What started off as a quest to find a grain free cereal recipe ended in this. I am not even sure if it will work as a cereal as I was too busy polishing it off by the spoonful… This deliciously healthy, crunchy snack is rich in nuts and seeds that are flavored with seasonal spices and roasted in a bit of ghee and coconut oil. Nuts and seeds are rich in energy, protein anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals and healthy fats. A handful of this nut crunch a day will give you all these benefits. Or have it in some almond- or coconut milk with some fruit for breakfast like I originally intended. Awesome!
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup each of almonds, cashew nuts, pistachios (or use your own combination of nuts)
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup almond meal or flour
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/2 cup dessicated coconut
- 1 tbsp almond butter
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- t tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice *
- 1/4 tsp salt
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius
- Put nuts and pumpkin seeds in a food processor and process briefly to break up the pieces. Some nuts will remain whole, some will be broken up and you will have some powder
- Place this mixture in a bowl and add the chia seeds, almond meal, salt and spices
- In a small sauce pan gently heat the coconut oil, ghee, maple syrup and vanilla essence until melted
- Stir in the almond butter
- Stir this mixture into the nuts and toss well to coat
- Spread out on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the oven
- Roast for 20 – 25 minutes, stirring once in between
- After 25 minutes, turn off the oven, stir the mixture one more time and press it together to get bigger chunks
- Alllow to sit in the warm oven for another 20 minutes to crisp up
* To make your own Pumpkin Pie Spice combine: 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp ground allspice, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
