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).
There is something about granola. There must be somthing extra special about Cinabon granola…. I have to make some. :)
WOW this would be incredible as a granola bar too!
Can you make healthy caramel apple CHIPS!?
Amazing!! Can’t wait to try it. This fall I’ve enjoyed making your Apple Butter and Pumpkin butter. Mmm.. Healthy cinnabon!
Hi! I absolutely love your website! I relatively recently started transitioning to a vegan lifestyle and your recipes have been such a help! I was wondering, is there a substitute for coconut oil in the granola recipe? Im allergic!
Hey Katherine, Thanks for your kind words! You could probably sub the coconut oil for a light tasting oil, such as grapeseed.
I can’t wait to see what treats you will be sharing with us! I *love* how Pumpkin/Fall oriented your blog has been lately!
This looks really good, think I’m gonna try it next week!
You know, I’m nervous about the buckwheat groats… I’ve tried making your smoothie recipe and for whatever reason, I can’t get away from the slime factor once liquid is introduced… Can you speak to that? Maybe do a tutorial? Or is it just me – I’ll have to get over it?
Hey Laura,
You may be happy to know the buckwheat doesn’t get slimy in this granola :) Stays crunchy and dry! :)
Which smoothie recipe do you mean?
The Raw Buckwheat Porridge – the picture I want to eat right off the screen… :-) I’ve made it twice, and just seem to be unable to rinse the buckwheat enough… Thanks for your insight!
oh yes that one is slimy!! Just the nature of the soaked buckwheat. It doesn’t bother me but I could see how it could. :)
You could add “cinnamon roll” to any recipe and I’d have a Pavlovian response. Cinnamon Roll Liverwurst. Yum. Or maybe that was taking it too far… LOL!
Oh my yum!! I love cinnamon anything, so this is a must-try!
Have you ever tried pumkin & olive oil granola? This is my go to. Honestly, the BEST!!
just in case you wanna have a look :)
http://www.food52.com/recipes/15831_nekisia_davis_olive_oil_and_maple_granola
Oh wow. I think I’m going to get up from the computer this second to make this. One question — most granola recipes say to add the dried fruit after baking — but you add it before, in this case?
good question – I added the raisins *after* baking because that’s usually how I do it too. I will add that into my post.
Yum, this granola looks fabulous! I’m doing a couple of spooky Halloween treats on my blog too! Next week: Monster eyes… haha I just love Halloween. I was going to start on the recipes this morning until I realized that the baking temperature in my new oven isn’t right… sooo gotta deal with that before I make the eye balls.
Mmmm cinnamon! I love anything cinnamon so I am sure this is delicious! Perfect for fall.
Thank you so much for sharing the ebook love! I’m so happy you enjoyed the granola and wanted to share it with others. That Cinnabon smell is so addictive!
Thank you for sharing Nicole! I’m sure it will be enjoyed by many. I hope you raise a ton of money for the elephants! Keep me posted.
Granola in the dehydrator – duh! Why did I not think of that? And lol @ cat litter cake – how appetizing ;)
That cookbook will be going on my wishlist! I am always drawn in by Cinnabon, why are they sooo good?!
I am so excited for the treatahon I was looking for healthy Halloween treats and can’t find anything I would like to make. I am excited to see your creations…
I have actually been to the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand and can honestly say that its such an amazing place!! The amount of time that the volunteers and staff dedicate to the elephants that have suffered is truly inspiring! Such a great idea for donations – I will be purchasing the e-book for sure!
I can imagine that would’ve been a great experience! I would love to go there some day. Thanks for supporting the book!
Oh my! It looks so delicious! And I love the smell of cinnamon – it makes me think about december and christmas :) I will definitey make this granola when I have finished the rest of the granola I already have in the house.
I can’t wait to see your halloween treat. My birthday is on Halloween (like OSG!!), and I need some inspiration for dessert and treats to mty birthday, so your timing is perfect! :)
I have a confession: I am enamored with Medjool dates and want to add them all my sweets! But I need protein with them, and c’mon, let’s be honest, dried dates look kinda spooky! If you can muster some creativity juices with dates and a protein, I would be ecstatic! Seriously. An Ang-verson of goat cheese stuffed dates would be a GREAT fingerfood for my autumnal festival! I’m looooving and sharing with non-vegs my raw brownies, so I’ve got that one down. But always on the lookout for baby Oh She Glows recipes to add to my repertoire! :) Thanks, girl!
How did you know I was thinking about some kind of “cockroach” inspired medjool date :)
Great minds think alike! :)
Can’t wait to see how you bring it to life! With such gorgeous photography, even an icky “cockroach” will look ah-mazing!
I know you commented on this a while ago, but I just tried dates for the first time and, after absolutely loving them, was looking for a protein pairing for snacks. I’ve found that stuffing pitted dates with nut butter – especially peanut butter – is quite divine!
i love that you’re doing this. My oldest daughter is a Halloween baby. It’s an important holiday in our house! Can you maybe come up with something spectacular and healthy I can send in her lunch that day? She’s an awesome healthy eater and LOVES pumpkin. I’m sooooo looking forward to your upcoming recipes.