Toasted Buckwheat & Millet Granola

I'm finally back with another post!  If you noticed that things were a bit quiet on here for the past week and a half, the reason is that I was away at another conference, which kept me extremely busy! My sister and I were both invited to attend a conference in Seoul, South Korea and I just got back this weekend.  It was nice to return to some slightly warmer weather here in Ontario, since it was freezing in Seoul!

I was planning on doing another travel post to share some of the food that I ate on my trip, but it turns out that I really didn't have any interesting meals while I was there.  The only authentic Korean dish that I tried was a vegetarian bibambap (rice with lots of different vegetables and spicy Korean red pepper paste), which I shared on my Facebook page.  If you're interested in seeing more, you can check out my sister Natalie's post about our trip on her blog Once Upon a Cutting Board.

Since there wasn't a lot of vegetarian food readily available in Seoul, I was glad that I had brought some of my own snacks with me.  The day before I left, I made a batch of granola to bring along, and I liked it so much that I had to recreate it as soon as I got home so I could share the recipe with you!

Ever since I tried this buckwheat snack from SaSha Co., I've been wanting to make my own version of a granola using toasted buckwheat (also called kasha). Kasha is a heart-healthy whole grain made by toasting raw buckwheat groats, and is a great option to use as a base for gluten-free granola instead of oats.

I also added some uncooked millet to my granola, both for its nutrients and to add extra crunch! Along with the millet, I included slivered almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, cherries and raisins as additional mix-ins.  Everything got coated in a mixture of almond butter and agave syrup and baked in the oven in a single layer to help it clump together.

After coming out of the oven, the kasha and millet took on an even stronger toasted, nutty flavour that I loved.  This is an extremely crunchy granola, so it's perfect for adding to milk or yogurt without getting mushy - this is actually the first cereal that I've been able to enjoy in a bowl with almond milk in a long time - it survived a photo shoot and was still perfectly crunchy by the time I was able to eat it afterwards!

I also liked that it wasn't too sweet, so it made a good snack for munching on its own too, which I did throughout my long journey to and from Korea!

Toasted Buckwheat & Millet Granola
Adapted from Mitten Machen

1 cup toasted buckwheat (kasha)

2 tbsp uncooked millet

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

Dash of kosher salt

2 tbsp almond butter

2 tbsp agave syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

2 tbsp sunflower seeds

1/4 cup dried fruit such as cranberries, cherries, and/or blueberries

2 tbsp sultana raisins

Preheat oven to 325°F.

In a large bowl, mix together the toasted buckwheat, millet, coconut, almonds, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.

If your almond butter is on the thick/harder side, microwave it on medium power for 15-30 seconds, until it is thin and pourable.  Add the agave and vanilla to the almond butter and whisk to mix together. Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until the dry ingredients are evenly coated.

Spread mixture onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Press down with a rubber spatula to form a large rectangle that holds together. Place in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.  Remove and add the pepitas and sunflower seeds. Flip the mixture with a spatula and press together again to form a rectangle.  Return to the oven for 10 more minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkle the dried fruit and raisins over the mixture, then press them down with a spatula. Let cool completely on the baking sheet without stirring. Once cool, break granola up into pieces. Store in a bag or airtight container. 

This was submitted to Wellness Weekend at Diet, Dessert & Dogs.