It’s not hard to get protein into your diet as a vegan, that’s super clear. But as I constantly experiment with that feels best for my body, I’ve found that oatmeal or smoothies just don’t do it for me in the morning. I find that I feel best (and am most productive) if I eat a protein-rich vegan breakfast, and lately this includes this simple high-protein granola.
There are dozens of savory vegan breakfast options to indulge in (if savory breakfast is your choice), but I tend to prefer something a little bit sweeter in the morning.
Lately I’ve been enjoying some epic chia pudding covered in as many toppings as can fit in my bowl. I like my chia pudding to have a bit of crunch, so I created this yummy high-protein homemade granola to complement the already protein-rich chia pudding. Whether you eat it with yogurt, chia pudding, or just as a quick snack with plant milk, hopefully this granola fits into your breakfast too!
Based on my popular recipe for Buckwheat Cereal, this granola fits in some whole oats for fiber, and some nuts for a boost of protein to balance the grains. The nuts I used here are extra cool because they are leftover from making homemade almond milk.
Homemade almond milk is a lovely indulgence, but if you’re not using your almond pulp it is pretty wasteful. I’ve used it in cookies or as a topping for oatmeal, but I decided that baking the almond pulp into this granola is the best way to use it and preserve it– after being baked it will last for weeks (instead of days).
High-Protein Granola
1 cup buckwheat, soaked 1 hour in 2 cups water
1 cup almond pulp (see note below)
1 cup whole oats (gluten-free if needed)
½ cup shredded or flaked coconut
¼ cup coconut oil
1 Tablespoon Maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (also can use hazelnut, almond, etc.)
pinch of sea salt
½ cup hempseeds
- Drain the buckwheat and rinse well (the water will be a bit slimey and grey, that’s ok).
- In a large bowl mix rinsed buckwheat and all remaining ingredients except hempseeds. Toss until all ingredients are incorporated.
- Preheat oven to 350º. Layer granola mixture onto a rimmed baking sheet and spread evenly. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway. Granola should be lightly browned and fragrant.
- Let cool, then stir in hempseeds. Store in an airtight container. After a week or so I noticed it gets a little softer; if that’s a problem for you, toast again for 5-10 minutes to make crispy again.
Yield: about 4 cups cereal
Notes: This would also work if you make cashew milk, macadamia nut milk or whatever! If you don’t have the impulse to make your own plant milk, you can simple grind up some nuts or seeds of any variety and use 1 cup of those instead of the almond pulp here. Be sure to watch the granola carefully, as the nuts might cook a bit more quickly.
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