Before I had the privilege of getting free hot breakfast at work, I used to eat yogurt for breakfast almost every single morning. And, while I love plain greek yogurt, I would often add fruits, honey, or nuts. But, my favorite plain yogurt accompaniment was, and still is, medjool dates stuffed with walnuts. This Grain Free Nut and Date Granola is inspired by my love for dates and walnuts. It’s an easy recipe, allowing you to easily mix and match your favorite nuts and spices.
For a successful Grain Free Nut and Date Granola, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, when it comes to baking granola, slow and steady heat is key. Set your oven somewhere between 300 F and 325 F. Second, allow your granola to cool completely before putting it away. I made the mistake of packing it when it was a bit warm, only to end up with soft granola. Gah! I had to toast it again. To ensure that the granola is completely “dry,” you can leave it in the oven after you turn off the heat. Lastly, keep an eye on your granola; you want it toasted, not burned.
I hope you enjoy this Grain Free Nut and Date Granola!
Grain Free Nut and Date Granola
Ingredients
- 2 cups walnuts, chopped
- 1 cup mixed nuts, chopped or any other nut you want to use
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup chopped dates
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F
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Rough chop the nuts (not the seeds). Rough chop the dates. Add the nuts, seeds, dates, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt to a bowl. Mix. Add the honey. Mix.
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Scoop the mixture onto a lined baking tray, and spread flat. The closer together you keep the nut mixture, the more clusters you will have post baking.
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Bake the granola for about about 15 minutes, or until golden. To ensure the granola "dries" turn off the heat, and leave the tray in oven. Remove. Let the granola cool completely, for a few hours at least, before storing.
[…] For this batch of Paleo Dark Chocolate Granola, I used a mix of nuts including almonds, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, and cashews. I also added flax, sesame, and pumpkin seeds. For my chocolate, I chopped a bar of 89% dark chocolate. The base granola isn’t very sweet, so you can use milk chocolate or semisweet chocolate to obtain a bit more sweetness in the batch. While the nuts, seeds, and honey get mixed and baked together, the chocolate is added last. If you want the nuts and seeds to be covered in chocolate, sprinkle the chopped chocolate on top of the mixture when it comes out of the oven; the heat will melt the chocolate. For chocolate chunks, wait until the granola cools to mix in the chocolate pieces. For non-chocolate granola, you can check out my recipe for Paleo Grain Free Nut and Date Granola. […]