AIP Tigernut Granola

This AIP tigernut granola is so chewy, crunchy, sweet, and savory, you won't miss the nuts or grains!

AIP Tigernut Granola with yogurt and raspberries

This is an update from an older blog post.  I originally made this recipe up in my dorm, and when I first tasted it, I knew I had stumbled upon something grand.  Since then, I've fine-tuned the recipe for the perfect taste and texture!  My family still can't believe that it's nut, grain, and refined-sugar free.

With coconut milk and banana

The biggest component of this recipe is the tigernuts.  Tigernuts are AIP because they're not actually a nut or legume, they're a small tuber with a chewy, crunchy, hard texture and a sweet nutty taste.  They have a lot of fiber, so eating this granola before bed definitely helps you poop in the morning.

Soaking the tigernuts beforehand is necessary, because otherwise they are way too chewy and difficult to eat.  A couple times when I've made this recipe, I only soak them for about two hours because I am impatient.  Don't do that unless you want your jaw to be sore!  So, I suggest at least twelve hours of soaking.  A full 24 hours doesn't hurt.  It's convenient to soak them the night before, covered and in the refrigerator.  They don't have to completely dry after soaking and draining, but it's helpful to pat them with a paper towel.  Do not leave them out of the fridge for too long after soaking or they will turn rancid!

Before and after blending

Mixing the dry ingredients

Oven times may vary because ovens are different, and humidity plays a role too.  I suggest you bake this for about 50 minutes, and start checking it at 40 minutes.  When taking it out, it should feel hard, but wet.  Don't worry, the liquid will dry up, and it will be crunchy as long as you let your granola cool completely.  In very humid weather, the granola may not crisp up as much.  It still tastes amazing, but if this bothers you, you can reduce the coconut oil to 3 tablespoons.

This recipe makes a little over four cups. I would say the serving size is a fourth to a half cup.  Tigernuts have a lot of fiber, so this granola is nice and filling.  A wonderful breakfast, snack, or dessert!

Some good brands for sweet potato chips and plantain chips are Jackson Honest, Terra, and Barnana.  The protein powder I suggest is collagen peptides (I use this one by Physicians Choice), but an unflavored plant-based one instead would make this recipe vegan.  So far I've only found tigernuts online, and I order Anthony's organic off of Amazon.

AIP Tigernut Granola

AIP, vegan

Yield: 4 cups
Serving size: ¼ to ½ cup
Ingredients

• 1 ½ C tigernuts, *soaked 12 to 24 hours 
• 1 C crushed plantain chips **
• ½ C crushed sweet potato chips **
• ½ C + 1 tbsp coconut flakes
• 2 tbsp shredded coconut
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp cloves
• ¼ tsp ginger
• 1 tbsp carob powder
• ½ tbsp unflavored protein powder
• ¼ C coconut oil
• ¼ C maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ C raisins

Directions

1. Drain the tigernuts and pat dry
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and line a ***baking pan with aluminum foil 
3. Put tigernuts, sweet potato chips, and plantain chips in a food processor, and pulse into small pieces (about 15 “aggressive” pulses)
4. Transfer into bowl and mix in coconut flakes, shreds, salt, spices, carob powder, and protein powder
5. Stir in coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract
6. Spread mixture evenly onto baking sheet
7. Bake in oven for roughly 50 minutes, briefly stirring the mixture 30 minutes in (start checking at 40 minutes; the granola will be wet and hard when it’s done, and will crisp up as it cools)
8. Remove from oven, sprinkle on raisins, and cool completely… and try not to eat it all right then and there!

Substitutions
-plantain chips and sweet potato chips can be substituted with banana chips, apple chips, or basically any crunchy dried chip of that sort
- honey for maple syrup
- coconut flakes and shredded coconut are interchangeable

Recipe notes:
*To soak tigernuts, put them in a small container with ½ tsp sea salt and fill with just enough water to cover the top of the tigernuts. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.  More soaking time will result in less chewiness and more crunchiness.

**Crushed into small pieces (like the size of a cereal flake), but not crumbs

***18 inches by 13 inches