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Everyone doing AIP needs this simple, grain-free, nut-free homemade granola recipe. Aside from being incredibly tasty, the great thing about this AIP Granola is that it contains a hidden veggie...the parsnip. Don't let the parsnips scare you- my husband had no idea there were any veggies in it.
This recipe was inspired by Meatified's Sweet and Salted AIP Granola which uses sweet potatoes and apples. What I liked about this approach is that as she points out, you're using regular everyday whole food ingredients rather than expensive, harder to find ingredients. I wanted to take a similar approach with this recipe. I'll explain below why parsnips are the perfect veggie for this strategy.
What are Parsnips?
Parsnips are a tuber that looks like a white carrot and are closely related to carrots.
Do you have to Peel Parsnips?
The younger smaller ones don't really need to be peeled but the larger ones usually should be peeled.
What Do Parsnips Taste Like?
They're basically like mildly sweet white carrots.
Why Parsnips Work Great for Granola
In the past, I'd rarely used parsnips in cooking. Not because I didn't like them but just because I had gotten comfortable with certain go-to food items and parsnips were a little off the beaten path for me. I've been using them more often recently though because they actually taste really good and they're pretty versatile.
They're a mildly flavored lightly sweet vegetable that cooks pretty quickly and yields a nice crispy granola. I've made granola with other veggies like sweet potatoes and it can be tricky to get the veggies dry and crunchy before they burn. Parsnips are a little easier to work with.
Main Ingredients You'll Find in This Granola:
Pears- The pears in this recipe lend a little bit of sweetness. You'll grate them with a box grater or the grater attachment on a food processor. Once you've grated the pears, you'll need to remove as much of the liquid from them as possible by placing them in a cheesecloth or thin towel and wringing it out. Alternatively, you can put the pear shreds in a strainer and press the liquid out.
It's important not to skip this step because the extra liquid in the pears can keep your granola from getting crispy.
Parsnips- These will also be grated with a box grater or attachment on a food processor
Plantain Chips- Plantain chips have become one of my go-to items for granola and other snack mixes. They just add the perfect amount of crunch and saltiness to so many things. Both Terra brand and Barnana brand contain just plantains, coconut oil, and sea salt making them AIP compliant.
Coconut Chips- Make sure you get unsweetened coconut chips (rather than flakes) because they are nice and wide and sturdy and will not burn as quickly.
Chopped Dates or Raisins- Dates or raisins work for this. I bought the dates chopped already but you can, of course, buy the dates whole and chop them into little pieces. They add a little bit of sweetness and chewiness.
The Coating
The coating has an awesome caramel vanilla aroma and consists of:
- Coconut Oil
- Maple Syrup
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Arrowroot Starch- This helps to the ingredients together forming nice little clumps.
- Sea Salt
Why Two Baking Sheets?
This recipe suggests dividing the granola mixture between two baking sheets for baking. This is simply to encourage the mixture to cook a little faster and get nice and crispy. You'll want to have both oven racks as much in the middle position of the oven as possible.
Tips
- Use parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Be patient- stick with the baking temp of 325 degrees F. It can be tempting to bump the temp up to speed things along but don't do it. Roasting the granola slowly will produce the nice even crunch you're going for.
- Keep an eye on it! It can burn easily so you'll want to check on it every 5 to 10 minutes. Press the mixture down evenly in the pan to start, then check on it frequently to stir it and press it back down again. As it dries out, you'll start breaking up the pieces each time you check on it. The edge pieces burn the fastest so you'll want to keep sweeping the edge pieces inward.
- Take the granola out of the oven before it looks dry- this is hard to do because it seems like it's not finished, but take it out and it will finish drying as it cools.
- Store in an airtight container at room temp or in the fridge.It will keep fresh for at least a week.
- Use the grater attachment on your food processor if you have one. I've often forgotten about this handy tool in the past but I've been using it more lately and it saves a lot of time.
How to Eat Granola
Dry:Eat it dry as a quick breakfast or on the go snack.
Cold Cereal Stylewith Your Favorite Dairy-Free Milk
Hot Porridge Style with your favorite dairy-free milk- Just heat 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of coconut milk or other dairy-free milk in a saucepan on the stove over low heat until it gets a little foamy but not boiling. Add 1/2 cup granola along with any other fruit, coconut or other extras you might want. Continue cooking over low heat until the mixture softens. Allow to cool slightly, then eat! You can also make hot granola in the microwave by combining the milk and granola in a microwave-safe bowl and heating 30 seconds at a time until it reaches the texture you're wanting.
Use Granola it as a Topping On Things Like:
- Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowls
- Porridge or N'oatmeal
- Coconut Yogurt
- Smoothie Bowls
- AIP Ice Cream
If you like this recipe you may also want to check out my Apple Mango Tigernut Granola as well.
Conclusion
Granola if done right, can be a healthy part of anyone's AIP diet and there are so many great ways to do it! If you tried this recipe, leave me a comment below and let me know what you thought!
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like:
109 Awesome Breakfast Recipes You'll Love
Purple Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl
Noatmeal with Cinnamon and Apples
Apple Mango Tigernut Granola
57+ AIP Pantry Items and What to do With Them
AIP Toasted Coconut Pear Granola Recipe (Paleo, Vegan)
Arika | FoodCourage
This crunchy granola has a subtle sweetness and hidden veggie, and is perfect for breakfasts and snacks.
5 from 1 vote
Print RecipePin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 35 minutes mins
Course Snack
Servings 10
Equipment
Grater
Ingredients
- 2 pears
- 2 parsnips
- 1 cup plantain chips, slightly crushed
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut chips
- 1/2 cup chopped dates or raisins
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp arrowroot starch
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grate pears with a box grater or use grater attachment on a food processor. Squeeze the extra liquid from the pears using a cheesecloth or strainer. Add to a medium sized bowl.
Peel and grate the parsnips and combine with the pears.
Add in coconut chips, plantain chips, and chopped dates (or raisins) and mix.
In a small bowl, combine melted coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, arrowroot starch, and salt. Mix well then add to parsnip/pear mixture. Stir the mixture until everything is well coated with the sauce.
Divide mixture evenly between 2 parchment paper-lined baking sheets and press into very thin layers. Thin layers are very important to ensure the mixture dries out and gets crispy.
Bake in the oven for about 35 minutes checking it every 5-10 minutes to flip the granola mixture over, break it into pieces, and press down again with the back of the spatula. Watch closely to prevent burning. The mixture does not need to be completely dry to be done. In fact by the time it seems dry, it's burnt. Remove the granola from the oven before this happens. *If the mixture seems to be browning too quickly, lower the oven temp or even turn the oven off for a few minutes before taking it out.
When the mixture has become slightly browned/toasted, remove it from the oven and allow to cool.
Notes
Tips
- Use parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Be patient–stick with the baking temp of 325 degrees F. It can be tempting to bump the temp up to speed things along but don’t do it. Roasting the granola slowly will produce the nice even crunch you’re going for.
- Take the granola out of the oven before it looks dry– this is hard to do because it seems like it’s not finished, but take it out and it will finish drying as it cools.
- Store in an airtight containerat room temp or in the fridge. It will keep fresh for at least a week.
Keyword AIP, cereal, granola, Paleo,, snack mix
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