This recipe is a way to make myself feel better about the amount of sugar I sometimes consume in the morning. I have a weakness for a bowl of fruit with a big scoop of whole milk greek yogurt, honey, and homemade granola (especially this maple pecan granola- it’s my favorite!) Yet, I started to realize that even by switching to using only honey/maple syrup, I’m still consuming a bit too much sugar.
So to make myself feel better, I subbed out the maple syrup for dates. Yes, it’s still sugar but I feel better knowing it’s pure mother nature’s sweetener. I started getting into dates when working with rhubarb recipes last spring- I needed something with extra sweetness but without all the extra sugar. Dates did the trick.
This granola is a simple riff on my favorite- coconut oil for the walnut oil and almonds for the pecans. This granola would also be great with some dried fruit chopped up and added at the end or a couple tablespoons of chia or flax seeds sprinkled in with the oats. Feel free to mix it up a bit!
(PS- Wooden Spoons Kitchen launched a site design for our client this morning (that happens to be one of the food bloggers I’ve always looked to for photography). Her photos and recipes are always gorgeous and I was happy that Melissa and I could give her a site to showcase them! Be sure to check out Baked Bree’s new look!)
- 4 medjool dates
- ¾ cup water
- 2 cups oats
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- Preheat oven to 300˚.
- Pit dates and combine with water in a small sauce pan. Cook until dates begin to break down and become soft. Once done, place in a food processor and pulse until it smooths out.
- Whisk together ¼ cup of date mixture and melted coconut oil. Combine with oats, almonds, salt and cinnamon. Stir until oats are coated.
- Pour out onto a covered baking tray and bake for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes or so until oats are golden.






















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