I have another granola recipe for you guys. Can you just say I LOVE homemade granola?! This has been one of my go-to granola recipes for myself for awhile now and I can’t believe it’s taken me THIS long to share the recipe! Sorry, I haven’t been posting frequently. Life just gets busy and chasing a toddler around has kept me busy too. Okay, back to this date sweetened oil-free granola. I got this recipe from Feasting on Fruit and just tweaked a few things. It’s naturally sweetened with dates, oil-free, and so customizable! You can use whatever combination of nuts and seeds. I like to add 2 tablespoons of cacao powder because it’s my fav in ALL granolas. 🙂 This date granola is perfectly clustery, sweet, nutty, and crispy. Literally, go make this ASAP!

Ingredients

11-12 pitted soft Medjool dates (If they are hard, soak in warm water for 20 minutes)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup almond butter (or any nut butter)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
2 Tablespoons cacao or cocoa powder (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
In a high speed blender, combine the medjool dates, water, almond butter, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt.
Blend until smooth and thick. If it’s a little chunky that’s okay, but do NOT add more water.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, seeds, nuts, and optional cacao powder.
Add the date mixture to the dry ingredients, and mix until evenly coated and well combined.
Spread out the granola evenly on the prepared pan.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, stirring/flipping the granola every 10 minutes so the edges don’t burn. It should be golden and semi-dry/crisp when done. It will get crispier as it cools.
Remove from the oven and cool for at least 30-60 minutes.
Store in an airtight container or jar. Enjoy!

Servings: 8

Author: valeria.chao

Date Sweetened Oil-Free Granola