Healthy Oil Free Granola

If made right granola is a highly nutritious meal or snack with the oats providing high fibre and iron content and nuts and seeds adding healthy unsaturated fats and protein. However, I’m always weary of store bought granola as they can be loaded with too much oil and added sugar. I wanted a granola that didn’t include oil and only had a little natural sugar for nicely sweetening. The recipe below has been tried, tested and I can confirm it is delicious. Perfect on it’s own with your favourite plant milk or with yogurt as a parfait

Healthy Oil Free Granola

Ingredients:

• 120ml water

• 6 dates

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tsp vanilla extract 

• 180g rolled oats

• 20g pumpkin seeds (crushed)

• 40g walnuts (crushed)

• 20g sunflower seeds

• 20g desiccated coconut 

• 1 tsp Cinnamon

Method:

• Preheat oven to 150 degrees C (130 fan oven) degrees and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

• In a food processor, add the dates, maple syrup, water and vanilla extract and blend until smooth.

• In a large bowl add 180g rolled oats, crushed pumpkin seed and walnuts, sunflower seeds, desiccated coconut and cinnamon. Add the date mixture to the bowl and mix.

• Spread evenly over the parchment paper and pop into the oven for 15 minutes. Remove at 15 minutes, stir, reduce heat to 120 degrees (100 fan oven) and bake for another 10 minutes or until they are golden brown.

• Serve with milk or yogurt with a side of berries.