"All you need to know for a healthier child...."
This recipe is amazing as it has no processed white sugars! It's literally all good stuff, yet deliciously crunchy and full of flavour.
Most commercial granola is covered in artificial sweeteners or sugar, yet in this recipe you get the natural sweetness from the dates and bananas.
Nuts and seeds are incredibly good for us but you don't need to use all the seeds and nuts I have used – you can easily add or change different ones you might like more – like pistachio, brazil nuts, flax seed, sesame seeds, etc – just experiment and keep the quantities roughly the same.
Amazing No Sugar Granola
Makes 1 large Kilner Jar
Ingredients
300g rolled oats
200g pitted dates
100g dried apricots, chopped
2 ripe bananas
60g dried berries
60g hazelnuts
60g linseed
60g cashew nuts
60g pumpkin seeds
60g sunflower seeds
90ml boiling water
150ml apple juice
Method
Preheat the oven to 160C and line a large lipped baking sheet or roasting tin with silicone or non-stick baking parchment.
Place your dates in a bowl and cover with 90ml boiling water as you want them to soften. Place cling film over the top and leave for 5 minutes, or place in the microwave for 1 minute.
Next, pop the softened fruit into a mixer or use a hand blender to puree to a pulp. Add the bananas so you have a thick smoothie.
Put all your dry ingredients (but not the dried fruits) into a bowl and mix in the date and banana smoothie. Use a large metal spoon or even your hands to help break the mixture up and separate any large chunks.
Add the apple juice which will help to loosen the mix slightly. If it still seems too clumpy you can always add a dash more apple juice but you do want some lumps.
Spread the mixture out onto the baking sheet and place in the oven for 10-15 minutes until it starts to turn slightly golden. At this point, stir it and break up any big bits. Pop back in the oven and after 10 minutes give it another stir. Do this for up to 30-40 minutes until it's all nice and dry.
Leave to cool and then add in your dried fruits such as apricots and raisins. If you added them earlier they would just burn in the oven.
Serve with yogurt and/or compote and nibble on throughout the day!
Or make granola bircher – mixing yoghurt and granola with some grated apple the night before.
Really easy
to vary the nuts and seeds depending on what you
like best
