Oil Free Granola

Recipe from Simnett Nutrition

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes 6 (1/2-cup) servings

I like having granola around, but I never buy any.  It's easy to make your own and by doing so, you control what goes in it.  This one intrigued me because it uses no oil. To coat the oats and nuts, dates are blended with water and vanilla and then poured over. This batch didn't come out as crispy as I like, but it tasted good. I'm thinking the granola just needs to bake a bit longer.  (Of course, it could be that it's not as crispy because there's no oil.) It's only a smidge sweet, which suits me just fine.  It uses the dates and raisins for sweetening and not refined sugars.  In short, I liked this granola as a more healthful alternative. Try this one or give my go-to granola a try.

1 1/4 cups rolled oats (Use gluten-free oats, if desired.)

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup coconut flakes or shredded coconut

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Pinch of sea salt

1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 Medjool dates, pitted (If they are not soft, pour hot water over them and allow them to soak for 15 minutes.)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries (These are added after the granola has baked and cooled.)

Preheat the oven to 300 F.  In a large bowl, mix the oats, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, coconut flakes, cinnamon and salt.  

In a high speed blender, pour in the vanilla, the dates, and the water (You can actually use the soaking water for this.)  Blend until completely smooth.

Pour the date liquid over the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. 

Spread the granola onto a silicone lined or parchment lined baking sheet.  Be sure to spread the mixture evenly.

Bake for 20 minutes.  Take it out of the oven and stir well.

Bake for an additional 12-15 minutes, keeping an eye on it so that it doesn't burn. (I had to bake it about 10 minutes longer than the original recipe stated to crisp it up more.)

Cool the granola COMPLETELY.  Add the raisins to the granola and mix well.  Store in an air tight container.

Nutritional Information: (1/2 cup serving) 203 calories; 6 grams fat (1.8 sat. fat); 0 mg cholesterol; 44 mg sodium; 35.7 grams carbohydrates; 4.3 grams fiber; 18.4 sugars; 4.9 grams protein; 37 mg calcium; 3 mg iron; 339 mg potassium