Recently, Lisa from Vegan Culinary Crusade and Nicole from A Dash of Compassion launched Tiny Treats – an e-cookbook devoted to 25 recipes free of wheat, soy, eggs, dairy, and refined flour/sugar. Needless to say, I was excited to check it out when Lisa offered to send me a copy. The recipes are unique, healthy, and elegant all at the same time, not to mention the photography and page layouts could be straight out of a food magazine. You can really tell how much time and love went into creating this book!
The best part, aside from the wholesome desserts, is that Lisa and Nicole are donating a third of all ebook proceeds to the Elephant Nature Park in Northern Thailand. If you wish, help support their mission by purchasing an ebook here.
Lisa and Nicole generously allowed me to share a teaser recipe from the ebook today – Cinnamon Bun Granola!
I have one word to describe this granola:
CINNABON.
You know, the smell that has tortured people in shopping malls everywhere for years? I sure do. Well, now that smell can be found in your own house! A big, gooey cinnamon bun….in granola form.
Cinnamon Bun Granola from Tiny Treats Ebook
Shared with permission by Lisa Pitman and Nicole Axworthy. Tiny Treats Ebook. Copyright 2012.
From Lisa and Nicole: If we ever open a vegan B&B, this will be on each breakfast-in-bed tray. We would keep the guestrooms full by serving it up differently each day–in a layered parfait glass with sliced apples and almond yogurt, or on top of our favourite banana soft serve, or in special tea cup with a substantial splash of coconut milk. The options are endless.
GRANOLA
2 cups (215g) rolled oats
1/2 cup (95g) raw buckwheat groats
1/2 cup (65g) raw walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup (50g) unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup (40g) raisins
1 tbsp (15mL) ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2.5mL) sea salt
1/4 tsp (1.25mL) fresh ground nutmeg
1/2 cup (120mL) pure maple syrup
1/4 cup (50g) Medjool dates, pitted
2 tbsp (30mL) melted coconut oil
2 tbsp (30mL) water
2 tsp (10mL) pure vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, buckwheat, walnuts, shredded coconut, raisins, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg.
2. Using a blender, blend the maple syrup, dates, coconut oil, water and vanilla extract into a smooth, thick sauce.
3. Pour the sauce into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until all the dry ingredients are well coated.
DEHYDRATOR METHOD
4. Transfer the granola to a Teflex-lined dehydrator tray and spread into a thin (about 1/2 inch thick), even layer. Dehydrate for 8 to 10 hours at 115F.
OVEN METHOD
4. Preheat the oven to 300F. Transfer the mixture to a baking tray lined with parchment paper and spread into a thin, even layer. Bake for 25 minutes, gently stirring every 10 minutes to ensure even browning. Allow to cool completely before gently breaking into clusters. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge or at room temperature.
Makes about 6 cups of granola.
I made this granola in the oven and it turned out lovely. Next time, I will have to try it in my dehydrator…if I can wait that long!
If you’d like to purchase your own copy of Tiny Treats, you can do so here for $9.99. Big thanks to Lisa and Nicole for allowing me to share this amazing recipe with you all today!
I’ve been working on a bunch of treats to share with you this month, so stay tuned for some delicious, spooky fun! If you have a Halloween treat you’d like healthy-ween-ized (just go with it), let me know in the comments below. I’ll try to pick a couple to add to my list.
Just please don’t ask me to make a cat litter cake (Sketchie doesn’t want one either).
Okay, describing the granola as “cinnabon” totally got my attention. Yum!
The granola looks super yummy, I will definitely have to give it a try! Can’t wait to see what you’ve got cooked up for healthy treats!
I’m excited about the treats. Woohoo!
I love the Tiny Treats recipe book! Lisa and Nicole did a fabulous presentation at the Vegetarian Food Fair last month, I learned so much! Looking forward to your Healthyween treats!
I have that bowl! I use it all the time in pics. Just used it in my post on Wednesday! I have it in cream and teal and wish it came in more colors – so versatile. And this granola, Angela, it sounds delish! Cinn buns are the best…and worked into homemade granola, even better!
Um, Butterfingers? Healthy Butterfingers? Yeah, that’s my request.
This looks so wonderful–thanks for sharing!! I think I have to try it out today–what a great way to kick off the weekend!! :)
This granola looks amazing! Sometimes I wish I lived someplace less remote so I could more easily get hold of the ingredients to make all of these delicious-sounding recipes.
Treat-a-thon? Count me in! :) I do have a request: My favorite sweet this time of year has always been candy corn. I could literally stuff my face with an entire bag in one sitting! The problem is, most of the stuff has gelatine, and the brands that don’t? Artificial sugars and tons of synthetic ingredients/coloring! Can you make a healthy version of candy corn? Is that even possible? Or at least something with a candy corn-esque flavor?
It sounds like a pretty tough challenge, to me… ;)
I used to be obsessed with candy corn!!! It was my all time fav treat around Halloween, so it appears we are kindred spirits hah. I’ve seen recipes on the web that use corn syrup, but I wonder if it can be made with something else….hmmm.
What an awesome collaboration! And how genius to make ‘cinnabon granola’… I can only imagine how addictive it must be!
Hi Angela
This sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing! Would you know how many calories it has per serving? Thank you very much.
I’m sorry I don’t know the nutritional info. You can try using Nutrition data or Calorie count – those are the websites I use when I calculate a recipe and they work fairly well.
This looked and sounded so delicious, that I’m literally baking it now as I comment. And you are right…the whole house smells like a cinnamon bun!! So yummy :) Thanks, looking forward to some healthy, fun treat recipes!
Aw, glad to hear that! Enjoy
This looks fantastic! Is there something I could substitute for the Buckwheat? I don’t have any and would love to make this today :0)
you could probably just add more oats, or rice crisp cereal, more nuts, sunflower seed, etc. Enjoy!
What a lovely recipe! I could eat this every day!
Can’t wait to make this granola! I LOVE your crock pot apple butter. I have made a batch already and just finished making my own variation: apple pear butter with vanilla and cardomom. AMAZING
I’ve made two batches of the apple butter so far. The first was still somewhat apple-saucy, but the second batch was perfect, velvet buttery apple butter.
I actually topped this granola with the apple butter today. Good stuff!
Ok, I know this is going to sound disgusting but I’m intrigued with a healthy candy corn type treat. Teehee, probably impossible!!!
Can’t wait to make this granola!
For Halloween I would love to make caramel apple bites (like a traditional caramel apple but sliced before dipped in caramel for extra caramel-ness and less mess).
Y-U-M! I can’t keep granola in my house because all I do is eat my face off but I love it so much! What a clever idea!!!
My two favorite fall treats are caramel apples and apple cider donuts. Caramel is usually made with a milk base, isn’t it? Can you make a vegan caramel apple?
This sounds amazing! Should I soak the dates before using them?
Hey Becky, It’s your call. I think I forgot to put the dates in all together come to think of it. I did stir in the raisins after baking though (as I find they can puff up in the oven). If your dates are super firm you might want to soften them a bit first. Enjoy!
Mmmmm Cinabons! This sounds like a great recipe! Wholesome ingredients and my mind can taste the yummyness already! So perfect for this time of year too…
Angela! I LOVE your site! I am on it for hours at a time! I rave about it to everyone! My favorite the last month is the apple pie oatmeal! I eat it everyday! My girls call it apple pie! The following recipe for the granola sounds wonderful! Although, I’m wondering how hard the Buckwheat grouts are. I have used them in making bread, yet I cook them first. Are they really hard on the teeth? I just haven’t ever tried them raw before. Keep up the amazing dedication to your work! I would be LOST without it!
Thank you Connie! That means so much to me. The buckwheat groats are actually soften than you’d think (at least they were for me). I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. They aren’t nearly as hard, as say, raw millet. I hope you enjoy them!