No Waste Nut Pulp Granola Recipe | The First Mess (2024)

Created by Laura Wright

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5 from 4 votes

This is the best way to use up leftover pulp from homemade almond/other nut milks. This nut pulp granola is crunchy, sweet, and spiced with cinnamon and ginger. There are lots of ways to customize this no-waste recipe as well!

No Waste Nut Pulp Granola Recipe | The First Mess (1)
No Waste Nut Pulp Granola Recipe | The First Mess (2)
No Waste Nut Pulp Granola Recipe | The First Mess (3)


I buy almond and other non-dairy milks often, but I also get into phases where I’m making my own nut milk almost exclusively. When I buy, I feel a bit of guilt over the packaging and there’s also water from another land in the mix. When I make my own, I avoid these issues, but the leftover nut pulp generally has me scratching my head. I’ve used it before in an energy ball situation, but only a little handful in the whole batch and honestly? It doesn’t add a lot. Since the nut’s flavour is essentially “milked” out in the straining process, you really need to level-up with your add-ins, or just decide that you’re going to treat it like a plain structural component.

That’s where this very smart recipe from The Greenhouse Cookbook comes in. It takes nut pulp in all of its crumbly/not super flavourful glory, and turns it into something so great! You stir it up with plenty of citrus zest, juice, ginger, spice, maple syrup, and coconut oil. After a couple hours in a low oven, you get a crisp and crunchy grain-free nut pulp granola, and your house smells so good! Even better: you get to enjoy it with fresh nut milk and revel in the brilliance of your no-waste breakfast.

I’m a huge fan of Greenhouse Juice and what they add to the plant-based scene. Their social media manages to make me laugh about green juice and aćai bowls because of its pun-y goodness and amazing 90’s culture references. Their blog is a great recipe resource for the fully plant-based and the plant-flirts among us, and they have the best product to back everything up (The Good is my favourite juice).

I’ve made the Lemon Blueberry Hangry bites from the book as well, and the raw chocolate bars with fig base are next on my list. If you love plant-based food that’s just beautiful and naturally delicious, and you also just love good juice and smoothies, this book is a slam dunk. Following the instructions is like hanging with a pal that happens to be looking out for your health AND your overall life enjoyment in the most charismatic/non-preachy way possible. Wouldn’t it be amazing if every health-focused cookbook was like that?

No Waste Nut Pulp Granola Recipe | The First Mess (4)
No Waste Nut Pulp Granola Recipe | The First Mess (5)
No Waste Nut Pulp Granola Recipe | The First Mess (6)
No Waste Nut Pulp Granola Recipe | The First Mess (7)

No-Waste Nut Pulp Granola

This is the best way to use up leftover pulp from homemade almond/other nut milks. This nut pulp granola is crunchy, sweet, and spiced with cinnamon and ginger. There are lots of ways to customize this no-waste recipe as well!

5 from 4 votes

No Waste Nut Pulp Granola Recipe | The First Mess (8)

Print Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 50 minutes mins

Servings 3 cups

Ingredients

Granola

  • cups leftover nut pulp from making nut milk (almond, brazil nut, hazelnut are all good)
  • 2 tablespoons orange zest
  • 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 6 tablespoons pure maple syrup (see note on using date paste)
  • ½ cup raw sunflower seeds
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ cup coconut oil melted

Optional Add-Ins

  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 1 cup dried fruit
  • ¼ cup hemp seeds, whole chia seeds, or whole flax seeds

Notes

  • I only made 2 small changes to the recipe here. In the book, this granola is sweetened with 3 tablespoons of maple syrup and 3 tablespoons of date paste. I didn’t have enough dates on hand to make a batch of date paste worthwhile, so I just used the same amount of maple syrup. And where they suggest an orange, I only had a lemon. It all worked out!
  • Last note: I think this would work best with nut pulp from almonds, brazil nuts, and hazelnuts. Cashew and seed-based pulp is minimal at best and kinda thin-seeming. You can save nut pulp in a sealed container in your fridge until you need it.

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

  • In a large bowl, combine the nut pulp, orange zest, orange juice, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla, maple syrup, sunflower seeds, sea salt, and coconut oil. Stir everything together to combine well.

  • Spread the mixture evenly onto the lined baking sheets and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until golden, stirring every 15 minutes or so for even browning. Allow the granola to cool, and then stir in coconut flakes, dried fruit, and additional seeds (if using). Store the nut pulp granola in a sealed container for 1-2 weeks.

Author: Laura Wright

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: 10 ingredients, all seasons, almond milk, chia, cinnamon, coconut, coconut oil, flax, ginger, granola, hemp seeds, maple syrup, nut pulp, orange, sunflower seeds

26/04/2017 (Last Updated 07/06/2023)

Posted in: autumn, breakfast, gluten free, grain-free, snack, spring, summer, sweet, vegan, winter

39 comments

  • Jen

    No Waste Nut Pulp Granola Recipe | The First Mess (9)
    I made this this morning with macadamia nut pulp and skipped the citrus as we have a citrus allergy. I may have used a bit too much maple syrup, it came out like Ginger Snap crumbs! Fantastic! It disappeared in no time.

    (note – we also skipped the vanilla, sunflower seeds, and used olive oil instead of coconut, as well as skipping the optional items – still worked great.)

    We are grain-free and have multiple sensitivities so this recipe is just fantastic. Thank you!

    Reply

  • Tikkamasla

    Tikka Masala Grill menu have popular Indian delicacies You should try our Chicken and Fish Tikka Masala also taste our grilled food like Panner Tikka Grill and Chicken Tandoori We also serve Rice and Indian Bread, Beverages, and Organic Food.

    Reply

  • Carol

    No Waste Nut Pulp Granola Recipe | The First Mess (10)
    I’m about to make this for the second time and really enjoyed it. The only change that I made was adding the coconut for the last half hour of baking which toasted it. And I found that it worked best to eat it on Greek yogurt because it got a bit mushy with any kind of milk. But that may have been because my pulp was 2/3 almond and 1/3 cashew from making coffee creamer.

    Reply

  • Bianca

    I made this last night and it is amazing!! I am never throwing my almond milk pulp into the compost again!

    Reply

  • Laurie

    Perfect! I made this granola today and my three year old and I couldn’t stop eating it. Plus, it’s a great use of leftover nut milk pulp. Thanks.

    Reply

  • Katie

    I made a double batch of this with the almond pulp taking up space in my freezer.
    Really really tasty, especially eaten as cereal with cold soy milk and fresh fruit!

    Reply

  • Judy

    Can you make nut butter from nut pulp?

    Reply

    • Laura

      Hi Judy,
      I haven’t tried, but I don’t think that it would work. It wouldn’t taste like much of anything and I think you’d have to add quite a bit of oil to the food processor/blender to get it moving and fluid.
      -L

  • Aiden

    Hey Laura,

    I’m going to try this in a few days and this post actually inspired me to buy The Greenhouse Cookbook which has been really excellent.

    I’m just wondering, as a fellow Ontarian, where do you get the large shreds of coconut? I can only ever seem to find fine shreds!

    Thanks,

    Aiden

    Reply

    • Laura

      I order the large shreds online typically, but I have been lucky enough to find large lots of them at HomeSense here and there!
      -L

      Reply

  • katie

    Hi Laura, Can’t wait to try this. Just confirming that this recipe uses the wet almond milk pulp, right after straining? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Laura

      Yes the damp/wet pulp! You want to squeeze out as much milk as you can, but yes take it right out of the nut milk bag/cheesecloth and proceed with the recipe.
      -L

      Reply

  • Vegan Heaven

    This is such an awesome idea! I actually got some leftover almond pulp, so I think I’ll try this right away. Thanks so much! :-)

    Reply

  • Brian @ A Thought For Food

    What a fabulous use of the pulp! I used to make granola all the time and really need to get back into it.

    Reply

  • Alex

    I ADORE almond pulp granola. My freezer is always packed with leftover pulp, waiting to be baked into the next batch :)

    Reply

  • Simone

    Looking for vegan blogs to follow (as a brand new vegan I can do with a little extra inspiration) I stumbled upon yours and now you had me buy two books. I bought both yours and the Greenhouse cookbook.. Can’t wait for them to arrive! Thanks for the inspiration and am following your blog as of now!

    Reply

  • Lizzie || Wholehearted Life Coach

    What an amazing way to use the leftover grinds from making nut milk. I often dried mine out and make a cake with them. But I love this plus all the spices – delicious.

    Reply

  • Kimberley

    Best idea ever!! Love this.

    Reply

  • Andrea

    I’m definitely making this! Another use for the pulp – don’t squeeze it out so completely so it is still moist and put on top of fruit salad. Delicious and adds protein so makes a great breakfast.

    Reply

  • Corrine

    Leftover nut pulp sounds like it would be the perfect texture for granola. What a great idea!

    Reply

  • Jacqui

    I SO needed this recipe! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

    • Mercedes

      No Waste Nut Pulp Granola Recipe | The First Mess (11)
      Could I use walnut pulp

      Reply

  • Alexa | The Basil & Cinnamon Sagas

    This is GENIUS. I love nut milk, but it always makes me feel guilty for all the reasons you mentioned, but especially because of the non-sustainable water practices a lot of nut milk manufacturers use. I love that this recipe uses every part of the nut in an absolutely delicious way–and how perfect that it makes a complete meal, too? Milk & cereal & no waste: the makings of a good morning. :) For sure want to check this cookbook and Greenhouse Juice out!

    Reply

  • Anya

    What a great idea. I’m going to have to get my hands on this book. I love their blog, so much good stuff there. Thank you for sharing this recipe Laura :)

    Reply

    • Laura

      It’s a very special collection. I think you would really love it, Anya :)
      -L

      Reply

  • KayN

    wow, this is genius! cannot way to try it :D

    Reply

  • Karen

    Thanks for this recipe! Can you tell me where you get your almonds? Do you look for unpasteurized almonds or do you have an opinion about that? Costco has a big 3 lb. bag of almonds for about $19., but they are pasteurized and I’ve been trying to find a good place to buy almonds…either online or a store.

    Reply

  • Shauna

    This is such a thoughtful idea! Thank you for introducing me to this book too.

    Reply

  • Shirleen

    I just received this book yesterday and am exited to try many if the recipes. I have a dehydrator, how long do you think to put it in for? Thanks

    Reply

    • Laura

      Hi Shirleen,
      I’ve only made this in the oven, so have no idea how long it would take in a dehydrator. Most dehydrators have a maximum temperature of 155, so my guess is that it would take almost double the time. I’ve made raw crispy cereal in a dehydrator before that took a full 7 hours on the highest setting though. I’d set a timer for 4 hours on the highest temperature and check it at that point, but I think it will take longer. Might take some experimenting/Googling to get it just right.
      -L

      Reply

    • Emily

      I would start for about an hour around 135 and then lower to 110 for another 7-8 or until you like the texture.

      Reply

  • Sonia

    So many nut pulp recipes require first to dry out the pulp in an oven before it is actually used in a recipe (ie cookies). Too long a process for those lazy among us. I love the idea here that you get the delicious results in just one step! This may get me using my pulp again. Will try. Thanks for sharing! xx

    Reply

  • Rosie

    I use my nut pulp to make ‘hummus’ (as I cannot eat legumes)… add a little tahini and it tastes almost identical!

    Reply

    • Laura

      That is such a cool idea! Trying that next time. Thanks!
      -L

      Reply

  • Kelsey @ Appeasing a Food Geek

    Love this idea! I can’t believe that I’ve never heard of a use for the pulp before. I will have to pick this book up! xoxo

    Reply

  • Nandita

    Love the usage of pulp that would be otherwise discarded! I feel guilty about throwing away even the veg-fruit pulp after juicing. Would love to try this when I make my next batch of granola :)

    Reply

    • Laura

      Depending on what fruit/veg you’re juicing, the pulp is really great in muffins and energy ball mixtures (maybe not so much if you’re juicing kale though hehe).
      -L

      Reply

  • Natalia

    Such a lovely recipe! Thanks for this book presentation, will have to add it to my library too!

    Reply

No Waste Nut Pulp Granola Recipe | The First Mess (2024)

FAQs

What is the best oil to use for making granola? ›

I prefer unrefined coconut oil, which is delicious (you can barely taste the coconut, if at all) and produces the perfect texture. You can use extra-virgin olive oil instead, if you'd like your granola to be a little more on the savory side. If you're watching your saturated fat intake, olive oil is a better choice!

How to make granola without parchment paper? ›

Spread the mixture evenly onto a baking sheet. I love to use a silicone baking sheet on my cookie sheet to prevent sticking. Bake for 4-5 hours, stirring occasionally, until the granola is golden brown and crispy. Let the granola cool completely before adding any dried fruit.

Is granola OK on the Mediterranean diet? ›

You have so many choices when it comes to a Mediterranean diet breakfast. Have a slice of a veggie-packed frittata, Greek-style yogurt with berries and granola, oatmeal with fruit, or whole-grain toast, fruit, and soft-boiled eggs.

Can you add tahini to granola? ›

I basically just swapped in creamy tahini in place of peanut butter, and also added some extra cinnamon, cardamom and sesame seeds (for crunch) to go along with it. And the granola baked up to be fabulously crispy and clustery, the perfect balance of sweet and savory, and downright delicious.

How do you keep homemade granola crispy? ›

Whether it's homemade or store-bought, properly storing granola will help extend the shelf life and maintain crunchiness. Store granola in an airtight container or tightly sealed zip-top bag in a dry, dark place away from heat.

What ingredient makes granola stick together? ›

Add an egg white.

The whites act as a kind of glue that binds the ingredients together. To ensure that the egg whites coat all the ingredients, I beat them with a whisk until foamy and increased in volume, which makes it much easier to fold into the granola.

Why is my homemade granola not crunchy? ›

Higher temperatures can cause ingredients like nuts, seeds, and coconut to burn before the batch has a chance to properly dry out and crisp up, Perry says. Stick with a low temperature, keep an eye on your mixture, and stir it from time to time to help it brown evenly.

Why do you put baking soda in granola? ›

I start by adding together the oats, seeds, coconut and nuts. Anything that is dry. Then you will make a simple syrup mixture that will come to a boil. I then add some baking soda to help the mixture expand and easily cover the granola.

Can I use foil instead of parchment paper for granola? ›

Spread aluminum foil across a flat baking sheet. On foil, place granola mixture. Evenly spread oats mixture across foil. Bake in 300 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

How many eggs can you eat on the Mediterranean diet? ›

Based on their high cholesterol content, the Mediterranean Diet Foundation recommends to consume up to 4 eggs per week, as a healthy alternative to fish or meat [7], and the same amount (2–4 eggs per week) was indicated in the latest Italian dietary guidelines [8].

What are the 2 most recognized ingredients in Mediterranean diet? ›

A true Mediterranean diet is characterized by:
  • High Consumption of Olive Oil: A primary source of healthy monounsaturated fats.
  • Abundance of Fruits and Vegetables: Provides vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
  • Whole Grains: Emphasis on whole grains over refined grains.
Oct 27, 2023

Is granola an anti inflammatory food? ›

Many types of granola contain healthy ingredients that may offer numerous benefits, including reduced inflammation and improved blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and gut health.

Should I use parchment paper for granola? ›

“It's not just to keep it from sticking to the bottom; it also gives it a little bit of a barrier so your granola doesn't burn." Valerie notes that parchment paper is key in helping the granola cook evenly (and not brown too much around the edges).

Why does tahini seize up? ›

Tahini is simply sesame-seed butter, made by grinding hulled sesame seeds into a paste. Much of its makeup is carbohydrates, and when a small amount of juice (or any water-containing liquid) is added to tahini, a portion of each carbohydrate molecule is drawn to the water. As a result, clumps of carbohydrates appear.

What is a substitute for peanut butter in granola? ›

5 Nut-Free Alternatives to Peanut Butter
  1. Tahini. Created from sesame seeds ground into a paste with salt and oil, the nut-free alternative tahini is a common element in many Middle Eastern cuisines. ...
  2. Sunflower Seed Butter. ...
  3. Coconut Butter. ...
  4. Soy Nut Butter. ...
  5. Granola Butter.
Feb 20, 2024

What can I use instead of coconut oil in granola? ›

But if you don't like the idea of coconut oil granola, you can substitute with any oil you like: olive, avocado, grapeseed, walnut...

What is a substitute for vegetable oil in granola? ›

You might also want to try using coconut oil or sunflower oil, which are also healthy alternatives. Whenever possible, avoid vegetable oil, as it contains a lot of saturated fats. There are a few different ways to prepare granola. Some chefs will combine all the ingredients at once, which is more efficient.

Why do you add oil to granola? ›

Not only do the EVOO and tahini infuse the oats with nutrition and deep, nutty flavor, but they also lend an extra layer of richness that helps the granola strike the perfect balance of crunchy and chewy!

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