Peach Pie Granola

Spiced peach pie in the form of crunchy, big chunk granola that’s oil-free, vegan, and very easy to make.

Walking while staring at a phone is an art. Some people are masters at it. But, just like leopard print pants, most of us just can’t pull it off.

While this can be frustrating – such as when phone-addicts wander all over the place and bump into you multiple times on the street – it can also be pretty darn amusing.

A few weeks ago I was sitting on a park bench, procrastinating as usual, when I saw a teenage girl walking along the pavement while completely fixated on her phone. At the same time a slightly older woman had both eyes glued to her mobile device. They were heading towards each other, both ambling slowly as their eyes remained transfixed by little screens in front of them.

Neither of them dared look up from their phones. The outside world couldn’t compete with the allure of those plastic screens.

And then… CRASH! Their heads, arms and precious phones collided.

‘Ow!’ yelped the girl.

‘Look where you’re going!’ snapped the woman.

After glaring at each other for a moment, they returned to their respective devices and carried on walking.

Needless to say that neither of them had mastered the art of walking while using a phone.

Anyway, all that has nothing to do with this recipe. So why don’t we talk about granola for a moment?

To continue the Peach Month theme, this is my granola version of good ol’ peach pie.

The granola’s made with two classic pie spices: cinnamon and nutmeg. There isn’t too much nutmeg, as I find it can easily overpower everything else. So you may wish to increase the nutmeg slightly if you’re a huge fan of the spice.

Peach pie is typically made with some (or a lot of) brown sugar, but as you can imagine, I wanted to avoid adding a ton of refined sugar to this breakfast. There are only two tablespoons of brown sugar in total, plus maple syrup for sweetness and blackstrap molasses for flavor.

If you don’t have any blackstrap molasses, I’d definitely recommend finding some since they add a ton of flavor (and apparently have some health benefits). But if you either don’t want to, or can’t, buy some, then you can replace it with another type of molasses (or golden syrup/treacle) or with an additional two tablespoons of brown sugar.

Now I’m pretty sure it would be darn-near impossible to replicate the texture and juiciness of baked peaches in a bowl of crunchy granola. So this granola is made with dried peaches instead, which also add bursts of chewiness.

If you don’t like or don’t have dried peaches, then you could just leave them out. But then again, this wouldn’t really be ‘peach pie granola’ without the peaches, would it?

Regardless of whether you include the dried peaches or not, I have a serving suggestion for you: chop up a fresh peach – or, for a softer texture, use baked/stewed/canned/grilled peaches. Top with plenty of this granola, and then add some good-tasting yogurt (or ice cream!). And you’re basically left with a breakfast version of peach pie.

(In case you hadn’t noticed, I have a bit of a thing for breakfast versions of pie!)

Peach Pie Granola

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Big chunk granola based on peach pie. This simple granola also happens to be oil-free and vegan, and could easily be gluten-free if you use certified GF oats.

Recipe type: Granola

Yield: About 5½ cups

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup (80mL) maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons (35g) almond butter
• 2 tablespoons (25g) brown sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons blackstrap molasses
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (200g) rolled oats
• ½ cup (50g) chopped walnuts
• ¼ cup (30g) slivered almonds
• ½ cup (70g) chopped dried peaches

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Line a large baking sheet with non-stick paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, almond butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, blackstrap molasses, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
3. Add the rolled oats, chopped walnuts and slivered almonds. Mix until well combined.
4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 19 - 22 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, or until the granola is golden brown. Avoid mixing or stirring the granola.
5. Allow the granola to cool completely. Once cooled, break it into chunks and stir in the dried peaches. Store the granola in an airtight container.

Notes

When done, the granola should be a little crunchy (especially around the edges of the tray), however, it will become crunchier as it cools.

Avoid mixing the granola around during baking, or while it’s cooling (mixing the granola prevents it from forming big chunks).

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