I eat a lot of pancakes and oatmeal.... I'm sure you can tell if you look through my recipes. I love both of these items but sometimes I want something crunchy. Often, I crave cereal but eating cereal just doesn't seem worth it when you look at the macros. The carbs are often too high and there is not very much protein in it, so I usually avoid it. When you've craving a crunchy bowl, granola can be a great substitute.

There are almost no granola mixes at the store that I would eat on a regular basis. The sugar is often through the roof and unnecessary. I'm used to eating things with minimal sugar, but I still like items like granola to be sweet. This recipe avoids adding a bunch of sugar and keeps things basic. I used remade Pumpkin Butter from a local market to sweeten mine, but feel free to use things like applesauce, diced banana, diced apple, or 1-2 dates diced up. This recipe ended up with a hearty, chewy, crunchy mix of textures that was exactly what I was looking for.  

RECIPE

VEGAN 5 GRAIN QUICK GRANOLA OVER VANILLA CHIA PROTEIN CREAM AND BANANA

Ingredients:

For the Chia Protein Cream

• 3/4 Cup Unsweetened Soymilk
• 2 Tbsp Chia Seeds
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Powder (optional)
• 1/4 Cup Banana

For the Quick Granola

• 1/2 C 5 Grain Rolled Hot Cereal (Bob's Red Mill)
• 1 Tbsp Raw Sunflower Seeds
• 1 Tbsp Pumpkin Butter (or apple butter, apple sauce, jelly, etc)
• 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• Pinch of Salt

Toppings / Extras

• 1/4 C Banana
• 2 Tbsp Powdered Peanut Butter (mixed with water to sauce consistency)

Instructions:

1. Mix together all ingredients for the Chia Protein Cream together and (ideally) let sit overnight. If you don't have time to soak that long, it will still work in the blender. After soaking, blend in a blender to a smooth consistency. It should be a little thicker than a smoothie.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
3. In a small bowl, mix together all the quick granola ingredients and stir until the wet items have soaked into the grains.
4. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and spread the granola in a thin layer on the baking sheet.
5. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. I wanted mine pretty crisp, so I leaned towards the 15 minute mark.
6. To serve, put down banana and top with the Chia Protein Cream. Put the granola straight from the oven on top. Drizzle down with the powdered peanut butter sauce. 
7. Additional toppings can be added depending on what you want. Add on ideas include... bran cereal on top, fresh berries, dried fruit, raw nuts, chocolate chips, and any superfood powders you like.

Total Macros

P: 28g, C: 75g, F: 17g, kCal: 586

*For a lower carb version, omit banana. For a lower calorie option, just serve the granola with a nut milk and omit the chia protein cream. 

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Thanks for stopping by! I am not a nutritionist but I am a nutrition junkie. I love looking for new recipes that help me achieve optimum health and wellness. I hope you enjoy these and if you have something to add or share, feel free to leave a comment.

TTYL