I’m a bit obsessed by the smell of cinnamon buns – it’s a Swedish thing. There is something so wholesome and soothing about these spiced buns that conjure up memories of childhood, baking and the knowledge that all is well in the world.

And that is why this cinnamon granola has been such a game changer in our family. I can’t remember being so excited about something edible that isn’t green for a long time but here it is. As a mainly gluten free household, the kids sometimes bemoan the loss of cereal. Cereal used to play a big part on our breakfast menu in days past but it has now been replaced by gluten free bread, eggs and natural yoghurt with honey. Still, I could see where they were coming from.

After doing a cereal check on various blogs I felt I had enough of an idea of what to do and what not to do to create my own version. I didn’t want a granola jam packed with dried fruit and sugar. I wanted it to be healthy, gluten free and with a strong flavour reminiscent of – you guessed it – cinnamon buns.

I’m glad to say we hit jackpot with this recipe as it features cinnamon, cardamom and ginger that, when oven baked, resemble the smell and taste of my beloved buns – sans gluten. I am sure you will love this recipe, the smell that will permeate your house when you bake it and the satisfying feeling of putting all the lovely golden kernels into a glass jar and saying you did it yourself. Now my kids can have cereal in the morning, whilst getting a good amount of nuts and seeds into their system without ‘noticing’ and a healthy dose of good fat from the coconut oil. I have it with almond milk and ground chia seeds. Here is the recipe:

 
Cinnamon Granola, Green Swede Style

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup cashew nuts

1/2 cup brazil nuts

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup pecan nuts

1/2 cup almonds, no skin

1/2 cup coconut shavings

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

1/2 gluten-free oats, certified

2-3 tbsp coconut oil

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup maple syrup or raw honey

Place all the nuts and seeds in your mixer/food processor and grind until small chunks are visible. If you like the seeds whole, just leave them out and grind the nuts on their own. Once ground up, add all nuts and seeds into a bowl, add the spices, coconut fat and syrup as well and stir the lot into a sticky mixture. Already you should be tasting the yummy flavours when you have a try. Line a baking tray with grease proof paper and spread out the nutty mixture evenly. Flatten with a spatula. Place in pre heated oven at 150C (300F) and dry for about 50 min. With 10 minute intervals, stir and make sure the mixture does not burn – it can happen quickly so be vigilant. Once golden brown, take out and leave to cool. Once cooled put in a beautiful glass jar and help yourself to a bountiful serving in the morning. Enjoy! x