You can probably tell by the name that we think this granola is the bomb! And I’m not kidding around here, it really is! Not only is it absolutely delicious, but it’s one of the few soaked granola recipes I’ve found that soaks oats properly for optimal nutrition.
This awesome recipe comes from Shannon of Cooking God’s Way. I simply tweaked it to my family’s liking. Hope you enjoy it too! You can also use this granola to make your own delicious Homemade Granola Bars!
To help, I’ve divided the recipe into two steps to make it easier to follow and have also provided a step-by-step Soaked Granola Photo Tutorial below:
1) Step One: Soaking – Be sure to mix the oats and rye into the wet ingredients thoroughly to ensure all ingredients are well combined. I highly recommend soaking the oats for at least 24 hours. (I usually soak for 24–36 hours.)
2) After soaking time is completed. Soaked oats are ready for step two …
3) Add honey mixture to soaked oat mixture.
4) Using a large rubber spatula, start working at the edges to pull the soaked oat mixture forward and allow the honey mixture to seep down. Then keep pressing the soaked oats down using the top of rubber spatula, while turning the oats over and over, until everything is well incorporated.
5) Divide the oat mixture in half. Use two parchment-lined 12×17-inch rimmed baking sheets to spread the oats evenly across baking sheet.
6) Picture of the two sheets of soaked oats ready to go into the oven.
7) Very Important: After two hours in the oven, remove baking sheets and flip over the oats, section by section, Then use the top of your spatula to breaking the sections into small pieces. Repeat this process every two hours for up to 8 hours, to ensure proper drying/crisping of oats. See recipe for details on how to ensure crispy granola.
8) All done! Granola should be crispy, dry and DELICIOUS! Now, it’s ready to mix with your favorite add-ins!
Our Three Favorite Flavor Combos:
In addition to these delicious granola mixes, check out “Add-in Ideas” below for more ideas on making your own personalized granola mixes.
• Tropical Delight Granola – Add the following to your baked granola: Crispy almond slices, chopped dried pineapple pieces, chopped dried mango pieces and shredded coconut.
• Apple Pie Granola – Add the following to your baked granola: Crispy almond slices, crispy chopped pecans, chopped dried apple pieces and raisins.
• Cranberry-Walnut Granola – Add the following to your baked granola: Crispy almond slices, crispy chopped walnuts and dried cranberries.
Add-In Ideas: (Choose any or all of the following to create your own delicious granola creations!)
• Your favorite unsweetened dried fruit, such as raisins, currants, cranberries, cherries, blueberries, apricots, apples, etc.
• Dried shredded coconut (or coconut flakes)
• Your favorite chopped *crispy nuts, such as almonds, pecans or walnuts
• Your favorite seeds, such as chia, flax, sunflower or pumpkin
Why take the time to make your own homemade soaked granola cereal?
Homemade soaked granola is a much healthier and nutritious option over “healthy” boxed cereals. That’s because nearly all boxed cereals are created using an industrial food production process called extrusion. What many do not know is that extruded grains are toxic, particularly to the nervous system. For details, check out “Nourishing Our Children.”
P.S. This incredibly delicious & nutritious granola recipe made it on the “Top 10 Reader Favorites of 2012!”
Another bonus of making your own wholesome soaked granola is you can use it to make incredibly delicious homemade granola bars that are chock-full of real food nutrition.
Ingredients
- 6 cups organic GF Rolled Oats
(use regular or thick-cut rolled oats, not quick-cook or steel-cut oats)
- 2 cups organic rolled rye flakes
(if gluten-free, see note below)
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup organic coconut oil
, melted
- 1 can (14oz) *unsweetened canned coconut milk
- 2 cups filtered water
- 4 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Place butter and coconut oil in a small sauce pan and heat until melted. Pour into a very large ceramic (or glass) mixing bowl and add coconut milk, water and vinegar; whisk to combine.
- Add oats and rye flakes (or buckwheat groats); thoroughly combine using a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
- Cover the bowl and place it in a warm area of your kitchen for 24-48 hours. (*Please note: This recipe will not work with coconut milk beverages, i.e. Silk or So Delicious brands.)
- Once oat mixture is finished soaking, you're ready for STEP TWO: BAKING.
Notes
GF Option: If you're gluten-free you can use ground buckwheat groats
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup pure honey (I prefer sage honey due to its mild flavor)
- 3/4 cup organic pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 ½ tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- After soaking time is completed, preheat oven to 200° F. Place honey, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla in a glass measuring cup, Use a small rubber spatula or whisk to blend together until well combined.
- Pour the honey mixture over the soaked oats. Using large rubber spatula, combine the honey and oat mixtures, until well combined. (Tip: As shown in the step-by-step “Soaked Granola Photo Tutorial,” I start working at the edges to pull the soaked granola forward and allow the honey mixture to seep down. Then I keep pressing the soaked oats down using the top of rubber spatula, while turning the oats over and over, until everything is well incorporated.)
- Spread the mixture out over two parchment paper-lined, 12x17-inch rimmed-baking sheets. Place baking sheets side-by-side in oven for best results. If you have to stack them, be sure to rotate them during bake time. Bake for 8 hours, turning the granola every two-hours (be sure to see tip for ensuring crispy granola below). Then turn off oven and allow to sit in warm oven overnight until completely cooled.
- Remove cooled granola from the oven and mix in any “add-ins” you’d like (see suggestions above). Makes 10-cups of granola (without add-ins).
- I recommend storing half in an airtight container in the pantry and the other half in a freezer-safe container in the freezer to preserve crispness.
- Serve with chilled raw milk, whole milk yogurt or simply enjoy it as a delicious snack! See “Our Three Favorite Flavor Combos” above for ideas on how you can make your own delicious granola mixes! (Original recipe can be found at: Cooking God's Way.)
Notes
Tips for crispy, non-clumpy granola: If is very important that after two hours in the oven, you remove the baking sheets from the oven and use a large spatula to break up the large flat of granola into small sections by flipping over the granola in small sections. Then use the spatula to break-up the moist granola sections into smaller pieces for faster cooking/drying time. Place back in oven and bake for an additional two hours. Then again, remove the baking sheets from oven and repeat the process; flipping over and breaking the granola pieces into smaller sections. Keep repeating this process every two hours thereafter, getting the pieces smaller and smaller each time. When granola is mostly crisp (usually after 8 hours baking), carefully remove the parchment paper, leaving the granola on the baking sheet. Then, turn off the oven and leave the granola inside the oven with the oven door closed until completely cooled. The granola will get slightly crispier as it cools.
Another tip: I like to start baking my granola at Noon on a day I will be home. That way, I can follow the process described above so that the granola is mostly crisp by the time I am ready for bed. Then, I can turn off the oven and allow it to finish crisping-up overnight. (If still not crisp enough, simply bake at 200 degrees for another 30 minutes to one hour and then allow to cool completely.)
DELICIOUS! ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. The best granola I’ve ever tasted anywhere. Completely worth the wait. It’s so hard to believe that something this flavorful actually has a good nutritional value. This is the second recipe of yours that I have tried and have been wowed by both. My whole family keeps asking for more. BRAVO and thank you so very much. You are changing my ability to feed my family properly!
Gwen, you are such a sweet blessing! Thank you so much for your kind words of encouragement! I am so happy that you think this granola is “the best” too! But I must give credit where credit is due – this is the brain child of Shannon at Cooking God’s Way. I just tweaked it to my family’s tastes. I agree – this granola is AWESOME and I literally make it every two weeks. It is such a joy to be able to provide this blog, so I’m glad to be able to help. I want to encourage you to keep making positive steps forward. Slow, steady progress is what leads to lasting healthy changes. Blessings and thank you again, Kelly
Can you use whole wheat flour instead of the rye flakes? We don’t generally keep rye in the house so I would be buying it just for this recipe. If it’s necessary I’ll get it, but if there’s an option that I”ll use for other things as well, even better!
Hi, Becky. I do not recommend substituting the rye flakes with any kind of flour for this recipe because you’ll end up with a big flat of granola cookie that will be difficult to break into small pieces like true granola. The only substitutions for the rye flakes that I know will work well with this recipe (because I’ve tried them) are spelt flakes (if you’re not GF) or buckwheat groats (if you are GF). Thanks for your question! Blessings, Kelly
Can you use whole spelt berries or run them through a flattening grinder? I don’t keep rye or buckwheat around but I have lots of spelt berries. I also do not know where to buy spelt flakes. I have a little hand grinder that is supposed to make “rolled grains” but it mostly just crushes them into smaller pieces somewhat in between steel cut and rolled.
You certainly could, Janee. Spelt is a great source of phytase, so it would work just as well as rye or buckwheat. So whether you roll them or crack them, either option would work. The cracked berries may be ultra hard when dried, so I would perhaps recommend rolled spelt or a fine cracked spelt just to be sure no one cracks a tooth
Kelly,
I was going to use buckwheat groats instead of the rye. Do you have to grind up the groats (wasn’t sure if it needed to be ground up so it breaks down the phytase).
Thanks!
I use the groats whole, they blend right in as part of the crunch. Grinding them will create a flour that may make it more difficult to break the granola up into pieces as it dries in the oven, which is why I don’t recommend substituting with rye flour either (for those who are not GF). Hope you enjoy this, Jane! Blessings, Kelly
Seriously, this stuff is amazing! So tasty! Love the extra texture and crunch the rye flakes give the granola, and it has the right amount of sweetness. My hubby and I have been eating it for breakfast and snack and it disappears quite quickly. Thanks for a great healthy recipe!
Thanks, Jill! But I must give credit where credit is due – this is the brain child of Shannon at Cooking God’s Way. I just tweaked it to my family’s tastes. I agree – this granola is AWESOME and I literally make it every two weeks to keep us well supplied since we don’t purchase cereal!
Thanks for taking the time to leave a note! So happy you and your hubby are enjoying this! Blessings, Kelly
Could I use my dehydrator instead of the oven for these oats?
Thanks!
Hi, Michelle, I haven’t tried it. But my guess is that it make take quite a long time, as drying this granola out in a 200-degree oven takes about 8 hours of baking time, plus leaving it in the warm oven (temp off) overnight in order for it to be crisp. Remember, whether you dehydrate or oven-bake, it’s very important to periodically break the pieces up into smaller ones in order for it to turn out right. Please let me know how this turns out, if you do use your dehydrator. I would like to include that info in the post. Many thanks, Kelly
Hello! I am excited to try this. I am wondering, if I use the buckwheat groats, should I spin them in the food processor a little to make them more flakes like the rye? I am wondering if as a whole groat the phytase will be released enough in the soaked to help out the oats. Thank you, I look forward to try this. The recipe have used for a while doesn’t taste very good, but I was just using it because it was soaked and better for us. This looks like it’s healthy and tastes good. Thanks!
Hi, Sarah! Thanks for your thoughtful question. Most of the time buckwheat groats are already slightly cracked, not whole. If that’s the case, there is no need to process them and they’ll be fine to break down the phytates in the oats.
But if you indeed have whole groats, I’d give them just the slightest whirl in the processor, just to crack them, because you definitely don’t want to create flour. Flour of any kind in this recipe will make the granola too pasty and therefore make it difficult to break up the sheet of granola into small bits during the baking process.
I think you’ll enjoy this recipe. It is our favorite. I have to give credit where it’s due. This is Shannon’s brilliant recipe at Cooking God’s Way. I just slightly adapted it a bit to suit our tastes and to be very thorough in explaining and showing with photos how to make this properly so everyone can achieve good results. Many blessings, Kelly
Hi! I’ve been looking for a crock pot homemade granola recipe using soaked oats (and nuts) to simplify the process. There are several crock pot granola recipes but none I’ve found using soaked grains/nuts. Have you tried this recipe in the slow cooker by chance? Thanks!
Hi, Jennifer. I haven’t tried this in a crockpot. But I did recently see an unsoaked granola recipe on Jill at The Prairie Homestead’s site and it made me say – Mmm, that’s interesting. I had never thought about putting granola in a crockpot. It seemed like it didn’t take any less work than my recipe because you still have to turn it? But if you try this and it’s easier and doesn’t burn, please do let me know. Lots of blessings, Kelly
I can’t wait to try this- do you have any thoughts about adding almond meal and flax meal to the mix? Would I want to soak the flax?
I haven’t tried this using almond meal, however, I would caution against using any ground “flour consistency” type ingredients in the soak because it may result in this being very difficult to break into smaller pieces. If you want to add a little flax meal or almond meal, you’ll need to be prepared that it may take some time to adjust this recipe based on how much of these ingredients you may want to incorporate. I would recommend starting with a half-batch of this recipe and altering it using a smaller batch so that if it doesn’t turn out as well as hoped, you’re not stuck with a large batch. I often do this when developing new recipes. As far as soaking ground flax, that’s not necessary, so I’d just add it in with the sweeteners after the soak, but again this will change the liquid to solids ratio depending on how much flax meal you add, so this will be a new recipe you’re creating, so I can’t say for sure the results. Although if it’s just a sprinkling of flax meal across the top of a flat of uncooked granola, I think this would not impact the recipe much, if at all. Blessings and best wishes in your culinary creations, Kelly
Thanks for taking the time to respond! I have my oats a-soakin’ right now and am looking forward to the finished product. I have traditionally made granola without soaking and using almond and flax meal in the dry ingredients step, but am not too sure about doing my own version so I’ll probably just skip it for now.
My pleasure! See how you like this and then don’t be shy about adding from there. I think that if you spread the granola and just lightly sprinkle the top with the flax and almond meal, it should be fine. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do. I literally make this about every 10-14 days! Blessings, Kelly
I’m brand-new to soaking grains. For the first time, I mixed up three things the other night to soak…this granola was one of them. I don’t know what I was thinking, but when I read to soak this for 24-48 hours, I had in my head that that was 2-4 days. I’m even a math teacher, so my brain just completely malfunctioned for some reason. Anyway, on the third day of soaking (today) when I was going to bake my granola, it was growing mold. I had to throw it all away…and I HATE wasting food and money.
I’m so sorry to hear that Monika! But honestly, we all have our moments like that in the kitchen. I hope you’ll give this another try. You can soak for as little as 12 hours, but I generally recommend at least 24 when it comes to oats. Don’t let this mishap discourage you! Lots of blessings, Kelly
I am just about to start changing our diet to a less “preservative” menu. I guess you can say I was blessed by a severe storm that damaged our meter and left us without power for 4 days. Lost everything in fridge and freezer. Need to replace all condiments, flours and other foods. We are going less gluten, nitrates, eggs and dairy. Sensitive but not allergic issues. I am also looking into ways to combat a hypothyroid issue.
I am enjoying your blog and subscribe already, but my biggest question has to do with shelf life of some of your recipes. Can you give that detail in your upcoming recipes?
Hi, Lanelle! Sorry to hear about your power outage, but inspired by your positive attitude to use it as an opportunity to make some health changes. I also really appreciate your suggestion – awesome! Yes, I will keep that in mind and include that more frequently in upcoming recipes. I do remark on occasion about how long to refrigerate or freeze certain recipes, but it’s definitely an area I can improve in and more consistently discuss when appropriate. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a great recommendation, and also for your kind words of encouragement! So glad you’re finding the site helpful! Lots of blessings, Kelly
I am so happy to have found your helpful website! I am going to try this granola recipe and was wondering what you would recommend as a sub for the coconut milk. I can’t wait to look around more! Thanks so much for the valuable info here.
Blessings,
Amy
Hi, Amy! Apologies, but I don’t have a sub that I know with 100% certainty will work, as I haven’t tried this with any but coconut milk. Do you have a coconut allergy? If not, I recommend using it because it doesn’t give a coconut taste to the granola. Coconut milk is high in good fat and nutrients. Thank you for your kind words. I’m glad you’re here too! Blessings, Kelly
Thank you so much for replying. I live in small-town USA : ) and thought I wouldn’t be able to find the coconut milk, but I actually ended up finding a can in my pantry that I’d forgotten about!!! The granola is finishing up in my oven tonight. We can’t wait to try it in the morning for breakfast. It smells delicious! Thank you again for this great resource you’ve provided.
Amy in AL
My pleasure! So glad you found a can of coconut milk! So funny, I made granola today too and it’s finishing up overnight tonight too! Also a coincidence – my brother lives in AL! Hope you enjoy the granola. Appreciate your kind words! Blessings, Kelly
Wow! We love the granola! I’m thrilled to find the recipe. Thanks so much. We live in west Alabama. Do you visit your brother in AL often?
Amy in AL
Woo Hoo! So glad you all are enjoying it. We are hoping to come see my brother and his family – I have a new nephew to love on – for Thanksgiving. They live in the Montgomery area.
I have been wondering . . . do you think one would be able to make granola out of leftover oatmeal porridge? I don’t see why not after seeing the “soaked oats” spread out over the pan . . . they look like porridge. What do you think?
If you’re up for an experiment, I say Go For It! Just be sure to include an adequate amount of healthy fat so it crisps nicely! Happy recipe developing!!
Blessings, Kelly
This sounds like the recipe I’ve been searching for. Do you also soak your nuts before adding to the granola?
Hi. Lynette. Yes, you can definitely add nuts to this recipe and soak them together at the same time with the oats and then bake them together, if you’d prefer. I don’t do this because we all prefer different types of nuts in our granola and by leaving the nuts out, this enables us to personalize our granola with whatever crispy nuts we’d like as well as other add-ins like dried fruits. Hope you enjoy this delicious recipe! Blessings, Kelly
I always thought you had to throw out the water you soak your grains in, because you are trying to get rid of the acid . It seems in this recipe you are keeping the liquids that the grains are soaked in – am I reading this wrong?
Hi, Wendy. Technically, you don’t have to throw out the soaking water because the combination of the acid medium and the phytase (in this case coming from the rye flakes or buckwheat) neutralizes the phytic acid, an antinutrient which binds up minerals preventing your body from fully absorbing them. However, many recipes do call for draining soaked grains and rinsing them for better flavor/texture. For example, rice is better (less pasty) when the soaking water is drained and the grains are lightly rinsed before cooking. Also, when it comes to making oatmeal, I personally prefer to drain my soaked oats and gently rinse them so they taste less soured in flavor. But again, these are simply recommended to enhance flavor and texture. So for this particular recipe (soaked granola), the phytic acid in the oats is degraded through the soaking process due to the vinegar and added phytase in the rye (or buckwheat if you’re GF). The liquids need to be left intact because they contribute to the success of the granola’s taste and texture and because they’ve done their job in neutralizing the phytic acid, so you can enjoy a much healthier GI-friendly granola (and I might add its taste rivals traditional non-soaked granola as well). Blessings, Kelly
I appreciate the feedback – it is different than what I learned, but I am open to try it. Thank you for taking the time to explain it so clearly.
My pleasure to help! Just to clarify, for the most part, I follow the dietary recommendations of the Weston A Price Foundation, the organization that Nourishing Traditions author Sally Fallon is associated with. Keep in mind, when you’re soaking flour for muffins, pancakes and breads, you of course cannot rinse out the soaking liquid in the flour prior to baking it, yet the phytic acid is reduced because it’s a neutralization type process that occurs. However, if phytic acid is a big concern due to health issues, it’s best to limit consumption, and when you do consume to ensure longer soaking times for optimal phytic acid reduction. I highly recommend purchasing the phytic acid white paper, if you really want a great and thorough overview of all the research regarding phytic acid: http://www.phyticacid.org/phytic-acid-drilldown/
Lots of blessings, Kelly
Today is the third time I’ve made the granola. We love it. I follow the recipe as written here. It is easy to follow and turns out wonderfully! Thanks so much!
Blessings,
Amy in AL
Thanks so much for sharing, Amy! So glad you and your family are enjoying this too! Appreciate your taking time to leave a kind note! Blessings, Kelly
Can’t wait to try this recipe!! Was wondering if I could use sprouted rolled oats and skip the soaking process? Thanks laura
Hi, Laura! Since this recipe was formulated specifically to include the soaking process, I don’t think it would turn out without that step. Instead of trying to make this work, I’d recommend finding a non-soaked granola recipe that utilizes healthy sweeteners and oils via a google search. Blessings, Kelly
Hello! I am so excited that I found your website! I was wondering if you could dry this granola in a food dehydrator instead of the oven. I’m notorious for forgetting (even when I set a timer) and burning granola. I started using my dehydrator and it worked great, wondering if this granola recipe needs the ‘heat’ or if the heat is just to dry it out? Thanks!
Hi, Sarah. Welcome to The Nourishing Home! I’m glad you’ve found my site too. I have not tried this using a dehydrator, but my guess would be that you could do it, but it would be a very very long process. As it is with this recipe, it takes about 8-10 hours at 200 degrees and then you have to leave it overnight in the warm oven (oven off) to complete the drying process. Regardless, you’d still need to babysit it (meaning that you’d have to turn it and break it up into smaller pieces as it begins to dry out) or you’ll end up with a flat brick. If you do end up using a food dehydrator, please let me know how it turns out and if well, what the process was so I can share it with others who are wondering the same thing. Thanks again! Blessings, Kelly
Yay! I’ve been looking for a good granola recipe to try. I do not have rye flakes or buckwheat. What do you think about using Bob’s Red Mill Quick Cooking Bulgar to break down the oats? Do you think it would heed the same results?
Cracked bulgar wheat does contain phytase, so you could certainly give it a try.
Hi, same night, different question. I cannot find Rye flakes where I live (overseas), but I found some Bob’s Red Mill Organic whole grain cracked Rye (again, at a BIG price, but probably will last for a long time!). I’m hoping this will work to add to the oats to soak and reduce the phytic acid? Please let me know! Thanks!
I haven’t personally tried it, but yes, I believe racked rye should work just fine. So fun to have an oversees friend! Where are you located!
I’m in Jordan. I guess I can’t even do this recipe at all – too many special ingredients. But, you’ve given me the idea to soak my oats with rye, even for oatmeal porridge, so that’s helpful. I can eat that every morning and not get sick of it. It’s low in gluten, too, right? (well, compared to whole wheat toast, or God forbid, Raisin Bran cereal, that I can’t get my husband to stop eating…)
This is so amazing that you’re in Jordan. One of my close friends just moved there. Her and her husband are missionaries there in Jordan. They have gone over there to share the Gospel of Christ. If you’re interested, I could send you details about where the church meets. Lots of blessings, Kelly
Hello! I have never soaked anything before, and I am excited to try it!
I was wondering…could I use extra oats instead of rye in this recipe?
Thanks!
Hi, Shannon. You could use all rolled oats, but it would defeat the purpose of soaking. Oats do not contain sufficient phytase to break down the phytic acid found in high levels in oats. Therefore, either rye or buckwheat or another grain high in phytaste must be added to the soak, if you are wanting to deactivate the phytic acid. This article helps explain in more detail the science/reason behind soaking grains:
Blessings, Kelly
http://thenourishinghome.com/2012/03/how-to-soak-grains-for-optimal-nutrition/
Hope you enjoy this granola – it’s one of the most popular and favorite soaked recipes among my readership! Personally, I make this every two weeks for my family – it’s so yummy!
Thanks, Kelly!
I will check it out!
(I already make my own granola, but without soaking it.)
My pleasure to help, Shannon.
Also wondering where you get your gf organic oats?
. Thank you!
Hi, Lexie. Bob’s Red Mill makes a guaranteed GF rolled oat. Most whole food type stores carry it or you can order them online. Hope this helps. Blessings, Kelly
http://www.bobsredmill.com/gluten-free-rolled-oats.html
I’m gluten-free and have buckwheat flour on hand, but not buckwheat groats. Could I use the buckwheat flour instead? I generally use the flour when soaking oats. Thanks!
Hi, Megan. Yes, you can use buckwheat flour, but do not use 1 cup of flour or your granola will be really pasty. Instead use a half cup whisked in with all the liquids and then fold in the GF rolled oats; combine well and soak 12-24 hours. Be sure to follow the tutorial on how to turn the granola throughout the baking process to ensure a great result. Hope you enjoy it! Many blessings, Kelly
Oh my gosh; this turned out DELICIOUS!! I am so glad I tried it!! Thank you!!
Awesome, Megan! So glad you enjoy it as much as we do. Thanks for taking the time to leave a kind note! Blessings, Kelly
Thanks for this great recipe! Is there a way to make it coconut-free? I’m allergic
. Thanks for any suggestions!
Hi, Aimee. I haven’t tried making this without coconut. But if you’re up for an experiment without guarantee, you could certainly try. The issue becomes the creaminess and fat content of the coconut milk, which is needed in this recipe. You might be able to use whole milk buttermilk as a substitute, but again, since I haven’t personally tried this, you will definitely have to experiment. Blessings, Kelly
I am trying this recipe as written except with the following improvisations/substitutions:
-I used two cups of homemade kefir and omitted the can of coconut milk and apple cider vineger.
-I used hulled buckwheat (I don’t think there’s any difference between hulled versus groats) instead of the rye flakes
-I discovered that I only had 4 cups of rolled oats left after I was already halfway done putting everything together, so I used 2 cups of steel cut oats to get to the 6 cups called for in the recipe.
-I am planning to spread everything out onto parchment paper-lined trays in my Excalibur dehydrator and run it at the highest setting (155 degrees, I believe) instead of using the oven.
I will report back and let you all know how my results turned out!
Leah
Sounds great. Appreciate you letting me know. I’m sure the kefir will give a much more soured and less sweet flavor than coconut milk. Looking forward to hearing the results. Merry CHRISTmas blessings to you, Kelly
Hi Kelly, I am here to report back. I decided to do a whole blog post with my version of this recipe here: http://riversidehomestead.blogspot.com/2012/12/homemade-granola.html. I hope that’s okay – I have given you and Shannon of Cooking God’s Way proper credit for the inspiration I got from both of you. In short, it turned out wonderful! The kefir did not make it too sour at all, and the dehydrator worked great! Thanks again for this awesome recipe.
So glad this worked out in the dehydrator and with Kefir too! Appreciate your considerate heart to give proper credits. You are awesome! Lots of blessings, Kelly
Hi! I’ve just made your granola, and it is so very good! I love it! It did turn out a bit sour and my kids were like -is it supposed to be like this? I think I’ll soak it for only 24 hours this next time. Thanks so much for sharing this! My kids were Harvest Crunchaholics before, so this is right up their alley!
Hi, Jennifer. So glad you’re enjoying this recipe. That is strange that it actually tasted soured. I’ve not had that happen before. Did you use vinegar or a cultured dairy product to soak? Just curious. We usually soak about 24 hours, although I have soaked it up to 48 hours. Glad your kiddos are enjoying this too. It’s really so much better to make your own than to purchase boxed cereals and granolas (plus more economical too). Lots of blessings, Kelly
Hi Kelly,
I can’t tell you how much I LOVE your site!! I run a weight loss and wellness clinic and I am always looking for healthy recipes and resources to give to my clients as they transition to a healthy lifestyle. I use your meal planning suggestions and love how organized all the information is. I so wished I lived out on the west coast!! Thank you for being obedient to God’s call. You are definitely serving him with your gifts!!
So on to my question:)
I am just wondering about nuts and seeds; if, how much and when we add in? Are there any other adjustments to the recipe that needs to be made? I am always for ways to pack a little more protein into the carby treats (even though these carbs are good). Thanks.
Thanks so much of your kind words, Kate! I am so happy you are enjoying this site and are sharing it with your clients! Thank you! As far as nuts go (that sounds kinda funny), I always add them after the granola is done baking, that way you can create all kinds of different granola mixes, based on your personal taste and mood. So basically, I just bake the granola and then I get a large mixing bowl out and create different mixes using different nuts, seeds and dried fruits. Then place the granola mixes in labeled jars. The photo shows a few of our favorite mixes. So if you’re wanting to up the protein and decrease the “sweet,” you could opt to not use dried fruits, but instead load up your mix with lots of nuts and seeds. Another option is it to add some jerky bits. I know it sounds a little crazy, but the combo of slightly salty and savory beef or turkey jerky with the sweet granola is really yummy. At least in my nutty world!
Kelly, it seems I have already messed up this wonderful granola recipe. This is my first time soaking granola and 1/2 into the soak, I realized that I didn’t put in enough of the coconut milk. I was reading the recipe on my Ipad and got a line mixed with another so I put in only 1/2 cup of the coconut milk instead of the whole can! Is there anything I can do to salvage all the oats or do I need to throw it all out and start again. Boo!!!!!!
No, don’t dump it. Just add another 1/2 can of coconut milk to it when you add the sweetener. I am sure it will be fine. I’ll say a prayer – I know how frustrating it is to spend so much time (and expensive ingredients) only to have something not turn out. Big eHug to you and prayer it works just fine!
I’m sorry if you have already answered this, but I’m wondering what I can substitute for the 1/2 cup melted butter in the soaking process? Can I just use 1 cup of coconut oil, or perhaps 1/2 cup of ghee? I really want to try this as it sounds amazing, but don’t want to guess at it my first time. Thanks in advance for your reply! Blessings.
Hi, Heather. No worries. You can either use all coconut oil or a combo of coconut oil and ghee. I never thought about using ghee in this, I bet it would really bring about a rich depth of flavor. If you try it, please let me know how it tastes. Sounds yummy! Blessings, Kelly
This recipe looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it? Curious though, have you ever tried making it with 2 parts oats : 1 part buckwheat : 1 part steel cut oats? Happy to see you’re emphasizing soaking the oats, too! Really great.
Hi, Traci. I do make this frequently using buckwheat which is why I recommend this as a great option for those who are GF. However, I haven’t tried using steel cut oats in this recipe, but I don’t see why you shouldn’t give it a whirl. They will definitely be harder than rolled oats, so that might be the only consideration. If you opt to try steel cut oats in this, please let me know the result. Lots of blessings, Kelly
Can I use all butter? I just threw away a double batch of soaked granola because it tasted like soap…suspect it was the coconut oil
(
That is so strange? What brand of coconut oil? Mmm … I haven’t tried all butter, but I’m sure it would be fine, it might be really buttery tasting though. I use Nutiva brand coconut oil and it’s so delicious – lightly sweet and pure. Hope your next batch is great! Lots of blessings, Kelly
I can’t wait to make this recipe! What is the difference between hulled buckwheat and buckwheat groats? Will hulled buckwheat work for this recipe?
Hi, Alison. I believe the two are used interchangeably, meaning they are both the same thing. You can also use buckwheat cereal, which is slightly ground buckwheat groats (aka hulled buckwheat). I actually prefer the cereal as it’s a little less hard on the teeth. The buckwheat groats can be a bit hard after drying out. But you could easily give them a whirl in the food processor real quick just to break them down into smaller pieces, if you’d like, before adding them to the oats for the soaking process. Hope this helps! Also hope you enjoy this recipe! It really is delicious! Blessings, Kelly
just wanted to thank you so much for sharing this recipe. i’ve made it about a half dozen times, and it’s always tasty. we eat it with yogurt often for breakfast or even dessert. i usually soak and dehydrate a big bowl of walnut pieces and pumpkin seeds the day before baking granola, so i mix some of those in along with raisins, coconut flakes, and whatever other dried fruit we’re enjoying at the time.
i just wanted to share that i’ve had good luck with all of the following substitutions/changes:
- 1 cup of spelt flour + extra cup of oats instead of rye flakes (this IS does make a slightly crumblier, more cookie-like granola but it still tastes fine)
- raw cow’s milk instead of coconut milk (even better with older, sourer milk)
– have also tried yogurt instead of coconut milk
- sourdough starter instead of vinegar
- all butter or all coconut oil (i prefer the taste of all butter)
- blackstrap molasses instead of, or in addition to, honey and maple syrup
- various sweet spice variations (nutmeg, ground ginger, dried lemon peel)
thank you also for so explicitly describing your spatula techniques! the first few times i followed them carefully and wound up with perfect granola. since then, i’ve gotten lazier and now every few hours kind of haphazardly break the sheets into chunks and flip them. sometimes there will be a lot of granola “dust” at the bottom of the container, but it is never rock-hard or otherwise inedible.
Hi, Marisa! Thank you SO much for sharing all the various substitutions you’ve made! This is very helpful as many of these are questions that come up! So glad you all are enjoying this recipe! Appreciate you taking the time to share your success stories with this! Lots of blessings, Kelly
I used quick cooking oats instead of rolled oats. I didn’t notice until I had 4 cups in the mix. Will it be ok or should I throw it out and start over? I would hate to waste it but I don’t want to go through the whole baking process if it won’t come out right.
It should be fine, it just may be a bit clumpier – meaning that it will be more chunky and less fine of a crumble because quick cook oats tend to get too pasty when soaked. But I wouldn’t toss it out and waste it.
Hi, I have a question about the oats. We stopped using them after reading they needed the phytase to really soak. But what we found was the oats basically disintegrated. Have you had a problem with this? Also, the flavor, at least in a hot oatmeal version, was kind of repulsive. I miss oatmeal, though
Thanks.
Hi, Erin. I recommend soaking oats with rolled rye flakes or buckwheat groats along with apple cider vinegar. Then drain, rinse and cook. As you’ll see from the photos of my oatmeal recipes, they are not mushy/pasty and also the oatmeal is delicious. I also highly recommend purchasing quality rolled oats such as Bob’s Red Mill. I love their certified GF oats (that what I eat) and my kids and hubby love the thick-cut variety. Here is a link to my porridges section: http://thenourishinghome.com/breakfast/#other
Hope this helps! Blessings, Kelly
great thanks for the tips!
My pleasure! Have a blessed day!
Kelly,
I just discovered your site and LOVE it!! I made the granola for my family and they all are enjoying it so much. I have also taken it to work and now the recipe has been passed on to my coworkers who also found it to be delicious!! Thank you for giving of your time to help us all eat healthier.
Welcome to The Nourishing Home, Tara! So glad to meet you! Thanks for taking the time to leave a kind note. Happy to hear you’re enjoying this recipe and sharing it with your friends and family! I’m always so thankful to God for being able to help! Keep in touch! Blessings, Kelly
My kids LOVED this granola!! They told me to tell you “thank you” and to get the recipe. I was excited to find it on your site.
Thank you so much, Carrie! It just blesses my heart to know that your kids enjoyed the granola. It’s the least I could do in gratitude for your time and kindness. Speaking of which, thank you so much for taking the time to leave this kind note – especially since I know you’re right in the middle of a big move! Excited for you and praying for you all! Lots of blessings, Kelly
Love this recipe and so happy that we can still continue to eat oats hooray! I have a couple question though:
1. We found the rye flakes were pretty hard to chew, especially for my kids, but buckwheat might be even harder? Any suggestions there on what to use that would be softer?
2. Why won’t this work with coconut “beverage” as I have found one with only organic coconut, carrageenan (comes from seaweed) and guar gum as the 3 ingredients listed which I THINK is ok health wise?
3. Would you recommend adding pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, hemp hearts or anything that might contain phytates in to the soak portion of the granola or after?
Thank you so much for your wonderful blog!
Hi, Amanda. That is odd that you’re finding the rye chewy. Are you using actual rolled rye flakes? They are rolled flat and look just like rolled oats. You could try using buckwheat groats cereal (crushed buckwheat), but they are quite hard when dried out. As far as coconut beverage, most of these contain fillers and sugars, etc. They are actually not pure coconut milk. I don’t use coconut milk with guar gum or carrageenan as these can be real irritants to the GI tract, in particular carrageenan has been linked to serious health issues. Just look for canned coconut milk, which is very economical and is available even at most grocery stores these days. And yes, if you’d like to toss in some nuts and seeds in the soak, that is completely fine. It will dry out with the granola during the cooking process, it just may require some extra time for turning and making sure to not have clumpy granola. Thanks so much for your kind words! So glad you’re finding this site helpful! Lots of blessings, Kelly
Oh thank you for letting me know about those ingredients, I didn’t know. I was buying that as opposed to the canned stuff to avoid BPA. I suppose I will have to source out a BPA free option.
It is definitely rolled rye flakes, but there big – exactly like the old fashioned oats I use. Should they be lighter/smaller more ‘flake’ like?
blessings
Hi, Amanda. I use Eden Organics brand rolled rye flakes, I think the link is provided in this post. And yes, it’s a good idea to avoid BPA, the good news is that both Natural Value and Native Forest brands are both BPA free and are generally available at most whole food type stores. Hope this helps!
Kelly
Yes, per my note I just sent. If you click on the links in the recipe ingredients, you’ll see the brands that I use with regard to coconut milk and rye flakes. These ingredients are in blue because they are hyperlinks to Amazon. You don’t have to purchase via Amazon, but you’ll at least be able to see what the products look like. Again, hope this helps. Blessings, Kelly
Delicious! Mine had a lot of liquid so it took 2 days instead of 1. Also, I used the groats & they were perfect! I also didn’t turn it every 2 hrs –just a couple of time & it still turned out. Probably that’s why it took so long. I might tweak it next time and add cinnamon and vanilla.
I also soaked mine in whey since I have a lot of that!
Glad you enjoyed this recipe, not sure why you had so much liquid though? Did you follow the recipe exactly or did you substitute ingredients. Substituting can change the cook time and outcome. But sounds like you enjoyed this nonetheless, so I’m glad it all worked out. Appreciate you taking the time to leave a kind note! Blessings, Kelly
I honestly don’t remember. My toddler helped me make it so I was distracted. I also have a newborn so my head is somewhat in the clouds right now.
I meant to say that I would add more vanilla and cinnamon next time. 
Anyhow, it’s a perfect granola!
LOL – I remember those days. In fact, even without kids in the kitchen, there are days when I can’t remember if I put every ingredient in or not – I’ve made biscuits (or should I say hockey pucks) many a time forgetting the most important ingredient – baking powder. LOL! So I’m glad whatever you did worked and you’re enjoying it! Thanks again for taking the time to leave a kind note. Blessings to you, Kelly!
P.S. What an AWESOME MOM you are for getting your toddler in the kitchen with you! I love that! So important!
Hi Kelly – just wondering if you have to bake the granola for so long. I’ve never done a soaked granola before, but in other granolas you only cook them for a short time, definitely less than an hour. Is there a nutritional reason to do it for so long? Or could I just bake it for shorter and then store it in the fridge?
Thanks for your help.
Hi, Janis. Good question. The reason is the liquids involved with the soaked granola require a low, slow cook time in order for evaporation to occur so the soaked granola can crisp up. The unsoaked varieties take less time because they do not contain all the liquids that are necessary for the soaking process. You can certainly choose not to soak – the benefits of soaking are explained in this document (http://thenourishinghome.com/2012/03/how-to-soak-grains-for-optimal-nutrition/), which discusses how phytic acids may have a negative impact on health when they are consumed in high volume. In the case of oats, they are one of the highest sources of phytic acid when not soaked. You could opt to use sprouted oats (the sprouting process does offer some reduction in phytic acid) and the sprouted oats would be easily replaced in any traditional granola recipe, thereby cutting your bake time substantially. Hope this helps to further clarify. Blessings, Kelly