Ever since I posted my Almond Cake I have been secretly obsessed with Almond Extract. I've been sneaking it into recipes (if you haven't noticed) and experimenting with it in lots of different dishes! The stuff makes anything taste amazing. 

This next granola recipe is to die for! It's seriously so good. Sweet, crunchy, healthy, protein-packed, and best of all: Gluten Free! The almond extract gives it such a yummy flavor. I'm just so excited to share it with you! 

PS- We have a FREE class coming up Oct 9 in Lehi, Utah if you're in the area. It will be taught by my husband (Dr. Nielsen) and I. Hope to see you there! See the full details HERE. 

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Contains Nuts: almonds)
Created by jalene

Start to finish: 45 minutes (5 prep, 40 baking)
Makes a little over 6 cups

Ingredients: 

• 4 & 1/4 cups gluten free oats (not quick oats)
• 1 & 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 
• 1/4 cup honey
  
• 3 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 cup cranberries (add after granola is cooled)

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil. 
2. In a large bowl combine the oats, almonds, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Stir well. 
3. In another bowl combine the oil, honey, and almond extract. Whisk well. 
4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and stir well. 
5. Dumb the granola out onto your prepared cookie sheet. Place in the oven. Cook for 40 minutes total, stirring every 10 minutes. 
6. Cool granola completely and add in the cranberries. 

Store in an airtight container. 

Growing up my parents had a pear tree in their backyard. We used to eat fresh organic pears throughout the summer. They also had peach trees and all sorts of fresh vegetables. That's one thing I miss now that I'm married and moved away. We have a small garden but it's nothing like my ol' mom and dad's! Luckily my parents brought me a box of pears recently! Hooray! Now, I just had to figure what to do with a whole box of pears! 

Oh man, there's nothing like a sweet juicy pear! They seriously taste like nature's sugar to me. Crazy enough, 1 pear only has 9 grams of sugar while 1 banana has around 14 grams! You would think it was the other way around! This next recipe uses pear as the base but you could easily use apples or peaches instead. I kept the flour simple for you (for those of you that don't like to mix flours). It's simply oat flour. The taste is amazing! 

(Gluten Free, Can be Dairy Free) 
Created by jalene

Filling Ingredients: 

• 3 cups pears
• 3 Tbsp sugar or evaporated cane juice sugar
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch (I prefer non-GMO cornstarch)
• 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

Cobbler Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup gluten free oat flour (or you can make your own by grinding 1/2 cup oats)
• 1 Tbsp sugar or evaporated cane juice sugar
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
• 2 Tbsp butter or Earth Balance Butter Sub
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp milk or milk alternative
• 1/2 tsp gluten free vanilla extract or if you're brave you could try almond extract instead
  

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven at 400 degrees F. 
2. For the cobbler, in a medium bowl stir together the oat flour, 1 Tbsp sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon (if using). Cut in the butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Set aside. 
3. Wash and remove the cores from your pears. (I left the skins on mine but you could remove them if you want.) Slice (about 12 slices per pear) and place in a large bowl. Add the 3 Tbsp sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Stir well. Pour into a 8x8 baking dish or somewhat similar size pan.
4. In a small bowl combine the egg and milk. Add to the flour mixture and stir until moistened. Using a spoon, immediately drop the topping onto the pears in small mounds. 
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick in the topping comes out clean. 

Tastes amazing served with ice cream or my dairy free whip cream! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. 

Believe it or not, Monkey Bread was one of the first desserts I learned how to make when I was younger. I was in junior high home ec class and let me tell ya, any child's interest peaks when there's sugar involved! The version she taught us is far from this one however. She used prepackaged biscuits and gluten-infested ingredients. Her recipe worked great for an early learner but I have since adapted it so we can still enjoy it today! 

The greatest compliment I think I've had is my own father-in-law who wont even touch desserts, ate 2 of these the other night.  ;) (It helped that I made them gluten free and dairy free for him.)

(Gluten Free, Can be Dairy Free)
Created by jalene

Makes about 24 individual muffin desserts
Dough Ingredients: 

• 2 Tbsp yeast
• 1 & 1/4 cup warm water (about 110 F)
• 1/4 cup sugar (I use evaporated cane juice sugar)
• 6 Tbsp olive oil or grapeseed oil
• 2 cups brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp potato starch (not flour)
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp tapioca starch
• 1 & 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 eggs 

Cinnamon Sugar Combo: 

• 1/2 cup sugar (evaporated cane juice sugar)
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Gooey Sauce:

• 1/4 cup butter (use earth balance to make df)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp 100% pure maple syrup
• pinch salt
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• ​1 Tbsp coconut milk (or cow's, almond, or rice milk)