I make Lisa’s peanut butter coconut oil cups all the time, they have become a fast favorite around here. (Have you tried these yet? You need to get on it!) Once they’re made, they are a quick, easy, satisfying snack – I love to pop one before a run (sort of like a direct fuel bite a la Brendan Brazier from Thrive) and we often find ourselves sneaking in to the freezer for one (or two!) after dinner.
I’ve made those peanut butter cups so many times now that I’ve had a lot of opportunity to play around with the original recipe. I only do one layer as opposed to two, I usually sub almond butter for peanut butter and I’ve been adding chia seeds and shredded coconut for some crunch. My taste testers in residence prefer the “crunch” version over the non-crunchy version, so crunchy is how I usually roll when I’m putting these together.
The addition of shredded coconut and chia seeds some how lead to the realization that I could make something granola-ish with many of the same ingredients, just different proportions. Heavier on the ingredients that crunch, lighter on the ingredients that hold it all together. While I haven’t cut out grains altogether, I’m continuing to eat less grain and have been thinking about how to make my own grain free alternative to granola for breakfasts and snacks.
Well think no more my friends, I’ve got it!
The players:
Maple syrup, coconut oil, almond butter, sliced almonds, shredded coconut, sesame seeds, cocoa powder and salt.
No Bake Grain Free Granola
The base:
1/3 c coconut oil, melted
1/3 c almond butter (or nut butter of choice)
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 – 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch of salt
Melt coconut oil in microwave or on stove top. Add cocoa powder, nut butter, maple syrup and salt and stir until smooth.
The mix-ins:
1 c sliced almonds
1/2 c shredded coconut
1/3 c sesame seeds
Add in nuts and seeds, stir until all ingredients are well coated.
Other crunchy mix-in items to consider:
walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, ground flax, hemp seeds, vanilla extract – lots of possibilities here!
Once your crunchy ingredients are well coated, move to a large, flat dish and pop into the freezer until firm – 20 to 30 minutes usually does the trick.
Remove from freezer, break apart and move into an air tight container. I store this in the freezer, but the fridge would work too – it just might be slightly less firm.
Be warned! This is very calorie dense, but then again, so is regular granola. Much like any granola, it’s meant to use as a topping or trail mix addition, not for mindlessly chowing while you’re standing at the fridge with the door open at 5pm wondering what you’re going make for dinner.
My current favorite breakfast is thawed frozen mixed berries with Fage (greek yogurt), this granola, plus some chia seeds to help keep the balance of Omega 6’s and Omega 3’s.
A variation on My Current Favorite Breakfast is add this to the top of a kefir smoothie for some crunch that’s subtly sweet. Because you know, it’s always fun to chew something with your smoothie so you can totally defeat the purpose of a smoothie.
Phew, breakfast is covered! Now back to figuring out what to make for dinner with the fridge door closed and not snacking on anything.
ooooh. I will have to try this, but really I’m content to be lazy and buy granola and I’m not trying to be grain free. However the addition of shredded coconut to the pb cups is awesome! I don’t do 2 layers anymore because, what a PITA! also mine were upside down because I did half, then added the cocoa so I wouldn’t have to dirty another bowl hehe. Now where in the store do you think I’ll find shredded coconut? I don’t think I’ve ever seen it. But anyway I make my cups with crunchy almond butter. I’ve actually gotten to the point here I want them even smaller, so I do 1/2 cup. Love them, best thing ever for staving off that 4pm it’s-almost-dinnertime-don’t-eat-a-ton cravings.
I find shredded coconut in the health food section at Wegmans with the baking items, I buy the Let’s Do Organic brand. I’ve also seen it at the local food co-op, I hope you can find it. And I’m totally with ya on the 4pm snack thing, these work great for that for sure!
Ooooh, you had me at Crunch! I’m definitely going to make this….today actually. And conveniently, I’m using wifi at Whole Foods at the moment, so I can buy my crunchy stuff before I leave! My fave foods are super calorie dense—they make me feel the most satisfied and my body seems to appreciate them as well.
Sometimes I don’t make two layers in the pb cups either—I do actually tend to like the pb layer better than the chocolate layer (I think I’ve been using some sort of icky cacao powder)…so I like them separate sometimes too. But…I def have to add more crunch!!
Thanks for sharing your granola recipe!
I have yet to make these without cocoa powder, I should try them without it too!