Ginger Turmeric Granola

The other day, I was shopping at one of my favorite grocery stores, Trader Joe’s and I chanced upon a bag of their ginger turmeric granola in the cereal aisle. Immediately I perked up! Ginger and turmeric – duh – two superfoods in a presumably healthy cereal. Instinctively, I picked up the bag and turned it over to look at the ingredients list. Sure enough, it contained some questionable ingredients and preservatives.

Now don’t get me wrong; I’m not trying to do any Trader Joe’s bashing. I love that store and it’s where I shop for most of my health food ingredients. Plus all of us are somewhere on the spectrum of eating healthy, so that bag of granola is still a better option than picking up fruit loops or cocoa krispies. However, if you are looking to make a healthy version of cereal at home and also include the two superfoods – ginger and turmeric – in it, then look no further than this healthy wholesome recipe. After all, what better way to start off your day with a healthy bowl of superfood-enriched goodness!

Ginger and turmeric both have powerful anti-flammatory properties and have long been used in Eastern cultures to treat a variety of ailments and boost immunity, mostly commonly to help fight the flu and common cold.

I have included an option to make an oil-free version of this recipe with aquafaba or chickpea brine. To learn more about aquafaba and what it is, check out this post. But I realize not everyone has it on hand, so you can use a teeny bit of oil to make this granola which is not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, for me at least.

If you love granola, then check out my other oil-free recipe for pecan pie granola. I love my granola in a bowl of cold almond milk topped with a ton of berries. Sounds appetizing? Then go ahead and make this recipe and leave me a comment or rating and let me know how you like it. 

Ginger Turmeric Granola

Recipe by theplantpaletteblogCourse: BreakfastDifficulty: Medium

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Superfood-rich granola that is gluten-free and refined sugar-free

Ingredients

• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

• 1/2 cup almonds, chopped

• 1 cup pecans (3/4 cup chopped and 1/4 cup whole)

• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds

• 1 cup dried coconut slices or coconut flakes

• 1/4 cup hemp seeds

• 2 tablespoons flax seed

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tablespoon ground ginger

• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon oil OR 1/4 cup aquafaba/chickpea brine (oil-free option)

• 2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger

• 1/3 cup maple syrup

• 1/2 cup golden raisins

Directions

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
• Combine the oats, nuts, coconut flakes, hemp seeds, flax seeds, salt and spices in a large mixing bowl.
• For the oil-free version, add aquafaba to the bowl of an electric mixer and whip until it forms semi-stiff peaks. Depending on the speed and strength of the mixer, this could take 5-8 minutes. Add the maple syrup, grated ginger and vanilla to the whipped aquafaba and whisk for another 30 seconds. Then add the aquafaba mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until well coated.
• If using oil, add the oil, grated ginger, maple syrup and vanilla to the oats mixture and mix until well combined.
• Spread evenly on the baking tray.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
• Once done, remove the granola from the oven and stir in the golden raisins immediately. Let cool completely, then store in a sealed container. Will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks at room temperature or in the fridge for a month.