Healthiest Ever Granola » Whole Foods & oil-free

Recipe PDF

▸ ▹ Slightly modified recipe from Jenny Mustards’ Super Healthy Granola recipe (shared with permission)
▸ ▹ Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, refined sugar-free

Yield: approx. 7 cups 
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 30 min

INGREDIENTS 

1 cup (175 g) dates*

1/2 cup (120 mL) tahini

3 cups (270 g) old-fashioned rolled oats (GF if desired)

1 cup (140 g) raw mixed nuts (I used almond and cashew), roughly chopped

1/2 cup (75 g) organic raisins**

1/4 cup (30 g) dried cranberries

1/4 cup (35 g) raw sunflower seeds

1/4 cup (35 g) raw pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup (15 g) unsweetened shredded coconut 

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt (optional) 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 150 C / 300 F.  
2. Mix dates, tahini and 3 Tbsp (45 mL) water in a food processor and blend until creamy. 
3. And all ingredients to a large bowl and mix to combine. 
4. Spread granola evenly on baking paper and press flat. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown, stopping one or two times to stir and flatten again if needed to prevent burning and to ensure the granola cooks evenly.
5. Let cool and transfer to an airtight container to store. Enjoy with smoothies, plant-based yogurts or on its own as a snack. 

Notes

1. *If  dry, soak in warm water until softened, drain. 
2. ** Organic raisins are optional but recommended as grapes tend to be a food very high in pesticide use. 
3. Variations: swap for your own desired raw nuts, raw seeds, and dried fruit to change it up. 
4. Storage: store in an air-tight container on the counter for up to two weeks.

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This granola recipe is both sweet, because of the dates, raisins and dried cranberries, as well as savoury, because of the tahini. You can vary it up each time depending on the dried fruit or nuts and seeds you choose to add.

Let's walk through the step-by-step guide to make this yourself:

Step 1: gather your whole foods ingredients

Step 2: create the date + tahini mixture by blending in a food processor 

Step 3: roughly chop your raw nuts

Step 4: mix!

Step 5: transfer to oven-safe dish lined with parchment paper 

Step 6: bake until golden and fragrant 

Step 7: serve with plant-based yogurt and fresh fruit - make it look pretty! 

This granola recipe also makes for a wonderful gift, whether for house-warming events, birthdays or as a thank-you present. Kind of like this: