Breakfast and Brunch

Blueberry Vanilla Almond Overnight Oatmeal Muffins are bursting with fresh blueberries, sweet vanilla and crunchy almond slices! And with overnight oats as the base, whipping up a batch of muffins for breakfast has never been easier!

*This post uses gifted product from Sutter Buttes Olive Oil Company. As always, all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make Crumb Top Baking possible.

Why hello there! It’s been a while since you’ve heard from me twice in one week! But I have good reason this week. It’s #muffinweek2018, and I have another muffin recipe that’s just begging to be shared!

If you caught my last post, you know I’m participating in Muffin Week, which has been organized by the lovely Madison at A Joyfully Mad Kitchen. She’s brought together a group of bloggers to share some delicious sweet, savoury, decadent and healthy muffin recipes. If you head on over to her blog, you will find links to all the recipes being shared this week.

A few months ago, I received some free products from Sutter Buttes Olive Oil Company, and one of them was a vanilla infused olive oil. I love to cook and bake with different infused oils, so I was pretty excited to test out this vanilla one. And since I had some fresh blueberries, I thought blueberry and vanilla would be the perfect pairing in a muffin.

If you’ve been following along on my Instagram stories over the past few weeks, you’ve already caught a glimpse of these Blueberry Vanilla Almond Overnight Oatmeal Muffins! I’ve been recipe testing like crazy, and I think I’ve made about 10 dozen muffins over the past few weeks!

Not that I’m complaining. The vanilla olive oil in these muffins creates the most addictively sweet smell throughout the house! I swear I went to work the other day and my clothes smelled like these muffins and I didn’t mind one bit!

Tips for making Blueberry Vanilla Almond Overnight Oatmeal Muffins

• By soaking your oats in almond milk overnight (and prepping a few other ingredients), making fresh muffins for breakfast takes very little time! But if you forget or don’t have time to soak your oats, letting them soak in almond milk for 30-60 minutes should do the trick.
• Speaking of oats, you can use rolled oats or steel-cut oats in this recipe. Just keep in mind that the steel-cut oats require a bit more time to soak, but the result is a deliciously nutty texture.
• If you can’t find vanilla infused olive oil, just use regular olive oil or extra virgin olive oil. Your muffins will still have a hint of vanilla from the tablespoon of vanilla extract in the mix.

If you make these muffins, I would love to know what you think in the comments below. And if you’re looking for more muffin recipes, you can always check out the following on Crumb Top Baking:

• Coconut Mango Oatmeal Muffins

• Cranberry Orange Overnight Oatmeal Muffins

• Blackberry Lemon Overnight Oatmeal Muffins

• Orange Chocolate Cherry Muffins

Blueberry Vanilla Almond Overnight Oatmeal Muffins

★★★★★

5 from 8 reviews

Blueberry Vanilla Almond Overnight Oatmeal Muffins are bursting with blueberries, sweet vanilla and crunchy almond slices! And with overnight oats as the base, whipping up a batch of fresh muffins for breakfast has never been easier!

• Author: Leanne
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes (plus time for oats to soak)
• Yield: 12 muffins 1x
• Category: Breakfast; Snacks

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats (or steel-cut), quick cooking
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 cup vanilla infused olive oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup sliced almond

Instructions

1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the oats and almond milk and let sit covered in the fridge overnight (or at least 30-60 minutes until the oats have absorbed the milk).
2. Once the oats are ready, pre-heat the oven to 425F and grease a 12-cup muffin pan (or line it with cupcake liners).
3. Add the olive oil, vanilla extract and egg to the oat mixture and whisk until combined. Set aside.
4. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the oat mixture and stir until just combined. Don’t over mix. Gently stir in the blueberries and almonds.
6. Using a spoon or cookie scoop, add the muffin batter to the prepared muffin pan. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Store in a container on the counter and enjoy within 2-3 days, or freeze for later enjoyment.

Notes

1. You can use rolled oats or steel-cut oats in this recipe. The steel-cut oats require a bit more time to absorb the milk so they will need to soak a little longer than the rolled oats.
2. If you can’t find vanilla infused olive oil, you can use regular olive oil or extra virgin olive oil.
3. I like to use fresh blueberries in these muffins but you can also use frozen. Just make sure you don’t defrost them too long or they may get mushy and turn your muffin batter purple.

Keywords: blueberries, overnight oats, muffins

Raspberry Lemon Chia Buckwheat Muffins are wholesome and grain-free, made with almond flour, buckwheat flakes, coconut sugar, olive oil, eggs, lemon, chia and raspberries. They make a great snack for an end of summer road trip or back to school lunches!

Yes, I know, I referenced end of summer and back to school in one sentence! While we are still in the early days of August, this summer is just flying by. Back to school signs and commercials are already popping up, and if you’re anything like me, you’re thinking about how to take advantage of the remaining weekends of summer.

While I’m still busy making nice cream pops and other frozen treats, my mind is slowly shifting to fall and the healthy, hearty snacks that go along with the season. So these Raspberry Lemon Chia Buckwheat Muffins are a nice compromise – an in-between recipe, if you will. Muffins are totally fall appropriate, but this recipe still has all the refreshing and fruity flavours of summer.

What are buckwheat flakes?

So I tried a little something new in this muffin recipe and added buckwheat flakes instead of oatmeal. Buckwheat flakes come from hulled buckwheat and resemble oatmeal or quinoa flakes, so they make a great substitute in baking.

And while buckwheat looks like a grain and has ‘wheat’ in its name, it is not actually a grain but a seed from a plant related to greens like rhubarb. So it’s gluten-free and perfect for grain-free diets. And as a bonus, it’s also a good source of fibre. For more information on buckwheat, I found this article by Huffington Post super helpful.

While I love to use oats and whole wheat flour in baking, sometimes I like to go grain-free. So when I saw buckwheat flakes at my local bulk food store, I picked them up and started experimenting with them. After a few trials, I came up with these Raspberry Lemon Chia Buckwheat Muffins, made with almond flour and buckwheat flakes as the base.

Tips for making Raspberry Lemon Chia Buckwheat Muffins

• While this recipe calls for fresh raspberries, you can also use frozen. Just let them thaw for a few minutes before adding them to the muffin batter. I’ve also tried this recipe with a mix of raspberries, blueberries and blackberries, and it worked really well.
• I like to break up the berries when I mix them into the muffin batter, so there are no whole berries and more berry coverage throughout the muffins.
• For the lemon zest, I usually refrigerate the lemon before zesting or grating it. This makes the lemon firmer and easier to grate.
• Due to the higher moisture content in almond flour, these muffins will grow mold faster than muffins made with regular flour. So if you don’t plan on eating them within 2-3 days, I suggest storing them in the freezer.
• If you don’t have almond flour, or prefer muffins with grains, you can use one cup of whole wheat flour instead of the 1-1/4 cup of almond flour. If you do this, you will also need to reduce the baking soda to 1 tsp and the baking time to 15 minutes.

If you’re in the mood for more muffins, you’ll be happy to know I’m sharing this recipe as a part of Muffin Week, which has been organized by Madison at a A Joyfully Mad Kitchen. If you head on over there, you will find a full spread of savory, sweet, healthy and indulgent muffin recipes being shared by some awesome bloggers. And be sure to check that page throughout the week for new muffin recipes!

Raspberry Lemon Chia Buckwheat Muffins

★★★★★

5 from 10 reviews

Raspberry Lemon Chia Buckwheat Muffins are wholesome and grain-free, made with almond flour, buckwheat flakes, coconut sugar, olive oil, eggs, lemon, chia and raspberries. They make a great snack for road trips or school lunches!

• Author: Leanne
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 18 minutes
• Total Time: 28 minutes
• Yield: 12 muffins 1x
• Category: Snacks; Breakfast

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Ingredients

• 1–1/4 cup almond flour
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 1–1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cardamom
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup buckwheat flakes
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 egg
• Juice and zest from half a lemon
• 1 cup raspberries, fresh

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees and grease a 12-cup muffin pan, or line it with cupcake liners.
2. In a small bowl, sift together the almond flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, cardamom and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, add the buckwheat flakes, almond milk, oil, chia seeds, egg, lemon juice and zest. Whisk together until well combined.
4. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir until combined. Don’t over mix. Add in the raspberries, and stir enough to break up the raspberries into smaller pieces.
5. Using a spoon or ice cream scoop, add the batter to the prepared muffin pan.
6. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 16-18 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted into the muffins comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
7. Store in a container on the counter and enjoy within 2-3 days, or freeze for later enjoyment.

Notes

1. Due to the higher moisture content in almond flour, these muffins will grow mold faster than muffins made with regular flour. So if you don’t plan on eating them within 2-3 days, store them in the fridge or freezer.
2. If you don’t have almond flour or want to add grains to these muffins, you can use one cup of whole wheat flour instead of the 1-1/4 cup of almond flour. You will also need to reduce the baking soda to 1 tsp and the baking time to 15 minutes.

Keywords: Grain-free, muffins, raspberry, lemon, chia, buckwheat

Crunchy, nutty and seedy clusters! That’s what you get when you make this Coconut Cashew Crunch Grain-Free Granola! It’s made with simple ingredients like cashews, sunflower seeds, coconut, hemp seeds and chia seeds. So it’s grain-free but packed with protein, fibre and healthy fats from all the nuts and seeds!

So how is your summer going? Are you enjoying sunshine, warm weather and good times with family and friends?

It’s been warm and humid here for the past week, so we’ve been trying to get out and enjoy the weather while we can (because it changes so quickly around here). There have been hikes and backyard BBQs and outside eating. It’s been so lovely to soak it all up!

While summer is flying by, we still have lots of time for grilled burgers and frozen summer treats. And this week, I’m making time for this tropical, crunchy granola recipe. It has all the summery vibes, and it’s perfect for topping all those smoothie bowls you’re enjoying this summer!

If you’re ever in my home, you will almost always find a container of homemade granola sitting on the counter. It’s a staple for weekday breakfasts and snacks, and it’s a must for Sunday meal prep. I’m always trying different recipes, and a grain-free granola has been on my must try list for quite some time.

So when I came across a Grain-Free Nut and Seed Granola recipe in the April issue of Clean Eating Magazine, I had to try it. Needless to say, it was delicious and it totally inspired me to create this Coconut Cashew Crunch Grain-Free Granola!

Tips for making Coconut Cashew Crunch Grain-Free Granola

• When making granola, I always use a stainless steel baking sheet to prevent the granola from burning on the bottom. Darker baking sheets will brown food on the bottom quicker.
• The key to getting crunchy clusters is to bake the granola without stirring it. And once it’s baked, let it cool for an hour before breaking it into clusters.
• This recipe calls for toasted coconut. You can buy toasted coconut, but if you want to make your own, it’s super simple. Just spread the required amount out on a baking sheet and bake on 350 degrees for 4-5 minutes. It browns quickly, so keep an eye on it. I’ve burnt my fair share of coconut lately!
• The recipe also calls for a half cup of dried tropical fruit mixture. This is totally optional and I’ve made it with and without the fruit. If you want to keep this granola strictly clean eating, try to find a fruit mixture with a minimal amount of sugar added.
• Lastly, this recipe calls for a pinch of salt sprinkled over the granola before baking. This might seem odd, but I usually add this to granola as I find a touch of salt complements the sweeter ingredients such as honey and coconut sugar.

I hope you find a reason to give this granola recipe a try! If you do, please let me know what you think in the comments below. I love hearing that you’ve tried my recipes and I especially love it when you put your own spin on them!

If you’re looking for more granola options, you can always check out the following recipes on Crumb Top Baking:

• Maple Walnut Crunch Granola

• Nut-Free Pumpkin Pie Granola

• Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola

Coconut Cashew Crunch Grain-Free Granola

★★★★★

5 from 5 reviews

Coconut Cashew Crunch Grain-Free Granola is made with simple ingredients like cashews, sunflower seeds, coconut, hemp seeds and chia seeds. So it’s not only grain-free, but it’s packed with protein, fibre and healthy fats!

• Author: Leanne
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 4 cups 1x
• Category: Breakfast, Snack

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Ingredients

• 1 cup cashews, raw
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, raw hulled
• 1/2 + 1/4 cup toasted coconut slices, divided (see note)
• 2 tbsp coconut sugar
• 2 tbsp hemp seeds/hearts
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 2 tbsp cashew butter
• 1 tbsp coconut oil, virgin, cold-pressed
• 1 tbsp honey
• Pinch of sea salt
• 2/3 cup unsweetened coconut, flaked or medium desiccated, toasted (see note)
• 1/2 cup dried tropical fruit

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a food processor, add the cashews, sunflower seeds, 1/2 cup coconut slices, coconut sugar, hemp seeds and chia seeds. Pulse until mixture is crumbly but some chunks of nuts and seeds remain.
3. In a small microwave safe dish, add the cashew butter, coconut oil and honey and microwave for 30-45 seconds. Stir mixture until smooth.
4. Add cashew butter mixture to granola mixture and pulse until combined.
5. Spread the granola mixture out on the prepared baking sheet and press down on the top. Sprinkle the top with a pinch of salt.
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the edges of the granola are browned. Do not stir the granola while baking.
7. Remove the granola from oven and let cool on the baking sheet. Do not stir.
8. Once cooled, break apart into clusters and stir in the toasted coconut, dried fruit and remaining 1/4 cup of coconut slices. (You may want to chop up the coconut slices).
9. Store granola in an airtight container on the counter.

Notes

1. You can find toasted coconut slices at bulk food stores. I usually buy a large bag at Costco.
2. To toast the unsweetened coconut (not the slices), spread the required amount out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake on 350 degrees for 4-5 minutes, or until browned. It toasts quickly, so keep an eye on it.
3. The dried tropical fruit is totally optional and I’ve made it with and without the fruit. If you want to keep this granola strictly clean eating, try to find a fruit mixture with minimal sugar added.
4. This recipe was inspired by Clean Eating Magazine’s recipe for Grain-Free Nut and Seed Granola from it’s April 2018 issue.

Keywords: Granola, Cashews, Coconut, Breakfast

Bringing a little goodness to your morning with these Coconut Mango Oatmeal Muffins. They’re made with clean eating ingredients, so they make a wholesome snack or on-the-go breakfast. And they’re stuffed with mango and coconut, so you get a little taste of the tropics too!

Mother’s Day is this weekend! What are your plans for celebrating? I’m actually in Utah at the Everything Food Conference, and travelling home on Sunday, so I’ll miss Mother’s Day. But if I was home, I would probably be brunching it up, and these Coconut Mango Oatmeal Muffins would definitely be on the menu.

Any time I host a brunch, I always love to add a basket of muffins to the table. It makes brunch feel more like a picnic than a formal meal. And who doesn’t love a springtime picnic?! Plus, muffins are easy to make ahead, so you can bake up these beauties the day before and have one less thing to worry about the day of your get together.

The recipe for these Coconut Mango Oatmeal Muffins is actually a spin on two other muffin recipes I have on the blog – Blackberry Lemon Overnight Oatmeal Muffins and Cranberry Orange Overnight Oatmeal Muffins. While I always change-up the add-ins (i.e. fruit, nuts, coconut, citrus zest), the muffin base is always the same – oats soaked in almond milk. This technique requires a bit of planning, but it helps keep the muffins cakey and moist.

I changed up the recipe slightly for these Coconut Mango Oatmeal Muffins by using rolled oats instead of steel-cut oats. This results in a less nuttier texture, but it saves time as the rolled oats only require 30 minutes to soak. But you could totally use steel-cut oats if you prefer a nuttier texture. Just be sure to soak the oats longer. (I usually do this overnight).

Instead of citrus zest and juice, I added vanilla, maple syrup and raw cacao powder for taste. I didn’t always appreciate this, but cacao powder is different from cocoa powder, which is what I normally use for baking. Both cocoa and cacao powder come from the same source – the cacao bean – but cacao is processed at a much lower temperature, so it’s considered less processed, keeping more of its raw qualities and nutrients. It’s also a good source of fibre and iron!

Some tips for making these Coconut Mango Oatmeal Muffins:

• I like to add the vanilla and maple syrup to the oats while they’re soaking in almond milk so the flavour infuses with the oats.
• You can use fresh or frozen mango. If using frozen mango chunks, just let them defrost a bit before adding them to the muffin batter. Also, cut your mango chunks small (even smaller than pictured here) so there is plenty to disperse throughout the muffins.
• These muffins are not overly sweet, so if you prefer a sweeter muffin, you can use cocoa instead cacao powder, and/or substitute sweetened coconut for unsweetened. Just note that the muffins won’t be as clean eating.
• And when it comes to coconut, I like using shredded (as opposed to medium, fine or flaked), as it adds a nice texture to the muffins.
• This recipe makes 6 jumbo muffins, but if you want smaller muffins, use a 12-cup muffin pan and reduce the baking time to 15-18 minutes.

That’s it for now! I’m hitting publish on this post, and getting ready for another full day of food blogging sessions! Have a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend! And if you make these muffins for brunch, or even for a road trip or part of your Sunday meal prep, be sure to let me know in the comments below or take a pic and tag @crumbtopbaking on Instagram!

And if you’re looking for other recipes for your Mother’s Day brunch, you can always check out the following:

Raspberry Dark Chocolate French Toast Bake

Green Goddess Crustless Quiche

Spicy Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowls

Coconut Mango Oatmeal Muffins

★★★★★

4.9 from 9 reviews

Bringing a little goodness to your morning with these Coconut Mango Oatmeal Muffins. They’re made with clean eating ingredients, so they make a wholesome snack or on-the-go breakfast. And they’re stuffed with mango and coconut, so you get a little taste of the tropics too!

• Author: Leanne
• Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus time for oats to soak)
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 6 large muffins 1x
• Category: Snack; Breakfast

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 2 tbsp cacao powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup mango, chopped
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks
• 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut, shredded

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, add the oats, almond milk, vanilla and maple syrup. Stir until combined. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the oats to absorb the milk.
2. Once the oats are soaked, pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees and grease a large 6-cup muffin pan. (You can also use cupcake liners).
3. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the egg and olive oil. Add in the oat mixture and stir until combined.
4. In another medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cacao, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir until combined. Do not over mix. Fold in the mango, chocolate chunks and coconut.
5. Using a large ice cream scoop, fill the muffin cups with the batter. Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted into the muffins comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool fully.
6. Muffins will last in an airtight container on the counter for 4-5 days or you can also freeze for later enjoyment.

Notes

This recipe makes 6 large muffins. If you prefer smaller muffins, just use a standard size 12-cup muffin pan and bake the muffins for 15-18 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted in the middle of the muffins comes out clean.

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola with chopped peanuts and honey drizzle! Is there anything better?

Okay, you had to know a peanut butter and dark chocolate granola recipe would appear on the blog sooner or later! If you’ve been following for a while, you know that I add dark chocolate to most desserts, and peanut butter is just a staple in my life! If it’s not in a dessert, it’s on toast with chia jam, drizzled on a protein pancake with sliced banana or used as a dip for apple slices.

If you need a little reminder of my peanut butter obsession, just check out these peanut butter mounds or these ice cream cookie cups.

There is a good chance that I eat too much peanut butter…..

And the obsession continues with this Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola.

What’s not to obsess about? Granola is quick and easy to make, and you can control the amount of refined sugar and other processed ingredients that go into it.

Before I started making this peanut butter version, maple walnut granola was on repeat in my house. Seriously, every weekend I was whipping up a batch for the week ahead. Granola is just the perfect healthy snack to have at the ready. It’s awesome with almond milk and fruit for a hearty breakfast, or you can stir it into yogurt for a mid-morning snack. My new fave way is to sprinkle it on toast. (And yes, it’s peanut butter toast!) If you follow along on Instagram Stories, you’ve seen a few of those creations already.

There are no crazy ingredients in this Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola, just rolled oats, peanuts, peanut butter, honey, coconut sugar, sea salt and coconut oil. It bakes into crispy, delicious pieces, and once you add the dark chocolate chunks, it’s hard to tell if you’ve just made breakfast or dessert!

If you can relate to my peanut butter obsession, you need to give this Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola a try! 😉

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola

★★★★★

5 from 5 reviews

Peanut Butter lovers rejoice! This Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola has only 8 ingredients, and bakes up sweet, salty and delicious in just 20 minutes. The hardest part will be letting it cool before you eat it!

• Author: Leanne
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 3 1/2 cups 1x
• Category: Breakfast; Snack

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
• 1/2 cup raw peanuts, chopped
• 1 tbsp coconut sugar
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp virgin, cold pressed coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup natural peanut butter, chunky and unsalted
• 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp honey, divided
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chunks

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, peanuts, coconut sugar and salt. Stir in the melted coconut oil.
3. In a small microwaveable bowl, add the peanut butter and 2 tbsp of honey. Microwave for 30 seconds, or until mixture easily stirs together. Add to granola mixture and stir until well combined. You may need to use your hands to ensure the peanut butter/honey mixture is well incorporated.
4. Spread the mixture out on the prepared baking sheet and press down on the mixture. Drizzle the additional 1 tbsp of honey over the mixture.
5. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the mixture starts to brown on the edges. Do not stir while baking.
6. Remove from oven and let cool completely on the pan. The granola will get crunchy as it cools. Once cooled, stir in the chocolate chunks.
7. Store in an airtight container or resealable bag on the counter. The granola should stay fresh for about 5-7 days.

Notes

1. I use gluten-free rolled oats (Bob’s Red Mill), but you can use any kind of rolled oats.
2. If you use salted peanut butter, just reduce the amount of salt you add to the granola.
3. When making granola, I always use a stainless steel baking sheet to prevent the granola from burning on the bottom. Darker baking sheets will brown food on the bottom quicker.
4. For the granola bowl photographed in this post, I topped the granola with some almond milk, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, chia seeds, peanut butter, and a drizzle of honey.

Keywords: peanut butter, chocolate, granola, gluten-free, breakfast

So what’s a clean and green January without a green smoothie?  Enter my current obsession: Mango Avocado Oatmeal Smoothie.

For all the clean eating I do, I’ve never been much of a smoothie person. At least not for breakfast. Snack, yes! But not breakfast.

Don’t get me wrong. The first thing I think about when I get out of bed in the morning (and sometimes before I go to sleep at night) is what I’m going to eat for breakfast. But for me, breakfast has to be hearty and filling, and smoothies have just never filled me up.

But, if you’ve been following along this month, I’ve challenged myself to add green fruits and/or veggies to every meal. So I’ve been spending quite a bit of time creating and testing new ‘green’ recipes (like last week’s Winter Sunshine Salad.) And since smoothies are a great way to incorporate fruits and veggies into meals, plus a whole bunch of other nutritious ingredients, I knew I had to throw a smoothie recipe into the January mix!

Besides, I make a smoothie for my husband every weekday morning, so I’ve definitely perfected the art of disguising healthy ingredients in smoothies! 😉

This Mango Avocado Oatmeal Smoothie isn’t your average green smoothie.

First, it requires a spoon. There is no drinking this one with a straw!

And second, the oatmeal and yogurt are not blended into the smoothie, but layered on the bottom (sort of like the yogurt you can get with the fruit on the bottom). So you can eat through the layers or mix it all together. Your choice! (FYI – I’m a mixer!)

So let me break down this Mango Avocado Oatmeal Smoothie for you…..

The layers of oats, yogurt and smoothie pack in a whole lot of clean eating goodness. We’re talking healthy fats from the avocado and flax, fibre from the chia and oatmeal, and a dose of protein from the Skyr yogurt!

Plus, the entire combo tastes like a little breakfast treat! The oats are sweetened with chocolate almond milk, the smoothie is sweetened with mango and banana, and there’s a little sprinkling of coconut chips and dark chocolate chips on top.

And then there is the spinach, which gives this smoothie the added green boost! (Love the colour!!)

There’s a lot going on in this smoothie, but I promise it’s not a lot of work, and it’s a great way to get your green fruits and veggies in for breakfast!

If you make this one, feel free to take a pic for Instagram and tag it @crumbtopbaking! Would love to see your take on this recipe! 😉

Have a great week!

Mango Avocado Oatmeal Smoothie

This Mango Avocado Oatmeal Smoothie has a whole lot of clean eating goodness going on! It has layers of oats and chia, Skyr yogurt and a green smoothie made with mango, avocado, banana, spinach, flax and almond milk. All the healthy fats, fibre and protein make this a filling breakfast!

• Author: Leanne
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour and 10 minutes (includes time for oats to soak)
• Yield: 2 servings 1x
• Category: Breakfast; Snack

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats (I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free)
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 3/4 cup chocolate almond milk
• 1/2 cup plain Skyr or Greek yogurt
• 1 cup fresh spinach, packed
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup frozen avocado chunks
• 1/2 cup frozen mango chunks
• 1 banana, chopped and frozen
• 1 tbsp flax meal
• dark chocolate chips and coconut chips for toppings (optional)

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, add the rolled oats, chia seeds and chocolate almond milk. Stir until combined. Spoon out the mixture into 2 wide mouth mason jars or dishes. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight.
2. Once the oats and chia have absorbed the milk, layer on the yogurt.
3. In a blender, add the spinach, almond milk, avocado, mango, banana and flax. Blend on high until smooth. Pour over yogurt mixture. (The smoothie will be thick).
4. Top with chocolate chips and coconut, or any other topping you like.

Notes

1. For this recipe, I used plain Skyr yogurt, but you can also use plain Greek. I like these options as they are thick and creamy. If you’re not a fan of plain yogurt, you can always stir in a drizzle of honey.
2. I use President’s Choice frozen avocado chunks. They are perfect for smoothies!
3. You can use any type of milk you like in this recipe. I just prefer almond milk. I used chocolate almond milk in the oats to add a little sweet taste, but you can always use unsweetened if you prefer.
4. This recipe makes enough for 2 average-sized smoothies, or one very large smoothie bowl. So perfect for sharing! If you only want one smoothie, you can just half the recipe.

Keywords: avocado, mango, oatmeal, smoothies, breakfast

Sunday is October 1st! Can you believe it? To celebrate the start of my favourite month, I’m sharing this recipe for Nut-Free Pumpkin Pie Granola. AKA, my new favourite pumpkin recipe! This granola is sweet and salty, crunchy and chunky, and full of fall spices and clean eating goodness!

So where did September go? I feel like August just ended and now fall is in full swing! Dare I say that Christmas will be here before we know it!

Ok ok, before I get too ahead of myself (which I am totally known to do) lets take a moment and enjoy all things fall. Or in our house, all things pumpkin…..right down to my pumpkin scented candle 😉 .

I know I’ve shared a lot of pumpkin recipes lately…..granola bars, donuts, and even pesto. But please be patient if you’re not a pumpkin lover. There will be other delicious fall recipes on the blog next week! In the meantime, you will just have to bear with me while I share this pumpkin pie granola recipe and gush on about how good it is 😉 .

I’ve had this recipe on my mind since I visited Minnesota in August. Instead of shopping for clothes, I spent my time at Whole Foods and Target buying food we can’t get in Newfoundland. Seriously, who am I? I was afraid my suitcase was going to be overweight from all the food I was bringing back!!

One of the foods I fell in love with while in Minnesota was Purely Elizabeth Pumpkin Cinnamon Ancient Grain Granola. It is delicious and crunchy, and the perfect balance of sweet and salty. The recipe I’m sharing today for Nut-Free Pumpkin Pie Granola was totally inspired by this granola. To make it, I just used gluten-free oats, quinoa flakes, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, salt, coconut oil and coconut palm syrup. That’s it!

In addition to clean eating ingredients, there were two things that were an absolute must when I set out to make this pumpkin pie granola. It had to have a hint of salt and it had to be crunchy and chunky.

Finding the right balance of salt in this recipe was surprisingly tricky. I had to make a few batches before getting it right. In the end, it only took 1/2 tsp to give this granola a nice hint of salt.

It was also a bit challenging making crunchy granola without nuts. For this recipe, I used coconut oil and coconut palm syrup to help clump the mixture together. And I also pressed the granola into the baking sheet before baking it and didn’t stir it at all until it finished cooling 2 hours later. (That makes this granola pretty low maintenance)! By not stirring the granola, it ends up baking together and then gets crunchy as it cools. Once it’s fully cooled, all you need to do is break it a part to form perfect little granola clusters.

If you don’t want chunky granola clusters, you can break it into tiny pieces. I like to do this if I’m using it as a topping, like on top of peanut butter, banana and apple toast (see above 😉 ). But for bowls of granola and almond milk, I like to keep it chunky. And obviously, chunky is better for snacking too!

As usual, if you make this recipe, let me know what you think in the comments below. Or take a photo and post it to Instagram. Just tag it @crumbtopbaking so I’ll see it!

Happy Friday!

Nut-Free Pumpkin Pie Granola

Nut-Free Pumpkin Pie Granola is sweet and salty, crunchy and chunky, and full of fall spices and clean eating goodness! Perfect for a breakfast bowl with fruit and almond milk, or sprinkled on yogurt or peanut butter toast.

• Author: Leanne
• Prep Time: 5
• Cook Time: 20
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 3 1/2 cups 1x

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 2 cups gluten-free rolled oats (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
• 1/2 cup quinoa flakes
• 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 4 tsp pumpkin spice (see note)
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp coconut palm syrup (divided)
• 2 tbsp virgin, cold pressed coconut oil (melted)

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (see note).
2. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, quinoa flakes, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin spice, cinnamon and salt.
3. Add 2 tbsp of coconut palm syrup and the melted coconut oil to the dry mixture and stir until well combined.
4. Spread the mixture out on the baking sheet and press it into the pan with a spoon. This will help the granola clump together. Drizzle the remaining 1 tbsp of coconut palm syrup over the top of the granola mixture.
5. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Do not stir the granola while it is baking.
6. Remove from the oven, and let the granola fully cool without stirring it. I usually let it sit for 2 hours. The granola will get crunchy as it cools.
7. Once fully cooled, break apart the granola into smaller pieces. Store in an airtight container on the counter and enjoy within 5-7 days. (It will likely keep longer, but mine has never lasted long enough to find out!)

Notes

1. For this recipe, I used pre-made pumpkin spice from Bulk Barn, which is made with cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and sugar. Since the pumpkin spice contains sugar, you might not classify this granola as strictly clean eating. While it’s only a very small amount, if you prefer, you can make your own pumpkin spice. I typically use  The Pioneer Woman recipe, which doesn’t contain sugar. It also includes ginger. Just note that a different pumpkin spice recipe may change the flavour of the granola slightly.
2. To prevent the bottom of the granola from burning, I recommend using a lighter stainless steel or aluminum pan. The granola will brown quicker on darker pans and may burn on the bottom.