Createlive: granola

10.02.2013

Gluten Free Upside Down Apple Pie

It's fall and I just can't stop. Can't stop, won't stop. Buying scarves. Drinking lattes. Wearing Frye boots with two layers of socks. [And simultaneously rocking a tank top in the 70+ degree weather (I'm looking at you, Chicago).]

What is it about Fall that makes me so excited? Maybe I fell in love in Fall. All I know is that it's here, and I want to bake things, carve things, go places, and eat things. In no particular order.

I had a major sweet tooth on Saturday, and indulged myself with chocolate, ice cream, and homemade apple pie. Sweet tooth or not, I was determined to be sensible about what exactly I was consuming. So, when I realized we had a helluvalot of apples, I decided to make said apple pie as natural and healthy as I could without sacrificing flavor.

Gluten Free Upside Down Apple Pie

Ingredients:

4 Apples (I used Fuji), Washed
2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
1/2 tablespoon Cinnamon
2 tsp Liquid Stevia or 6-8 packets Sugar Substitute (Stevia products are better for you than Splenda! Just sayin...)
1/4 cup Coconut Flour or Almond Flour (or Regular Flour if not Gluten-Free)*
*Note: You can omit the flour entirely if you want and just use granola and/or oats. You will have to add 2 more tbsp of oats and adjust as needed to make sure that the crust is crumbly before baking*
2 tbsp Granola (or 3 tbsp Oats) - I used Twofold Quinoa Granola
2 tbsp Maple/Agave

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400.
Slice washed apples into thin pieces. Toss in a bowl with lemon juice, cinnamon, and stevia/sugar substitute until the apple pieces are fairly evenly coated. Place in a greased/sprayed cake pan or pie tin, laying the pieces flat in a few layers (it doesn't have to be perfect).
Put in the oven, covered in aluminum foil, for 30 minutes.
To make the crust mixture, combine coconut flour, granola, and maple/agave in a bowl and mix with a fork. Add flour and agave as needed until you get a crumbly texture.
Take apples out of the oven and remove aluminum foil cover. Sprinkle apples with the crust mixture, coating evenly.
Turn the oven temperature down to 325 and put the pie in, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until crust has browned.
Serve with a scoop or vanilla bean ice cream!

**Note: Twofold provided me with a few sample products to try. I was super excited to use this quinoa granola, and it was utterly crunchy and delicious, but the law says I gotta tell you that it was fuh-ree for me!**

8.07.2012

Healthy Homemade Muesli Granola with Agave Toasted Almonds

Granola sounds healthy. But sometimes, it's not. In fact, some store bought granola products can cost you around 600 calories per cup! Not to mention that small amounts of pre-made granola can be quite costly.

Instead, try making your own. Feel free to sprinkle it on yogurt, frozen yogurt, cereal, pudding, and ice cream!

Ingredients:

1 cup Dried Muesli (If you can't find Muesli, feel free to buy dried oatmeal, and just add in 1 tablespoon of raisins, if desired).
2 tablespoons Sliced Almonds (If you can't find sliced almonds, feel free to substitute whole almonds or any other nut)
1 tablespoon Light Brown Sugar
1 tablespoon Agave Nectar (I used honey-flavored Agave Nectar)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350.
Combine dried Muesli (or oats), Sliced Almonds, and Light Brown Sugar in a bowl. Toss/mix until well mixed.
Drizzle Agave Nectar on top. Use clean fingers to massage the Nectar into the mix, until the mixture begins to clump together. It should be a crumbly mixture.
Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper, then spray with Canola Oil (or any oil spray).
Drop the crumbly mixture onto the foil/parchment paper and spread out so that it forms one layer.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the granola begins to harden.
Let the granola cool and dry for at least 30 minutes. Then, use with your recipes!

Great Recipes To Use It In: