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).
Oooooh! I’m SO excited for the healthy halloween treats!! And this granola is fabulous!!!!
Yum to the granola!
And yay to supporting the Elephant sanctuary!
From first hand experience, I can attest that it is a worthy cause.
My favorite Halloween dish (and it’s only “Halloween”-ish because my neighbors serve it at their party every year) is this terribly unhealthy cheese dip. I know you’ve done some work with cheese dips made from nooch, but I would love to see a slightly, spicy, healthy “cheeze” type dip.
Oh my goodness, Cinnabon! I can’t say I ever enjoyed taking the subway in Toronto, but smelling the Cinnabon stands wafting as I walked down the stairs always made the experience a little more bearable. This sounds delish Ange!
Oh wow…This looks incredible!!
What about those molasses chew candies in the ugly orange packaging that would always line the bottom of every trick-or-treat bag and then be thrown out or traded?? For some reason I developed a love/hate for those stick-to-your-teeth chews!! haha
And just to let you know, I praised you and posted an adapted version of your pecan pie crust on my blog today!! You are such an inspiration to many dishes in my kitchen. Thank you, Angela!!
I used to have a love hate relationship with those chews too! hah
Thanks for the mention, I will check it out!
Thank you for sharing! I especially love hearing other peoples stories about volunteering at the Elephant Nature Park! It was by far the best experience of my life so far!!!
Ange,
Thank you so much for posting about Tiny Treats. It really was a labour of love for us – to read about so many people enjoying what we have created fills my heart with joy.
Your support means so much!
Lots of love.
My pleasure Lisa! Thanks for everything you do!
I have been looking for a good Granola recipe this week! This couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. – I’m trying it out tonight. Thanks so much to Lisa and Nicole for allowing this to be published!
Angela, I’ve been scouring the interweb for a yummy wheat free vegan cinnamon roll with icing recipe and I have yet to find one. Can you please please please work your magic and make my cinnamon bun wishes come true?! Do you take requests? :D
I have a whole wheat yeast free one going in the book, but if it doesnt I will post it here for sure!
That’s great news! I can’t wait for your book to come out — I hope it’s going well for you. Thanks so much for all you give to the vegan community. SUCH an inspiration! xoxo
Yes!! Another grawnola recipe to add to the bunch!! I can tell from the ingredients that this particular one is a keeper! Thanks so much for sharing :] Healthy Halloween treats?! Can’t wait to see what you come up with :P I always looooved anything chewy, like Tootsie Rolls or Sour Patch Kids..and anything made with chocolate too, of course!
Oh my gosh, yum! I am definitely making this! I’m tempted to make it right now, but I already have 5 boxes of granola in my cupboard that I need to eat my way through haha. I’m kind of a granola addict!
Hi Angela, This sounds delish, I was wondering, substitutions for buckwheat groats? Not a fan of buckwheat, thanks…Love the blog
I am in love………with your website Angela! Love it 1000 times. I recently started my transition and accidently look at Oh she glows and it was love at first sight <3. Your recepies are helping me a lot with ideas what and how to cook. I am enjoying my new way of eating and being healty and I can't wait for your cook book and I hope I will be able to buy it here in Australia.
Hi Sandy, Thank you for reading! So happy that you enjoy the blog so much. That warms my heart!
Dear Angela just keep us inspiring with your yummo recepies………<3
Wow this granola looks delish! I’m gonna try it without the buckwheat groats since I don’t have them on hand, but I’ll pick them up next time I’m out.
Also, flipping thru a magazine this morning I saw a jar of a nut butter & I thought of you! 4 ingredients: peanuts, pecans, wildflower honey, sea salt. Just an idea if you want a salty sweet nut butter on hand :)
I think I will be making this granola very soon! Looks sooo good!
Every October I make chocolate mummy cookies to share. They are made using a gingerbread man cookie cutter and then you drizzle white chocolate to make them look like mummies with mini M&M eyes. They are super cute! But it would be nice to make a healthy version without a cup of butter and a cup of icing sugar per ~20 cookies!!
I made this last night and didn’t have walnuts, so i subbed in pecans and it is to die for!!
So excited to make this granola – this is going to be a MUCH cheaper cereal option for us! Any substitution for the buckwheat groats? I have every ingredient on hand but those and have pushed the specialty foods budget lately! Can it be omitted?
Thanks,
Lydia
Please tell me the zephyr monster cookies is going to be in the treat-a-thon. I am so looking forward to that recipe!
You had me at Cinnabon (drooling)
This looks SO GOOD! Cinnamon buns are a personal fave – consider this granola made! :)