Carrot Cake Spiced Granola

02/11/2022

I just finished making this and I can promise you that my apartment has never smelt as good as it does now 😭😍

Granola is one of my favorite things to make and I looove trying out different variations and using seasonal fruits and flavors! In this granola, I used dehydrated carrots (which are super quick and easy to make by yourself), desiccated coconut, raisins, and a mix of warming spices such as cinnamon, clover, and ginger. Yam!!

I love the combination of carrot and orange, so I tried using orange juice for this recipe. Turns out that it’s a great way to get a crunchy granola!! 5/5 will do it again.

This carrot cake spiced granola recipe is super simple to make, vegan, gluten-free, and naturally sweetened 💛 The flavors I used here are super cozy so this is perfect for fall time 🍁

You can also check the recipe for my go-to granola, Gluten-free Almond butter Granola Clusters.

CARROT CAKE SPICED GRANOLA RECIPE

Cooking time 45 min (which 10 minutes active)

Serves makes enough to fill a big mason jar (you can double the recipe to make a larger patch)

4 dl or 1 ¾ cups old-fashioned oats
4 carrots, grated and dehydrated
1 dl or ½ cup orange juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon (can be substituted with regular cinnamon or left out)
1 – 2 teaspoons gingerbread spice mix*
¼ teaspoon ginger
Pinch of sea salt
2 tablespoons of coconut nectar or maple syrup
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 dl or ½ cup desiccated coconut
2-3 handfuls of nuts; I used pecans, hazelnuts, and almonds
A handful of raisins

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 150 celsius or 300 Fahrenheit. Peel & grate your carrots and pre-dehydrate them in the oven for 15- 20 minutes. Place the baking tray at the bottom of your oven so the carrots won’t burn.
Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients; roughly chop your nuts and place them in a large bowl together with the oats. Melt your coconut oil in the microwave. Combine all of the ingredients together and mix until everything is combined. Place the mixture onto the baking tray and add your dehydrated carrots to the mixture.
Increase the oven temperature to 175 celsius or 350 Fahrenheit and bake the granola on the bottom rack for 15 minutes. Give it a few turns every 5 minutes or so. Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge.

Tips and notes

*The gingerbread mix I used had bitter orange, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. You can use something similar if you don’t have the exact spice mix. Nutmeg is also great for this recipe!

I used the juice from 1 freshly squeezed orange, but apple juice, pineapple juice, or even carrot juice would all work just as fine ☀️ The juice really is the key to making this granola extra crunchy!

Ps. Make sure to use certified gluten-free oats if you are a coeliac or making this to someone who is coeliac.