Janelle’s Gluten-Free Granola

 

Granula was invented in Dansville, New York, by Dr. James Caleb Jackson at the Jackson Sanitarium in 1863. The Jackson Sanitarium was a prominent health spa that operated into the early 20th century on the hillside overlooking Dansville. It was also known as Our Home on the Hillside; thus the company formed to sell Jackson’s cereal was known as the Our Home Granula Company. Granula was composed of Graham flour and was similar to an oversized form of Grape-Nuts. A similar cereal was developed by John Harvey Kellogg. It too was initially known as Granula, but the name was changed to Granola to avoid legal problems with Jackson.

The food and name were revived in the 1960s, and fruits and nuts were added to it to make it a health food that was popular with the health and nature-oriented hippie movement. At the time, several people claim to have revived or re-invented granola. A major promoter was Layton Gentry, profiled in Time as “Johnny Granola-Seed.”

Although I stake claim to my “princess” title, there have been more than one occasion in my life when I’ve been referred to as a “granola head,” and despite the fact that they may be embarrassed to admit it, Mom and Dad, YOU were the epitome of the “hippie.”

Janelle’s Gluten-Free Granola 

5 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups finely ground raw almonds
3/4 cup flax seed
1/2 cup hemp hearts
1/2 cup oat bran
1/2 cup ground chia seeds
3 Tbs. cinnamon (Saigon)
3 Tbs. nutritional yeast
just short of 1 cup coconut oil, melted

Bake at 325 until brown, about 30-45 minutes.

 

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Add the dried fruit and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, stirring often.