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Cinnamon Maple Pecan Granola – Made With Properly Prepared Soaked Oats and Nuts

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Finally, a real soaked oat and nut breakfast granola that you can confidently feed the whole family!

This cinnamon maple pecan granola is just lightly sweetened with real maple syrup and is carefully prepared to make sure you get the most out of every bite! With just a handful of real food ingredients and a helping of healthy fat this granola is a fine way to start the day. This recipe is also gluten-free!

A collage of bowls of granola with text overlay.

Be prepared to fully embrace this slow food recipe. The whole process can take up to 24 (mostly unsupervised) hours to complete. But once you make it a time or two it will become second nature.

Try my other nutrient-dense soaked granola recipe, Coconut Macadamia Granola – With Soaked Oats and Chia Seeds.

A big bowl of properly prepared cinnamon maple pecan granola just waiting for fresh raw milk.

America’s Obsession With Breakfast Cereal Has Led to Some Pretty Serious Consequences.

We have been told for decades that a low-fat diet filled with whole grains is essential to a healthy fit body. But there are a few major pieces missing from this low-fat high-carb diet plan.

First, a diet low in saturated fats is actually not beneficial to optimal health. Saturated fats don’t actually make you fat, but they do play key roles in the delivery and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and minerals found in other food. You actually need saturated fat to help you get the most out of plant foods! There is a huge list of other health benefits from saturated fats. Luckily my heroine Sally Fallon Morell has written a book about this very subject! Find out more in Nourishing Fats: Why We Need Animal Fats for Health and Happiness.

A big bowl of properly prepared cinnamon maple pecan granola.

Second, whole grains are indeed a great source of nutrients if they are prepared correctly. And this is the real crying shame in America’s grain legacy and the other missing puzzle piece. Somewhere along the way America and other industrialized countries forgot about the time-honored techniques for making grains more nutrient-dense and digestible. The same techniques that traditional cultures were practicing for millennia. These specific practices actually help neutralize nutrient-blocking acids found in the outer bran of all seeds. They also activate enzymes that make digesting grains a lot easier for our bodies and help break down proteins like gluten.

So what are these time-honored techniques for improving the nutrient density of grains? Three relatively easy methods: soaking, souring, and sprouting.

What Makes This Cinnamon Maple Pecan Granola Different?

This recipe uses the soaking method for neutralizing nutrient-blocking phytic acid and improving digestibility.

Enjoy this real food and properly prepared granola with a lot of full-fat raw milk for a nourishing morning!

Definitely kid-approved!

A big bowl of cinnamon maple pecan granola drenched in raw milk.

Dehydrator or Oven, It’s Your Choice

I really prefer this granola when it’s dried in the dehydrator. It has a lighter more crispy texture and can be done on a lower heat setting which keeps more nutrients intact. I have this model of dehydrator and it has been really helpful for other projects. Following are two of my favorite dehydrator recipes:

Homemade Spicy Herbed Beef Jerky 

and

Yellow Plum Fruit Leather

I use the specific drying mats that come with the Excalibur dehydrator. You can also invest in these nonstick silicone mats that make projects like fruit leather a breeze.

Or if you want to get really fancy, I just found out that Excalibur makes stainless steel replacement trays! The grids are too open for granola but this would be an amazing addition to a dehydrator set up!

If you are planning to use your oven to bake this granola you can use a regular baking sheet. I like the commercial half sheet pan size. But if you are using aluminum please use a silicone mat as well to protect your food from aluminum contamination. For this recipe I use two pans of this size.

This three-piece stainless steel set will also work well for this recipe.

A bowl and two jars of Cinnamon Maple Pecan Granola.

A big bowl of Cinnamon Maple Pecan Granola drenched in real milk!

Cinnamon Maple Pecan Granola - Made With Soaked Oats and Nuts

Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
soaking and drying time: 1 day
Total Time: 1 day 5 minutes

This truly nourishing breakfast granola is just lightly sweetened with real maple syrup and made with properly prepared oats and nuts for a healthy and filling morning meal.

Instructions

  1. In a large glass or ceramic bowl combine the oats, water, pecans, and whey. Stir the mixture well and cover it. Let this mixture soak overnight at room temperature.
  2. The next morning stir in the remaining ingredients until everything is well incorporated. Cover the mixture and let it soak for another 4 hours.
  3. The next step can be done in your oven or dehydrator.
  4. Spread the granola mixture as thin as possible on baking sheets or the mats for your dehydrator trays. Parchment paper can be used if your dehydrator doesn't have the proper drying mats.
  5. If you are drying in the oven, bake the granola for around 8 hours at 175°F or at the lowest possible temperature. After 4 hours, remove the trays and use a spatula to break up and turn over the granola so it can dry evenly. Continue to bake the granola.
  6. After 8 hours the granola may need extra drying time. I like to leave it in the oven with the light on for an additional 4 to 12 hours or until completely dry!
  7. If using a dehydrator, dry the granola at 155°F for 6 hours before breaking it into chunks. Continue to dry the granola for 6 to 10 hours or until completely dry. 
  8. Store the granola in airtight containers. If the granola is thoroughly dry it will last indefinitely. But in all honesty, don't expect it to last long!

A bowl of granola with text overlay.

Amber DeLano

Wednesday 2nd of August 2023

How can you make this without the chia?

Butter For All

Saturday 12th of August 2023

Hi Amber,

Absolutely! Just omit the chia if you don't care for it.

Milou

Wednesday 5th of October 2022

I'm very excited to try this. Have experimented with soaking granola before baking but didn't cut it. This makes more sense, I just need to get a dehydrator someday. Thank you!

Butter For All

Wednesday 5th of October 2022

Hi Milou,

I have another granola recipe coming soon but it uses sprouted oat and crispy nuts so it doesn't need to be soaked and dried. Look out for that one! But with that said, a good dehydrator is worth its weight. I love being able to preserve fruits, veggies, herbs, and even meat that way too. I actually used this dehydrator recently and I really liked it. It's a little more affordable than the excalibur models. But I do like that the excalibur has stainless steel trays!!

Have a lovely day!

Courtney

Jessica

Saturday 29th of August 2020

One final comment/question here as I prepare to do the second round of soaking: Is there enough liquid in the mixture for the chia to get adequately soaked?

Butter For All

Saturday 29th of August 2020

Hi again,

Yes, the mixture gets very thick after adding the chia seeds. The chia actually helps distribute the moisture, making the granola dry more evenly.

Let me know how it comes out!

Courtney

Jessica

Saturday 29th of August 2020

I'm looking forward to trying your granola. Doesn't the dehydrating defeat the purpose of all that soaking though?

Butter For All

Saturday 29th of August 2020

Hi Jessica,

Not at all, Slowly drying preserves all the beneficial enzymes that were encouraged during soaking. The main reason we soak, is to break down anti-nutrients that can block absorption of nutrients making it easier to digest and more nutrient dense. I hope you enjoy it!

Courtney

Bailey

Wednesday 9th of October 2019

Does buttermilk work if you don’t have time to clabber the milk? Thanks!!

Butter For All

Friday 18th of October 2019

Hi Bailey,

Yes, whey from any cultured dairy product will work! You can use plain yogurt, kefir, buttermilk or clabber to get a nice acidic whey for soaking.

Hope this helps!

Courtney

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