ingredients soaking at the same time; and not to call for already soaked ingredients, just in case they aren’t on hand.
I also aimed to make it flexible to the pantry, using what you have on hand.
At the same time, I chose many ingredients that I knew to be rich in digestive enzymes, making this a hearty breakfast or snack that will help digest itself and any other foods you serve at the same time. We love it in milk kefir!
Basic Granola
You can get as fancy or as basic as your taste buds prefer for your oats mixture. For this recipe, we start with the following base ingredients (see mix-in options below):
- Oats
- Raw Nuts
- Dates (figs or raisins will work as well)
- Apple Cider Vinegar (make your own homemade raw apple cider vinegar!)
Mix-In Oatmeal Options
- Spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, cardamom, ginger, salt, etc.)
- Extracts (vanilla, almond, orange, etc.)
- Dried fruit (raisins, mango, apples, cherries, dried cranberries, etc.)
- Unsweetened shredded coconut
- Nuts (slivered almonds, pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts, etc.)
- Seeds (pumpkin, sesame, chia, sunflower seeds, etc.)
- Chocolate chips
Raw Granola Variations
In an attempt to make a completely sugar-free recipe (remember, we’re going for a HEALTHY granola recipe!), we’re using naturally sweetened soaked and pureed dates. However, you can substitute the dates with maple syrup, raw honey, brown sugar (like Fapadura), or another sweetener of choice if you prefer.
The above spices give this oatmeal a delicious pumpkin spice flavor. You can leave out the spices altogether, mix and match, and substitute the vanilla extract with almond extract or any other extract you desire.
- Apple Pie: A delicious combination is to use cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla, then add in dehydrated apples for a yummy apple pie granola.
- Chocolate Chip: Omit the nutmeg, ginger, and cardamom. Add in mini chocolate chips once the granola has cooled completely.
- Tropical: Omit the nutmeg and cardamom. Add in coconut flakes, dried mango, dried pineapple, and banana chips once the granola has cooled completely.
- Cherry Almond: Omit the spices and sub almond extract for the vanilla. Mix in dried cherries once the granola has cooled completely.
These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to flavor options. Experiment with the spices and extracts until you find what your family loves most!
(Be sure to share your experiments with us in the comments!).
If you need an oat-free granola option, try our Paleo chocolate granola recipe.
Soaking Tips
When I first started making this recipe, I would end up with really hard chunks of granola that were very difficult to chew and would actually end up making my jaw sore by the time I was done eating. Even the most healthy granola recipe isn’t worth that!
After some trial and error, I figured out how to soak the oats so they end up crunchy, but they don’t clump together in large, rock-hard clumps.
Check out my full tutorial on soaking and dehydrating oats.
Chunky Granola Tips
After you’ve soaked and dehydrated your granola, take care not to crumble the oat pieces up too small. They should crumble very easily (if you followed the tutorial above), so it’s always best to leave larger chunks and crumble them further, if desired, in their individual servings.
How To Serve Granola
We love to enjoy this healthy granola recipe paired with fresh fruit on top of milk kefir or my homemade raw yogurt.
If cereal is what you’re after, fill a small bowl with granola and top it with raw milk… or homemade chocolate almond milk if you want to be extra special!
It’s also perfect tossed in a ziptop baggie for a quick snack if we’re out and about! My grandson loves it and it would make a fantastic addition to these quick and easy healthy school lunches.
How To Make This Raw, Soaked Granola Recipe
Soak Nuts And Seeds
1. Put the nuts and seeds in a medium-sized bowl along with about 5 cups of warm water (to cover generously).
2. Cover with a towel and let soak overnight in a warm place, 8 to 12 hours.
Soak Dried Fruit
3. Put the date pieces in a small bowl along with 1-1/2 cups of water. You may also use fig pieces or raisins, both excellent sources of digestive enzymes.
4. Cover with a plate or towel and let soak overnight for 8 to 12 hours.
Soak Oats
5. Put rolled oats in a large bowl, along with 8 cups of warm water and the apple cider vinegar (or Kombucha, yogurt, or kefir). Do not agitate or disturb the oats!!!
6. Cover with a plate or towel and let soak overnight in a warm place, 8 to 12 hours.
Assemble
7. When the soaking time is complete, drain the nuts and seeds, discarding the water.
8. Coarsely chop with a food chopper or food processor.
9. Put in a large mixing bowl.
10. Blend the dates, their soaking water, and all spices and salt in a blender or food processor until smooth.
11. Add this paste to the large bowl with the nuts and seeds.
12. Being as gentle as possible and without agitating the oats, drain and rinse the oats in a fine colander or sieve. (The drier you can get them, the quicker the dehydrating will go.)
13. Add them to the big bowl with the date paste, nuts, and seeds.
14. Toss gently to mix well.
Dehydrate
15. Spread thinly (1/4-inch or less) on dehydrator trays that are covered with unbleached parchment paper, plastic liners, or in the case of an Excalibur dehydrator, the ParaFlexx liners. This amount of granola fills almost 5 trays of my Excalibur 9-tray dehydrator.
16. Dehydrate at less than 115 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 to 24 hours.
17. With the Excalibur dehydrator, you can start out dehydrating at 145 degrees Fahrenheit for the first 2 hours, which will kickstart the dehydrating but not make the internal temperature of the granola go over 118 degrees (the temperature at which enzymes die).
Finish
18. When done, remove from the dehydrator and place it in a big bowl.
19. Break up the sheets into bite-sized chunks gently with your hands.
20. Store at room temperature in an airtight container (or freeze for long-term storage).
Raw Soaked Granola
A healthy, raw granola recipe that's soaked and doesn't end up rock hard? Yes! With endless flavor options, this easy homemade granola makes a fantastic breakfast, snack, or even dessert!
Ingredients
Nuts & Seeds
- 3 cups raw nuts and seeds, assorted*; avoid peanuts and cashews for Low Vitamin A
- 5 cups pure water warm
Dried Fruit
- 1-1/2 cups dates flour-free, pieces or pitted whole dates, chopped (or raisins or fig pieces)
- 1-1/2 cups pure water
Oats
- 8 cups rolled oats gluten-free if necessary (or other flaked grain such as spelt -- not gluten-free)
- 6 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar or Kombucha, kefir, or yogurt; choose ACV for Low Vitamin A
- 8 cups pure water warm
Additional Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons ground cinnamon omit for Low Vitamin A
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg omit for Low Vitamin A
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract omit for Low Vitamin A
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- dried fruit assorted, optional; dates, dried cranberries, currants, raisins all good for Low Vitamin A
Instructions
Soak Nuts & Seeds
-
Put the nuts and seeds in a medium-sized bowl along with about 5 cups of warm water (to cover generously).
-
Cover with a towel and let soak overnight in a warm place, 8 to 12 hours.
Soak Dried Fruit
-
Put the date pieces in a small bowl, along with 1-1/2 cups of water. You may also use fig pieces or raisins.
-
Cover with a plate or towel and let soak overnight, 8 to 12 hours.
Soak Oats
-
Put the rolled oats in a large bowl, along with 8 cups of warm water and the apple cider vinegar (or Kombucha, yogurt, or kefir).
-
Cover with a plate or towel and let soak overnight in a warm place, 8 to 12 hours.
Assemble
-
When the soaking time is complete, drain the nuts and seeds, discarding the water.
-
Coarsely chop with food chopper or food processor.
-
Put in a large mixing bowl.
-
Blend the dates, their soaking water, and all spices and salt in a blender or food processor until smooth.
-
Add this paste to the large bowl with the nuts and seeds.
-
Drain and rinse the oats in a fine colander or sieve. The drier you can get them, the quicker the dehydrating will go.
-
Add them to the big bowl with the date paste, nuts and seeds.
-
Toss gently to mix well.
Dehydrate
-
Spread thinly (1/4" or less) on dehydrator trays that are covered with unbleached parchment paper, plastic liners, or in the case of an Excalibur dehydrator, the ParaFlexx liners. This amount of granola fills almost 5 trays of my Excalibur 9-tray dehydrator.
-
Dehydrate at less than 115 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 to 24 hours.
-
With the Excalibur dehydrator, you can start out dehydrating at 145 degrees Fahrenheit for the first 2 hours, which will kickstart the dehydrating but not make the internal temperature of the granola go over 118 degrees (the temperature at which enzymes die).
-
About halfway through the dehydrating time, check to see if the granola peels easily off the paper or plastic lined trays.
-
If it is does this without much stickiness, turn it all over. It is easiest to keep it in big sheets, if possible.
-
Continue dehydrating until the granola is dried out to your preference.
-
Test frequently.
Finish
-
When done, remove from dehydrator and place in a big bowl.
-
Break up the sheets into bite-sized chunks.
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Mix in assorted dried, raw fruit pieces (or save the fruit and add to the bowls when serving).
-
Let it cool fully before transferring to an airtight glass jar for storage.
Recipe Notes
For the nuts, seeds, and dried fruit, choose raw, organic and unsulphured.
When ready to eat, place in bowl and add fresh or dried fruit, along with raw honey and raw milk -- the latter two are excellent sources of digestive enzymes!
*A combination we like: 1 cup each of almonds, filberts and pumpkin seeds.
What’s your favorite granola flavor variation?
This post was featured in The Great Granola Round-Up: 31 Deliciously Nourishing Recipes!
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Yummy! I love that your recipe soaks everything at the same time- this would be great when I’m out of crispy nuts (which I find is alot!) Thanks for sharing- can’t wait to try it!
.-= Shelley´s last blog post… Real Food Eggnog- all natural, raw dairy =-.
I feel stupid for asking, but what is the reason for soaking the dates? The only reason I know to soak dried fruit is to plump it up. But if you are going to dehydrate it anyway . . . . Or is it to make it more pasty for mixing purposes?
Jessie – That’s a good question! It is to make a date paste out of it to sweeten the oatmeal. The water spreads it out farther and easier. 🙂
Wardee,
I may be wrong, but I think enzymes die at a temp of 118 WET and 150 dry. So you could decrease your dehydrating time by upping the temp and still be safe.
? Katie
PS – I soooo want a dehydrator now! I’ve never done soaked granola, but I really, really should and I know it. Maybe just in the oven, which would kill the enzymes but at least not have the phytates…if they’re a problem after all, that is. More research needed!
.-= Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship´s last blog post… Guest Interview at Catholic Mommy Brain =-.
Katie – I don’t understand the temp differences. I’ve never heard that before. Could you give me a link or more info? What I’ve read has been Dr. Edward Howell’s enzyme nutrition and he says enzymes die at 118 degrees. The Excalibur dehydrator books say the same thing. I could have missed a mention of a wet/dry difference, so I’d really like to know more. A dehydrator is wonderful! I just used mine yesterday to make jerky. 🙂
Christie – Thanks! 🙂
Peggy – The only thing I can think – if the enzymes in the raw milk (or kefir or yogurt) and the enzymes in the nuts/fruit – are not enough to help with the digestion, see if taking an enzyme supplement helps. This would rule out whether it is an issue of needing more digestive enzymes. (I used to get gas from lots of dried fruit – ironic since some of them are supposed to be high in digestive enzymes. Dried fruit digestion needs amylase.) If he still has gas, perhaps you’re dealing with a sensitivity to the oats – maybe he needs them cooked all the way. Also, are you soaking the oats in warm water in a warm place to ensure proper soaking? This was just reaffirmed for me recently. I love your idea for the jars of flavor toppings!
Katie – Also, I think this granola would be considered wet? All the ingredients are going in the dehydrator just after soaking.
Mmm, I haven’t made granola since I found out about soaking. This soaked granola looks pretty easy!
The new icons you’ve added to your blog’s sidebar are a nice touch.
I made this for a while to try to wean hubby off boxed cereal. I made the granola plain, then put different flavor combinations in jars for “toppings” like chocolate nibs plus shredded coconut, dried apples tossed in cinnamon, raisins with almonds, etc.
The granola gave him terrible gas! I was hoping that soaking would keep that from happening, but it didn’t. Any ideas? He is so hooked on boxed cereal and it’s really our last dietary holdout to the “old” food rules.
.-= Peggy´s last blog post… Family Food Times: Birth of an Activist =-.
The gassy reaction might simply be that dehydrating and soaking still does not predigest the grain enough. “The proteins in grains are extremely difficult to digest and have the potential to cause health problems over the long term, which is why traditional societies took such great pains to not only soak, sprout, or sour leaven their grains, also thoroughly cook them as the final preparation step before eating.”
The Healthy Home Economist gives a great explanation here:
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/no-granola-is-good-granola/
I still love making this recipe for my husband as he really enjoys having a cold cereal to grab quickly in the morning. And i enjoy it on occasion, but try to stick to soaked, cooked porriage for these reasons. 🙂
just a thought!
Wardee, you’re also giving ME major dehydrator envy!
Thanks for joining in on Real Food Wednesday. 🙂
Kelly
.-= Kelly the Kitchen Kop´s last blog post… Dinner With Our Bible Study Friends (What are your favorite potluck dinner recipes?) =-.
Hi, Kelly! I am really enjoying my new dehydrator, and I waited a long time to get it. I hope you’ll get one soon. 🙂 It is so useful in a healthy kitchen!
I really want to make this. So what’s the next best option if you don’t have a dehydrator and your oven only goes down to 170?
Tara, you can bake it in your oven at 170. Spread it out on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Keep an eye on it and stir/flip it as necessary to prevent burning and to facilitate even drying. I don’t know how long it will take. This recipe would probably fill four cookie sheets, so you might want to halve it. You’ll lose the enzyme benefits from the 170 degree oven, but you won’t have enzyme inhibitors or phytic acid to get in the way of digestion. But… since you’ll lost enzyme benefits anyway, you might want to increase the temperature to speed up the process. Have fun and let me know how it goes!
I use to make it by the oven before I got my dehydrator. You actually only need to cook it for 10 min, turn it over and cook it for another 10 min. I cook mine at a high temperature, 350, because I have already lost all benefit of nutrition that you would want to preserve at 118 degrees.
When I did it by the oven it was made a lot quicker. I simply took the organic oats and mixed up my sweetener combination.( Coconut oil, raw honey, stevia and water to get it to mix correctly) No soaking ect. required! Plus, I didn’t use any nuts 🙂
I made this today and it turned out wonderful! I soaked everything overnite – then this morning I mixed it up and baked it until it was somewhat brown and crispy. Yes, I lost the ‘raw’ element, but I figured the overnight soaking was a good start anyway. And I love that this isn’t too sweet. I put it on some homemade kefir yogurt.
That’s great, Tara! Did you end up using 170 degrees or higher, and how long did it take? The soaking took care of most of the phytic acid in the oats, so even though you lost enzymes, the grain part is much better for you. I’m happy to hear you liked it!
I had two sheets of it and baked them at 350 for a half hour. Then I took it out, mixed them and put back in at 300 for about an hour and half stirring each half hour.
.-= Tara´s last blog post… Beet kvass kefir smoothie =-.
Thanks for sharing that, Tara. I know it will be helpful for others.
A note about baking the granola in the oven: I would recommend keeping the oats and nuts/seeds separate while baking. I made this today in the over (as I do not have a dehydrator) and the nuts cooked much faster than the oats. I didn’t want soggy oats so I kept baking until the oats were dried out, which left my nuts/seeds overdone. So next time I make this, I will use one pan for the nuts/seeds and another pan for the oat mixture and then mix them together after the baking is complete.
This is a really great recipe, Wardee! The method creates wonderful crunchy granola chunks. I substituted raisins for dates as that’s what I had on hand, and it worked to lightly sweeten the oats just fine.
Hi Wardee! I’m enjoying your website. I had a question about the process of soaking the oats. I understand the purpose is to break down the digestive inhibitors, but does it also leach out the nutrients? I’m always leary of throwing out soaking water when I cook for that reason. What do you know about this?
Thanks!
Hi, Cherise! That’s a good question and I don’t really know the answer. However, I do know that of all grains, oats have about the highest amount of phytic acid of any of them. So, even if nutrients were leeched out, the benefit of soaking would outweigh it. And as far as I know, what leeches out in to the water are the sugars and starches – that’s what makes the soaking water all gummy and thick. I never toss my soaking water when I cook grains – I move the whole kit and kaboodle to the stove. So you could do that if you’re worried. But in the case of this granola, you do have to drain the oats and get them pretty dry to proceed with the recipe.
just found this recipe, thanks for sharing! Question for you about your oats you soak for just oatmeal… you say your keep the soaking water and cook the oats in it. Wouldn’t the soaked water contain the phytic acid? I always drain and rinse my oats before cooking them. Would love to hear what you know about the soaking water.
thanks, Brittany
Brittany — The phytic acid is deactivated and neutralized so you don’t have to worry about it. The reason you may want to rinse the oats is to remove excess starch which makes them more likely to clump together (like glue). 🙂
good to know! Thanks!
I usually do my oat granola in the oven per a modification of the Eat Fat Lose Fat recipe-thanks for this suggestion! I also do a similar one with sprouted buckwheat groats in the dehydrator which is really nice–they stay really crisp. I have a question about using crispy nuts in recipes. I usually buy my nuts in bulk and do the whole lot into crispy nuts, so when a recipe like this calls for nuts that’s all I have. Should I re-soak the crispy nuts & follow directions…or just throw them info the mix after the other stuff is done? While I am asking “nutty” questions, I have noticed that most nut meal recipes call for ground almonds, to which we are allergic. Has anyone tried other ground nuts in their place?
I don’t have a dehydrator (yet) and baked it in the oven. At one point I actually thought I’d done something wrong, in frustration turned off the oven and forgot about it. Well a couple days later when I preheated the oven for dinner, the smell of the granola rose into our kitchen, and there it was. I pulled it out and was surprised to find it actually looked like I thought it should. I broke it up and even kept some of it in bigger cracker/chip sized pieces. The flavor of it reminded me of rye crisp, which I can no longer enjoy because of the gluten in rye. I have a hard time finding granola recipes with a low glycemic index, this one did it for me! And you were right, soaking the oats was totally worth it, I had no gas or discomfort after eating this! It was wonderfully crunchy, and such a treat with agave nectar and rice milk.
Thanks for a great recipe Wardee!
I don’t have a dehydrator. Is there a way to do this in the oven? Thanks!
I see that Tara already asked my question. So nevermind! 🙂
So this might be a dumb question, but why soak the oatmeal? Also, can you explain to me why thick rolled oats. What if I use “old fashioned” rolled oats?
My husband and I made the granola this weekend and I think it is going to be an excellent afternoon snack at work or out on bike rides.
I was wondering if you have ever experimented with making a chewy granola? I didn’t know if this would be possible or not.
Jamnee- I haven’t experimented with a chewy granola, no. I would love to hear if you come up with something.
I would love to make this… just wondering about dates (which I’ve noticed in other recipes you have that look very good and healthy!!). I’ve never bought them or even eaten them before (sad huh?). I’m looking at the options on Azure Standard and I’m really lost. Are most dates pitted? Which would you recommend? Organic or not? The more sugary ones or not? (I think I know the answer to that question, but I’m hoping not so! 🙂 Thanks Wardee!
Hi, Carrie!
With dates, they’re all pretty sweet. The medjools can be pricey (but oh so good), so usually I go for the cheapest per pound. If you get them unpitted you’ll save money. So I do that mostly. It is not hard to quickly pita bunch of dates for a recipe. Just in case Azure is out of the ones you choose, pick a backup. Enjoy!
I just attempted to make this delicious granola. I don’t have a dehydrator or a baking mat so I tried to dry it on wax paper in the oven. It was a total failure. It stuck to the wax paper so hard there was no way I could separate it. I ended up throwing it all away. 🙁
I am hopeful about trying it again. Any suggestions as to how I could dry without completely ruining it? I don’t want to waste anymore food.
Thanks.
I would not use wax paper. I have done granola in the oven on a low temp but I put it directly onto a metal baking sheet and it did not stick.
Quick question. Can I soak my oats, wash them with water and then store them for a few days? I was thinking if I dry them out, I could just restore them in glass jars? What are your thoughts?
Yes — the instructions for how I do that are in this cookie post:
https://traditionalcookingschool.com/2009/04/08/reginas-healthy-oatmeal-no-bake-cookies/
Ooooooooh! I am just now learning about soaking and this sounds like it would be a great recipe to try first. Especially If it ends up being something that is “easy” to eat later 🙂 as far as the drying, I have a “warming drawer” that was already in my house. I am going to put a thermometer in it an see what setting will get me a proper temperature. Fun!!!
Ok so my granola is in my “warming drawer” at the specified temperature. So far it is still gooey and it’s been in for about 9 hours. (crossing my fingers)
Sooooo…the warming drawer did not work 🙁 I think that it is too “airtight” to allow the moisture to escape. Within a few hours it started to get a distinctive funky smell. Back to the drawing board…
Great recipe! We had a minor surgery this week for our youngest and I needed easy snack food for the week. I used another recipe from K.S. that included wheat flour in the soaking phase and am wondering what you know about including wheat because it contains something the oats lack that’s needed for better phytate reduction. Just wondering and having trouble finding more info on that… Thanks! 😉
Grrrrrr, I do not have a dehydrator and my oven only goes down to 150*. If only it had a “warm” setting, i’d be able to make this raw granola.
so just double checking the dates or figs should be dried to begin with and then soaked to make the paste…or can you use fresh figs?
So I am looking to make this with something other than oats to change it up. Spelt is another flaked grain, but do you have any other recommendations for a flaked GF grain?
Hey there, I’m trying to get to the bottom of this whole granola thing (whether it can be healthy or not). Can you check my facts here?
1) Gotta soak the oatmeal first to neutralize phytic acid, aka, “the stuff that leeches minerals out of your body and makes your teeth rot”.
2) Gotta also soak the nuts for phytic acid.
3) Don’t “toast” the granola, otherwise the enzymes for digestion of said nuts & grains would be destroyed
Now here’s where other articles come in, like Sarah’s at Healthy Home Economist. She says no to granola, but doesnt seem to address raw granola. Her reasoning is that toasting the granola doesn’t cook it long enough, and that not only do you need to soak the oatmeal in particular, you must cook it well.
So then my thought is that raw granola better possess some hefty enzymatic activity to digest the oatmeal in particular. Otherwise, make porridge instead.
Sound right???
I can’t wait to try this recipe, as my family loves granola! One quick question… i’ve read elsewhere that because oats contain relatively little phytase, its best to add a small amount of ground buckwheat groats, to help, as they contain much more phytase. do you have any thoughts on this? thanks so much!
Hi, Amanda: Yes, it is a good idea to add a small amount of another flour (buckwheat groats is a great suggestion for gluten-free!) to the oats before the soaking step. Enjoy the granola! —Sonya, TCS Customer Success Team
Amazing granola. I like it.
Would it work to soak the oats in unsweetened apple juice? It is a bit sour, maybe I could use half apple juice and half water. I Imagine it would ad a nice taste to the oats too.
Hi, Monica,
You will need an acidic medium in order to properly soak the oats. Here is a helpful link in regards to this:
https://traditionalcookingschool.com/food-preparation/recipes/grain-cooking-chart/
~Peggy, TCS Customer Success Team
I tried to make this recipe, but don’t have a metal baking dish so I used glass pans. The granola sat in the oven for a long time and finally started smelling moldy. I dont know if it was because I used a glass dish or if I didn’t spread the granola out thin enough. I started with the oven at 170 and later increased the temp….I think it was to 200. Anyhow, any help would be appreciated. The kids would love to have granola for a snack.
Hi, Debbie: I think both things were factors — a glass dish and not spreading the granola out thinly enough. A metal baking sheet conducts heat differently than glass, which likely helps the granola crisp up. It would be worth purchasing one if you’d like to try the granola again. —Sonya, TCS Customer Success Team
I noticed that the nuts in this recipe are soaked in water that does not have salt added to it while the recipe for crispy nuts calls for salty water. Is the salt merely for the sake of flavor or does it help with breaking down the phytic acid?
Hi, Debbie: You can soak nuts in water with or without salt — it is for the sake of flavor. For this recipe, you might not want the nuts to be salty. 🙂 —Sonya, TCS Customer Success Team
Should I grease the baking sheets if dehydrating in the oven? I know some recipes call for using parchment paper, but I’d rather not have to throw things away if at all possible.
Thanks,
Debbie
Hi, Debbie.
Yes, you can do that.
~Danielle, TCS Customer Success Team
I was able to get an excalibur dehydrator, but need to get some kind of plastic or silicon mats to go with the trays. I was wondering if there is one that you prefer over the other.
Thank you,
Debbie
Hi, Debbie.
We recommend the sheets listed at the bottom of this page: https://pleasanthillgrain.com/excalibur-dehydrator-3900b-9-tray-food?utm_source=pepperjam&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=153646&clickId=3638075736&source=pepperjam&clickid=3638075736&publisherid=153646#accessories
~Danielle, TCS Customer Success Team
This turned out well. I used raisins due to a sensitivity to dates and did not agitate the oats as you mentioned in a different video. I soaked all the ingredients during the day and then dehydrated it overnight. I only made half a batch… 1) because I only had 4 cups of oats left and 2) because I wanted to make sure it would turn out well without wasting a bunch of nuts. I will make a full batch next time to eat with my homemade goat yogurt. Thank you for sharing the recipe.