Sprouted Buckwheat Granola
This site contains affiliate links to products. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. However, I only recommend products that I love and use myself.
This granola checks all the boxes. It is vegan, gluten free, soy free, raw, oil free and made without refined sugar. Best of all? It is delicious!
You will need a dehydrator to make this granola. Don’t have a dehydrator? Check out this granola recipe that is baked in the oven. It is also gluten free and oil free!
Buckwheat is a great alternative to oats in this recipe. It is a complete source of protein. This means that it contains all of the essential amino acids. It is also an excellent source of fiber and nutrients. Sprouting the buckwheat and soaking the nuts in this granola allows for easier digestion and improved nutrient accessibility. Nuts and seeds naturally contain enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid. These things prevent sprouting in nature when the environment isn’t ideal for growth. However, they also make it difficult for our bodies to break down nuts and seeds. Soaking and sprouting degrades phytic acid and allows us to get the most nutrition from our food.
Preparing the Buckwheat:
Please confirm that you have RAW buckwheat groats. If you purchase cooked or toasted buckwheat, it will not sprout.
Soaking and Rinsing the Buckwheat:
Place the buckwheat in a bowl and cover with water. Let soak for 20-30 minutes. Using a strainer, rinse the buckwheat. You will want to rinse it numerous times, until the water is clear. Because buckwheat is quite starchy, you’ll find that it requires more rinsing than other grains.
Sprout the Buckwheat:
You have a couple options for sprouting containers. I have a large sprouting jar that I often use for sprouting and it would work well here. However, I’ve recently changed my sprouting procedure when sprouting larger quantities. For this recipe, I actually sprout the buckwheat in the same strainer that I used when I rinsed in. I simply rest the strainer in a large bowl.
Allow the buckwheat to sprout at room temperature for 36 hours or until little tails start to appear on the groats (these are the sprouts!). Rinse the buckwheat every 6-8 hours while sprouting.
Dehydrator Tips:
A raw food diet includes plant based foods that are not heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit. The idea here is that cooking and heating foods destroys the natural enzymes that help our body to break down food and get the most nutrients from it. You will notice that many of my recipes suggest dehydrating for a short time at a higher temperature before reducing the temperature to 115. This initially raises the AIR temperature (not the food temperature). Early in dehydration the food is releasing a lot of moisture and this moisture prevents the food temperature from actually raising to 145. This high initial temperature reduces the total dehydrating time and also helps to prevent the food from fermenting before it is dry. There are many dehydrators available. I recommend finding one that gives you control over the temperature. I have been using my trusty Excalibur Dehydrator for over a decade and it’s always my recommendation when people ask me about dehydrators for raw foods. For more information on dehydrators and other appliances for a raw vegan diet, check out “9 Essentials for a Raw Vegan Kitchen.”
Sprouted Buckwheat Granola
Equipment
- Dehydrator
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup raw buckwheat
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/4 cup hemp seeds
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 14 dates, pitted use more if you prefer a sweeter granola
- 1 cup water
Instructions
Sprout the Buckwheat:
- Soak the raw buckwheat in water for 20-30 minutes.
- Rinse the buckwheat well.
- Sprout the buckwheat for 36 hours, rinsing every 6-8 hours. The buckwheat will start to show little tails as it sprouts.
Soak the Nuts, Seeds and Dates:
- Soak the walnuts, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds in water for 4-6 hours. Rinse well and discard the soaking water.
- Soak the dates (remove the pits if you have not purchased pitted dates) in one cup of water for at least one hour. Do not discard this soaking water.
Making the granola:
- Place the dates along with the water they soaked in in a blender. Blend until smooth.
- In a large bowl, combine the sprouted buckwheat, the soaked nuts and seeds, the cinnamon, and the hemp and chia seeds (no need to soak these). Pour the blended dates over the mixture and stir well.
- Spread the mixture onto two lined dehydrator trays.
- Dehydrate at 145 degrees F for 30 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 105 and dehydrate for an additional 7-9 hours, until granola is crispy and thoroughly dry.
- Store granola in a covered container in the fridge.