This chunky turmeric granola is the one recipe people ask me for the most. It’s golden, crunchy, gently spiced – and goes with almost everything!
Gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, Ayurvedic.
Why turmeric and black pepper belong together
The active compound in turmeric, curcumin, is widely studied for it’s health benefits… However, it’s not very readily absorbed by our bodies. The trick is to combine turmeric with a pinch of black pepper. You won’t taste it, but black pepper contains piperine, which slows how quickly the liver and gut break down curcumin. In one often-cited human study, a little pepper raised the bioavailability of curcumin by around 2,000%. And because curcumin is fat-soluble, pairing it with some fat – the coconut oil in this recipe – helps it pass more easily from the gut into the bloodstream.
Ingredients
Makes a large jar, around 14 small portions or 10 large ones.
Dry
- 2.5 cups rolled oats (gf, if needed)
- 2 cups oats and 1/2 cup oat flour if don’t have grinder/blender
- 2 tbsp flaxseeds
- ground if don’t have blender/grinder
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds (either colour or 1 of each)
- 2 cups mixed whole nuts
- I like using 1 cup almonds, 1/2 cup hazelnuts and 1/2 cup pecans
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp sweet spice mix (see notes)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- pinch cracked black pepper
Wet
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil (55g)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup (115g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 150°C and line two baking trays with parchment paper or reusable baking sheets.
Grind 1/2 cup oats and the 2 tbsp flaxseed into a flour, add to large mixing bowl and combine with all the other dry ingredients (subbing in the pre-ground flaxseed and oat flour if you don’t have a grinder or powerful blender).
Combine the wet ingredients in a jug or bowl, pour over the dry and mix well.
Spread evenly over the trays and bake for 20 minutes. Stir and give another 15-20 minutes until golden.
Leave on the tray – it will harden as it cools and turns nice and crunchy.
How to store it
Store in an airtight container for a couple of weeks (if you can make it last that long!).
How I like to eat it
This granola goes really well with soya yoghurt and some fruit & ginger compote. I like to pair this combination on top of banana bread, buckwheat pancakes, or just to have with the yoghurt and stewed seasonal fruit on its own or sprinkled on top of some overnight oats.
It’s also incredibly snackable just by itself!
Notes
You can add in 1 cup of chopped fruits or raisins at the end if you like.
Sweet spice mix consists of 2:1:1 ratio of ground cinnamon : ground ginger : ground cardamom
- Example: 2 tbsp ground cinnamon, 1 tbsp ground ginger, 1 tbsp ground cardamom
- Make in a jar, shake to mix, and leave in your cupboard to use on your porridge, flapjacks, stewed apples, energy balls… you name it!
If you’d like more seasonal recipes and the occasional Ayurvedic note, you can sign up here to the occasional newsletter from me. And if you’re local, come and find me on the mat.
With love, Zoe – Lily & Lotus
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