“I received free samples of California Walnuts mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by California Walnuts and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.”
Granola is my new go-to post workout snack. I especially love it with ice cold milk. My daughter is really into plant based milks right now (don’t ask, she must be in some sort of food exploration phase), so in our fridge right now, we have cow’s milk, almond milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, and hazelnut milk on standby (shelf stable). So far, she’s not thrilled with cashew milk, so that is for smoothies.
I was out of granola today, so I needed to make more and I decided I would switch it up a bit and add the wildly nutritious crunch of walnuts. Walnuts are my favorite way to get omega-3’s right now.
A handful of California walnuts is a versatile snack and can satisfy any taste preference, from savory to sweet. Regardless of your flavor preference, walnuts are the only nut to provide an excellent source of the plant-based omega-3, ALA – 2.5g/ounce.
California walnuts also have fiber and protein, so they are perfect to snack on. If you’re worried about snacking on nuts because of the fat content, rest assured, you are choosing a healthy fat and as long as you keep your serving size to about 1/4 cup, you’re good to go.
This is a unique recipe because I use walnuts two ways. I mix walnut butter into the granola before I bake it and then I add walnuts at the very end of the baking process to get them nice and toasted.
This doubles up on the walnut flavor and mixing it with maple syrup makes for a warm and inviting flavor combo. I hope you try this!
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Maple walnut granola
Keep this granola in a sealed container to snack on, use as a cereal, or as a topping for your favorite yogurt.
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
3 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup California walnut butter (instructions in notes)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup chopped California walnuts
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300°F
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
In a medium mixing bowl, add oats, walnut butter, maple syrup, canola oil, vanilla, and salt
Mix together until combined and spread out evenly on lined baking sheet
Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes – in the last 5 minutes, sprinkle the chopped walnuts over the granola and finish the baking
Remove from oven and let cool completely, the granola will continue to crisp up as it cools
Notes
To make California Walnut Butter: Add 2 cups of California walnuts to a food processor and blend until the walnuts release their oil and it has the consistency of a nut butter. Scrape down the sides if you need. It only takes a few minutes of blending before you have your own walnut butter.
Store granola in an airtight container
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes