Mulberry Granola
When I was in New York a couple of weeks ago, I found a raw, vegan, gluten-free granola made of mulberries and walnuts. It was absolutely delicious, though just a bit sweet for my palate. I saved the package (it was made by International Harvest and they have other flavors as well), and this weekend found a dash of spare time to recreate their product without using the agave they add to sweeten it. I think it's quite sweet enough with dried fruit in it. The trick to making this granola is adding a ton of cinnamon (even more than the 1 teaspoon I have in the recipe below), which accentuates the sweetness of the dried fruits.
When I was in New York a couple of weeks ago, I found a raw, vegan, gluten-free granola made of mulberries and walnuts. It was absolutely delicious, though just a bit sweet for my palate. I saved the package (it was made by International Harvest and they have other flavors as well), and this weekend found a dash of spare time to recreate their product without using the agave they add to sweeten it. I think it's quite sweet enough with dried fruit in it. The trick to making this granola is adding a ton of cinnamon (even more than the 1 teaspoon I have in the recipe below), which accentuates the sweetness of the dried fruits.
- Carbohydrate 51.5660600418201 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 294.560240248979 g
- Fiber 35.3262009411715 g
- Protein 120.211260101533 g
- Saturated Fat 16.8220260142129 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (623g)
- Sodium 1177.72400001245 mg
- Sugar 16.2398591006486 g
- Trans Fat 27.7256980234252 g
- Calories 3091 calories
Step-by-step
- Soak walnuts and salt overnight in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish
- Rinse the walnuts, rinse the baking dish, then place the nuts back in the baking dish
- Place nuts in oven on lowest setting (our oven is 135°) and dehydrate for 24 hours or until crispy
- Once nuts are dehydrated, remove from oven and set aside
- Place dates and water in food processor and pulse until a smooth paste forms
- Add walnuts, apricots, mulberries and cinnamon and pulse until coarse, like granola
- Place in oven in 9 x 13 inch baking dish and dehydrate again for 24 hours or until crispy
- Serve as a snack or as cereal with almond milk
Attempting to process dried fruit and soaked nuts into a cohesive granola without adjusting moisture levels yields a sticky paste instead of a crisp mixture. Achieving a proper brittle texture relies entirely on managing water activity through two distinct low-temperature dehydration phases. Without driving off excess surface moisture before and after blending, the natural sugars in the dates and apricots trap humidity inside the nut matrix, preventing the final product from achieving crunch.
Soaking raw walnuts in salted water overnight initiates enzyme inhibitor breakdown, softening the cellular walls of the nutmeat. Rinsing those nuts thoroughly before placing them into a 135-degree oven for 24 hours removes surface tannins and readies the fat structures for optimal dehydration. Skipping this initial drying phase leaves internal moisture trapped, which eventually compromises the crispness once the fruits are introduced.
Pulsing the pitted Medjool dates with half a cup of water creates a uniform binding paste that coats the remaining ingredients evenly. Adding the walnuts, chopped apricots, dried mulberries, and cinnamon to that paste requires short, controlled pulses in a food processor to prevent the oils from separating out of the walnuts. Maintaining a coarse texture ensures adequate airflow between pieces during the second 24-hour stint in the low-temperature oven.
Storing this raw preparation in an airtight container at room temperature preserves its crispness for up to two weeks, provided ambient humidity remains low. Extended storage requires refrigeration or freezing, though the high oil content of walnuts means the mixture should be brought back to room temperature before serving to restore optimal texture and flavor release.
