Easy Granola with Dates

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day – but in the rush to get out the door, it can be a challenge to start the morning off with a healthy meal. Make this granola over the weekend and you’ll have breakfast covered all week. It’s just as easy as pouring a bowl of sugary cereal but much more nutritious.

If you want to minimize your refined sweeteners, cut out the brown sugar and add a little bit more honey, to your liking (not so much that the granola is overly sticky). If tahini isn’t readily available for you, the recipe will be delicious without it, as well. Or, try substituting almond or peanut butter.

 

 

 

Granola with Dates and Tahini

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: About 6

3 cups rolled oats
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup raw honey
1/4 cup sesame oil
1 tablespoon tahini
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup dates, chopped
1/2 cup almonds, thinly sliced or chopped

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. In another mixing bowl, combine honey, sesame oil, tahini and vanilla extract. Pour honey mixture over oats and stir to combine. Spread mixture in one layer on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven, stir and bake for another 15 minutes. Allow granola to cool for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. When granola is cool and crunchy, stir in almonds and dates.

-Sarah Cooke, Web Editor, WomenWorking.com