This is my favorite granola mix. To be honest, I do not like the versions we can buy in the stores, because they contain a lot of sugar, many different kinds of syrups (brown rice syrup, cane sugar, etc.) and or if not, they are too expensive.

Ingredients:

• 170 g oats
• 75 g pumpkin seeds
• 50 g shredded coconut
• 40 g flax seeds
• 130 g pecans or walnuts/almonds/peanuts, etc
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/7 tsp cardamon (optional)
• a small pinch of nutmeg (optional)
• a big pinch of salt
• 60 g/3 larger medjool dates (preferably soft ones)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 100 g water

Instructions:

1. Chop up the dates.
2. Boil the water and pour it over the dates.
3. Mix all of the dry ingredients with the olive oil.
4. Put the water date mixture into a hand blender and blend it into a runny paste/syrup like consistency.
5. Pour it onto the dry ingredients mixture and mix it together.
6. Lay the mixture flat on a parchment paper lined baking tray or on a ceramic tray. (I used a ceramic baking tray without the mixture getting stuck on the bottom or sides.)
7. Pat it down really strong and put it into the 350 F preheated oven for 1 hour.
8. Give it a toss every 15 minutes.

It should end up golden brown but be careful not to burn it.

Tip n1: If you would like it to be more sweet and/or crunchy add more dates and water to the “syrup” mixture.

Tip n2: The sides bake a lot faster. If you want to speed up the baking process, every time you give it a toss, arrange it in a donut shape. This way both the outer circle and the inner circle get golden and crispy at the same time. But keep in mind, if you use this technique, you don’t have to bake the granola for a full hour. Make sure to check it often.