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Lemon Cardamom Granola

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I’m a schwag whore.

 

 

Race expo bags, conference loot, free t-shirts, retreat goodies… you name it, I get excited.  You can imagine my eyes popped out of my head when I saw the gigantic bag ‘o schwag we were gifted at the Blend Retreat.  Lots of bars, cereal, Fitmixer Aminos, protein drinks, and even granola.

One of my favorite items was a lemon-blueberry granola by Nature’s Indulgence.  It’s loooong gone, but I still think about it.

 

 

When I saw this guest post on Lauren’s blog, I was excited to be able to combine those flavors once again.

I had to take liberties with the recipe, as my training diet doesn’t allow for the sugar.  You know what?  I don’t even miss it in this recipe!  A mashed banana helped to sweeten and bind the granola, and it lended a subtle fruit flavor since dried fruits are a no-no (pure sugar, people!).

 

 

Another twist I put on the original was to add a bit of cardamom.  You have to be careful with it – a little goes a long way – but a small amount added to sweet-ish recipes can elevate it to something uniquely delicious.

 

 

One of the things I liked the most about the Nature’s Indulgence version was the inclusion of millet.  It added a cool crunch to the texture.  I didn’t have any millet, but the chia seeds in my version to achieve a similar effect.

It is really fantastic sprinkled over a bowl of Greek yogurt with fresh plum and cinnamon.

 

Recipe at bottom.

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First a little round up from the blog world!  I sometimes worry that much of the stuff I make is too weird for anyone to actually try.  More often that not I end a description with “Its really is good, I swear!”

Because of this, I get unnaturally excited when you guys share your own iterations of recipes I’ve posted.  Here are a few recent shares from around the blog/Instagram world… they’re good, I swear!!!

 

Allie ordered her very own peanut flour and tried my favorite sauce combo: peanut four, almond milk, and sriracha:

 

 

Heather rocked out a vegan version of my Tiramisu Protein Parfait using a coconut whipped cream that looks absolutely scrumptious:

 

 

Ashley made this Protein Breakfast Tart that I adapted from Tessa… coincidentally, I made it again yesterday morning. 🙂

 

 

Lauren made my PB & Jeggs with a grilled PB&J after I told her of my childhood love.  I wonder if anyone will try this lightened up version posted yesterday. 

 

 

Last but far from least, Meg made my take on a Cauliflower Pizza Crust.  It turned out beautifully, and I love her runny egg on top!

***Since the original post, I’ve remade and improved upon the crust.  Based on feedback from others I realized the measurements needed to be more precise and detailed instructions.  Look for that update on Monday!***

 

Thank you to everyone who has tried a recipe and/or given feedback!  I love learning from you all. 🙂

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Lemon Cardamom Granola

  • 1 C rolled oats
  • 1/2 large banana, mashed
  • Zest & juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1T coconut oil
  • 1 T chia seeds
  • 10 drops NuNaturals Lemon Liquid Stevia
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp cardamom
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract

 

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees.

Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl until well-combined.

Spread the mixture evenly onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 15 mins.  Stir the granola and bake another 10 mins, until golden brown.  

Allow the granola to cool completely before transferring it to an air-tight container.

Note: If you don’t have Stevia, you can sub in 1-2T of your favorite liquid sweet treat (maple syrup, agave, etc.).

Makes 4 servings (1/4 C each).

Approximate nutritionals: 117 calories, 6g fat, 16.4g carbs, 2.3g fiber, 2g sugar, 3g protein

***

I’m attending y first show this weekend!  I can’t wait to see the figure competitors… it’s hard to believe that’s going to be me in a few months! 🙂

What is your favorite granola combo or recent blogger recipe?

What are you looking forward to this weekend?

 

Comments

  1. I love free t-shirts!!
    I was reading your post about the tofu PB when my vegan friend Brie was over last night (I was telling her about you training for a figure competition and trying to find more non animal protein sources) – and had one of those “WHY have I never thought of that!?” moments! The only tofu I have on hand is the Italian herb Twin Oaks kind (which wouldn’t work…), but you better believe that I’ll be re-stocking on PLAIN this weekend and making that asap. I usually mix peanut flour with either with either pumpkin or greek yogurt, so I’m very curious to see the difference that tofu makes.
    Making your TVP nuggets is also on my immediate to-make list. I know that Greg would LOVE them too.

    • Thanks for sharing the post with your friend! I love that she’s vegan and her name is Brie. 🙂

      Actually, I bet that tofu you have would be awesome blended for a creamy Italian panini! That’s been on my to make list for a while. Maybe with tomato and eggplant?

  6. I loved your parfait this week…many times! I also made a bean burger from a fellow blogger that was amazing too! Sometimes my brain needs a creative break and since I’ve been working with so many nutrition clients this week, I’ve taken the opportunity to focus on them and not on making up new things in the kitchen. I’m most looking forward to sleep this weekend! I am in desperate need of some rest! I hope you have a great weekend Laura!

    • I just did a version of your version of my parfait. LOL! I mixed the peanut flour with a little protein powder and greek yogurt and chia for the cream. LOVE the PB!!

      Hope you had a great weekend!

  7. you are rockin’ it with the recipes girl! i can’t wait – i have off on monday & i think i need to get my face into cauliflower crust!

  8. LOVE that you did this…I honestly find that while I love the lemon flavor of the Nature’s Indulgence, it is SO sweet to me. I just don’t like supersweet granola I guess? Also, banana was the key to my banana bread granola. LOVE using that. I’ve also used pumpkin similarly. 🙂

    • I don’t think you ever grow out of it. I still get excited about pizza in the breakroom even though I know I can’t eat it. LOL!

  10. Have fun at the figure comp, Laura! Can’t wait to hear what it is all about. 🙂

    I don’t make granola for myself but love making it for Rob. I recent;y made a chocolate-banana version where I used banana instead of sugar, too. I love the sound of lemon and cardamom together, though. 🙂

  11. YUM. This is awesome because I couldn’t eat the granola from blend. I might have to try this. The only thing I don’t have on hand is stevia, but I’m not a fan of stevia. I just prefer to leave sweeteners out if possible. I’ve found that if I sub out stevia for regular sugar, I still get the same sugar cravings. If I leave it out all together, then I’m golden. 🙂

    • If you leave out the stevia, I might add a little more banana and some extra lemon if you have it.

      • genius! you’re actually feeding me today. chickless nuggets for lunch and BFD (PB&Peggs again!) for dinner for meatless monday.

        Side note … made some pretty awesome protein cookies yesterday. They were somewhere between cookies and muffins. Like a cliff bar without all the extra sugar. Mostly banana!

  12. This sounds delicious! We love lemon! That’s awesome that you get to go see a competition, there’s nothing like watching one to motivate you and get you fired up for your own! We find sometimes the best way to us pumped for races is to watch one.

    This weekend, our whole family is coming over for lunch celebrating all of the summer birthdays (there’s a lot!) and then we are working TWO weddings! One on saturday and sunday! Busy busy! 🙂 Have a blast at the show!

  15. I love peanut butter and chocolate granola! (actually, I love peanut butter and chocolate anything).

    I’ve never thought to put cardamom in granola – definitely an interesting twist!

    Just curious – how are you doing on a no-sugar diet? I’ve got a massive sweet tooth, so I would struggle so much if I tried to do that. Are you experiencing a lot of cravings or anything?

    • Honestly, it doesn’t bother me at all. I use stevia and fruit to naturally sweeten things and rarely get sugar cravings. When I do, it’s all about the dark chocolate. you just have to give your body time to re-set (usually about 3 weeks).

  16. Anything free is always a win in my books :)! I love adding coconut & cinnamon into granola- despite not actually having sugar, both add a level of sweetness. Have a great weekend!!

  18. Guess what I had for lunch today? More smush covered in PB flour and sriracha. Ohh yeah. Guess what I’m looking forward to this weekend? It just might involve some TVP ;D Um, jealous that you’re going to a comp! I should see if there are any nearby ones coming up so I can check it out. Might have to travel to ATL for that, though 🙂

    • As I read that I was thinking ATL isn’t that far away! 🙂 There’s one here in Nov – you should come down!

  19. I have a confession. I love all of your posts in their entirety, but often my very favorite part is your opening sentence. As is the case for this one. Have fun at the show!!

  20. I love cardamon too! That stuff is the best. My mom always used it to make bread and stuff so it also has fond childhood memories… awwwa! Lol. I’m looking forward to some party planning this weekend. My husband is graduating with his MBA soon + sort of a housewarming party.

  21. Oh gosh, you totally reminded me that I never remade the lemon cardamom granola I once attempted, but which somehow failed a bit in the flavour stakes. I’ll have to try yours… except for my whole travelling and no pantry thing. Right now is when I need me some schwag… 😛

      • It’s starting to look a bit tricky – why is ATL so far away?? I’m still hoping to make it work though! Stupid flights!

          • It’s not so much the airport as the fact that everyone is spread out across all ends of the US and so it’s costing a lot of time and money to fly around trying to meet up with everyone!

  26. That’s a lovely idea to use banana as a binding agent 🙂 Are dried fruits really that bad? I thought they were loaded with fiber and still have vitamins unlike actual pure white sugar. 😛 I remember people always telling me that grapes are good for the heart too…

  27. I love cardamom. a lot.

    but I also love dried fruit… *sigh* 😉

    but I’m not training for anything, yay!

    oh, sorry. 😀

    I also love when I hear about people making my recipes – it’s so cool, right? I want to try cauliflower pizza crust someday, so I look forward to your tutorial update!

    happy weekend!

  28. You know, I was just thinking about the PB&J thing…obviously, because I’m now fantasizing about it! lol…I’ve made PB&J and tofu, but WHY have I never thought to make it with tofu?! I really shouldn’t be this excited about trying a sandwich, but I’m so curious about the texture contrast…you’re a schwag whore, but I’m a total texture whore when it comes to food! 😉

    I really need to experiment more with cardamon…I’ve had a few fails…you’re right a little does go a LONG way…but with fall fast approaching, I’m starting to think it might pop into a few recipes with apples…maybe some pumpkin…oh yes…I need a pen and paper!

    • I am a texture whore too! That can make or break a dish for me.

      LOVE cardamom in a simple apple crumble. It’s really good with blackberries too.

  30. mmmmmmmmmmm This looks so good. Really. Granola is a deadly thing for me though, I’ll eat a whole batch in one sitting, so I usually avoid it. 🙁

    I don’t think your recipes are strange at all. Mostly I think they have alot of good alternatives for a healthier, lower calorie, or more vegetarian solution. For me, it’s just a matter of not being able to get certain ingredients in France – like peanut flour. But you’ve inspired me to make sure I have protein with each meal. 🙂

    I’m looking forward to packing this weekend (not really).

    • Thanks Holly! I love to hear that you’re incorporating more protein.

      That’s really sad you can’t get the flour in France. Does iHerb deliver internationally? I imagine shipping would be crazy though. 🙁

  31. I thought I hadnt heard from you in a while but it seems as though my subscription to your blog is not coming through anymore – I’m so sorry for missing your awesome posts!

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

    P.S. I have lost 60-70 followers and I don’t even know how so if you had subscribed before, it would be great if you could check and if possible, resubscribe – thanks!

  32. I love the spell of cardamom. I’m sure your whole house smells good while this is baking. BTW, I got the p28 in the mail yesterday and we made some egg in the hole sandwiches today for lunch. That stuff is awesome! Thanks again!

  33. I don’t know if I’ve ever had cardamom.. Is it an Indian spice?! I need to know my spices better haha. I love granola so I think I’ll love this recipe 🙂

    • It is! It’s really good – you can get it in seeds or ground. It’s in the family of nutmeg or cloves.

  34. thanks for the shout out lovie! you definitely did make an amazing cauliflower crust! I didn’t need clarification – it worked perfect for me BOTH times 😉 I made it twice and will be making it again FO SHO 😉

    I love your granola recipe babe! I have yet to make any type of homemade granola though!

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