Maple Lentil Granola

 
 

Prep Time: 15 min // Cook Time: 48 min (including 10 min cooling time)// Total: 63 min // Serving: 12 servings (1/3 cup per serving)

This recipe is a combination of the red lentils and rolled oats with the sweet, rich flavor of maple syrup. The result is a crunchy, healthy, and delicious snack food. Eat them as any time healthy snack, or use them as a versatile topping for yogurt, cereals or ice cream. I kept the recipe simple and basic to give plenty of space for you to make it your own. Don’t like walnuts? Use other nuts you like instead. Almonds, cashew nuts or pecan are great substitutes. If nut allergies are concerns, replace with seeds such as pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. You can skip the nuts and seeds altogether and use dried fruits instead. You can also get creative to mix and match everything to suit your preference. The sky is the limit with this recipe! If you like eating chunky granola as a snack like me, here are the two tips I discovered: first, do not flip the lentil granola mixture during baking. I found flipping the granola mixture created looser granola (which is great as a topping). Second, adding some jam to the recipe adds firmness. This may be due to the pectin in the jam. Whatever the science is, it works! This maple lentil granola is definitely a delightful treat for anyone who loves to eat granola. 

 

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup dry red lentils, rinsed and cleaned

  • 1 ½ cups water

  • 1 cup rolled oats

  • 1/3 cup walnut halves, chopped

  • 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil, refined

  • ¼ cup maple syrup

  • 1 tablespoon apricot jam

  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions:

  1. Rinse the lentils thoroughly until the water is clear

  2. Cook the lentils with 1 ½ cups of water in a pot: bring the lentils to a boil then simmer on low heat for 8 minutes, or until the center of the lentils is still slightly solid)

  3. Drain the lentils in a colander and rinse with cold water

  4. Remove as much of the water out of the colender as possible

  5. Line a baking sheet with a paper towel

  6. Spread the lentils evenly on the paper towel. Then use another paper towel to pat the lentils dry

  7. Combine the rolled oats, lentils, walnuts, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl

  8. Mix melted coconut oil, maple syrup and jam in a separate bowl

  9. Pour the coconut maple syrup mixture into the oat/lentil dry mixture and coat them evenly

  10. Pour the oat/lentil mixture onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Make sure the mixture is slightly thicker on the sides and thinner in the center, then use a spatula to press the mixture firmly

  11. Bake in the oven at 325 degrees for 20 minutes then rotate the baking sheet and bake for another 18 minutes until turns the mixture turns golden brown

  12. Let it completely cool on a wire rack

  13. Break into bite sizes and serve