Paleo Krunch

I'm slightly embarrassed by the title of this snack, as I usually cringe at the K for C (krispies) and the Z for S (cheeze) substitutions when it comes to special spins on snack foods, but this is exactly what this is. It doesn't claim be granola, because it's not, and while definitely being sufficiently crunchy, I wouldn't say this is the crunchiest snack on the planet, so that's why it's... Krunchy.

I've been making a quick Paleo snack bar in the food processor lately pretty much based on this but without the flaked coconut because I don't stock it. This sprinklable topper of a snack is essentially that recipe hacked a tad with slightly different proportions and baked like granola rather than pressed into a pan. The result? A crunchy, grain-free, vegan yogurt and/or fruit topper with hints of coconut and warm spices of orange and cinnamon. It's protein packed, too.

I fished around the net looking at a few Paleo granolas before deciding that replicating oats wasn't possible and maybe not desirable because oats are oats. Almond flour is its own animal and when used in this mixture, it helps the nuts clump together and gives a light crumbly crunch to the final product. That's why I'm quite adamant that this is not being called granola. My favorite, (gluten-free) oat granola is here. This recipe was inspired by the last 1/4 cup of almond flour in my fridge. Adjust accordingly if you need to make more. This made about half a mason jar. A few notes: be sure to let this cool and crisp up sufficiently. I went out for a few hours after I baked it and left a piece of foil over the pan so it dried out as much as it could, then stored it upon return.

It's a quick post today, just to share this because I know many Paleo-ites may be looking for a crunchy topper that doesn't rely on cups and cups of whole (expensivo) nuts and dried fruit to be ground up-here's my 2-bowl, no-processor almond flour rendition; have a great weekend all: )

Paleo Krunch

1/4 cup almond flour

1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Heaping 1/4 cup mixed pumpkin and sunflower seeds 

Scant 1 T coconut sugar

Pinch sea salt

Pinch orange zest

Pinch cinnamon

1/4 tsp vanilla

1-2 T melted coconut oil *

1-2 T Honey *

*I used my judgement here and when pouring the wet into dry, used just enough to moisten. I therefore had a little leftover honey/oil mix when I used 2 T each.

Oven to 325. Stir together all dry ingredients. Then separately stir together wet. Pour wet into dry a bit at a time, stirring and moistening with your hands. You may have some wet leftover and that is ok. You want the mixture to be moist, not dripping wet. Spread mixture onto parchment lined sheet, bake about 20-25 minutes, stirring every ten. Look for browning but not burning. Now turn the oven off and leave it in there for another 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for a few hours. Store in a jar and sprinkle on yogurt and/or fruits.