Raw Vegan Chai Granola

If you are obsessed with Chai tea like me, and love anything Chai flavored, you will adore this raw vegan Chai Granola. It’s crunchy, sweet, with warming chai spices from my raw vegan chai tea recipe. Pour some almond milk over it, and you get to start your day off with a bowl of Chai latte granola cereal! Exquisite. If you don’t own a dehydrator, not to worry. You can bake it! Though it will no longer be raw, it is still vegan and gluten-free, still healthy and so good for you.

Now let’s get started. If you own a dehydrator, soak the buckwheat groats, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and pecans for 12 hours. Rinse well and drain, then dry them in the dehydrator at 115 ℉ (46℃) for about 12-18 hours until completely dry. If I have some extra time, I like sprouting the seeds to increase their nutritional value. If you are baking the granola, skip the entire soaking process and use them dry straight out of the bag.

Mix all the nuts, seeds, chai spice, and salt in a bowl.

Then pour the maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract over it and toss well until the nuts and seeds are evenly coated.

Line the dehydrator tray with a mesh sheet, then a silicone sheet. Spread the granola thin and evenly, and dehydrate at 115 ℉ (46℃) for about 12 hours until completely dry. Break it up into pieces with your hands and store in an air-tight container.

If you are using an oven, preheat the oven to 250℉ (120℃) and spread the granola thinly onto a baking sheet. Bake for 40-50 minutes until golden brown, stirring every 15 minutes. The granola might not seem very firm when it’s warm, but it will harden when it cools off. Let it cool, then lightly break up the granola with a spoon.

Enjoy your fresh-made Chai granola as is, or with your choice of nut or seed milk or coconut milk and fruits, or as a crunchy topping on banana ice cream or acai bowl. It will instantly Chai anything up! Enjoy!

Raw Vegan Chai Granola

 

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Prep time

20 hours

Cook time

12 hours

Total time

32 hours

 

Author: Mariko Sakata

Cuisine: raw food, raw vegan, gluten-free

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

• 1½ cups buckwheat groats (or raw oats if you prefer it)
• ⅓ cup sunflower seeds
• ⅓ cup pumpkin seeds
• ⅓ cup flax seeds
• ⅓ cup pecans
• *1 Tablespoon+1 teaspoon chai spice
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 teaspoons non-alcohol vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 
  

*Chai spice

• ½ Tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 Tablespoon ginger
• 2 teaspoons cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon clove
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions

Chai spice

1. Put all the spices into a coffee grinder or a blender, and grind them fine.
2. Transfer the chai spice into an air-tight container. Store it in a cool place away from sunlight It will last for months.

Chai granola

Using a dehydrator:

1. Soak the buckwheat groats, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and pecans for 12 hours.
2. Rinse well and drain, then dry them in the dehydrator at 115℉ (46℃) for about 12-18 hours until completely dry.
3. Mix the nuts, seeds, chai spice, and salt in a bowl.
4. Pour the maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract over it and toss well until the nuts and seeds are evenly coated.
5. Line the tray with a mesh sheet, then a silicone sheet. Spread the granola thin and evenly, and dehydrate at 115℉ (46℃) for about 12 hours until completely dry.
6. Break it up into pieces with your hands and store in an air-tight container.

Using an oven:

1. Mix all the nuts, seeds, chai spice, and salt in a bowl.
2. Pour the maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract over it and toss well until the nuts and seeds are evenly coated.
3. Preheat the oven to 250℉ (120℃) and spread the granola thinly onto a baking sheet. Bake for 40-50 minutes until golden brown, stirring every 15 minutes. The granola might not seem very firm when it's warm, but it will harden when it cools off.
4. Let it cool, then lightly break up the granola with a spoon. Store in an air-tight container.

Notes

If you have some extra time, you can sprout the seeds after soaking to increase nutrition.

If you don't have sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, or pecans on hand, feel free to replace it with whatever nuts or seeds you have.

Keeps for 1 month stored at room temperature.
If the granola becomes stale, it back in the dehydrate at 115°F for a couple hours until it regains its crispness.

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