Homemade Sprouted Granola
- Sarah
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
Looking for a healthier replacement to processed breakfast cereal? This sprouted granola recipe is for you!
Since my teens have been raised on a real food diet, boxed cereals haven't generally been part of their breakfast routine. Most boxed cereals are filled with processed ingredients, artificial food dyes, and preservatives. We've avoided most of the organic boxed cereals, too, because of the phytic acid in whole grains.
Phytic Acid - Whole Grains' Dirty Little Secret
Whole grains are touted to be higher in nutrients than refined grains, and it is true that they do have more potential nutrients than refined grains. However, whole grains also contain phytic acid, which is an anti-nutrient because it can interfere with the absorption of essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc. This is why, in some cases, eating a lot of whole grains can actually have a detrimental effect on health, and lead to increased cavities.
Traditional Techniques that Neutralize Phytic Acid
When consuming whole grains, people in ancestral cultures purposely used preparation techniques such as soaking, souring, and sprouting. Now, we have scientific research which clearly shows that when whole grains are soaked, soured, or sprouted, there is a resulting reduction in their phytic acid content.
Since I learned about all of this two decades ago, it allowed me to be purposeful about how my kids have eaten grains as they've grown up. To nourish my family, I have included in our diets a combination of refined grains (such as all-purpose Einkorn flour) and whole grains that have been soaked, soured, or sprouted to increase the bioavailability of their nutrients.
With their real food diet, my kids' dental health has been stellar. They've never had any fillings for cavities. A recent dental check-up after 10+ years without dental care found NO cavities or pre-cavities for myself or my teens!
Sprouted Oats = Homemade Granola!
Looping back around to breakfast cereals: I recently found sprouted organic oats from One Degree Organics and it has been a game changer!
Besides being sprouted, I love that these oats are tested to ensure they are not contaminated with the weed killer glyphosate, which has been found in most oat products, even organic oats. (Glyphosate can interfere with mineral absorption and disrupt the gut microbiome with its antibiotic properties.)
So, now I have developed a simple sprouted granola recipe that my kids are loving. This recipe includes healthy grassfed butter and unrefined sweeteners for extra minerals. My kids eat this granola with milk or yogurt, sprinkle it on homemade ice cream, or just munch it as a snack.
Recipe: Homemade Sprouted Granola
Makes ~10 cups of granola
9 cups sprouted rolled oats from One Degree Organics
2 sticks of butter, preferably nutrient-dense butter from grassfed cows
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup of sucanat
1 tsp salt
(Optional) 1 tsp cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
Measure out your oats into a very large bowl.
Once the butter has melted, combine it with the syrup, sucanat, salt, and (optional) cinnamon. I like to use a 2-cup glass measuring cup for this.
Pour the sweet butter mixture over the oats and stir until well-combined.
Line two baker's half sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
Spread out the granola over the two baker's half sheets.
The granola will be baked for a total of one hour, with 30 minutes at 300 F and then another 30 minutes at 275 F, stirring it every 15 minutes.
With my oven, it works best to swap the placement of the sheet pans every time I stir the granola, so that the sheet pan which was on the top rack gets moved to the lower rack and vice versa.
Start by putting the granola in the 300 F oven and set a timer for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, pull out the granola and use a large spoon for stir/turn it. Spread the granola back out and set a timer for another 15 minutes at 300 F.
Then turn the oven down to 275 F and repeat the process, for a total of 30 minutes of baking at 275 F. Make sure to stir the granola again after 15 minutes.
Once the granola is done cooking, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely.
Then scoop and enjoy! I store this granola in mason jars. When it's time to eat, feel free to add any nuts, raisins, or fresh fruit as desired.
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