Ingredients:
- Dry ingredients:
- 1½ cups rolled oats (gluten-free oats if required)
- (optional ½ cup raw quinoa, pan-toasted while stirring constantly for 2 or 3 minutes)
- ½ cup raw pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)
- ½ cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1½ cups nuts (i use 1 cup sliced almonds and ½ cup chopped walnuts)
- ¼ cup flaxseed
- ½ cup raw hemp hearts
- Dry ingredient to bake separately:
- 2 cups coconut flakes (coconut chips)
- Binder:
- 8 oz. finely chopped medjool dates
- ½ cup walnut butter or other nut butter
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 325.
- Mix together oats, pepitas, sunflower seeds, nuts, quinoa, flaxseed, and hemp hearts in a large bowl.
- Spread mixture onto first baking sheet.
- Spread coconut flakes onto a second baking sheet.
- Pit dates, chop, process in a food processor until they stick together in a ball. Add nut butter to processor and process until dates and nut butter are well combined. Put date/nut butter into the work bowl of a stand mixer and set aside.
- Place both baking sheets in oven.
- Bake, stirring every six minutes.
- Remove coconut flakes when golden but not dark brown, about 8-10 minutes.
- Continue to bake the first baking sheet of granola, stirring every six minutes. Remove from oven after 24 minutes, earlier if the granola starts to brown.
- Combine the pan of granola with the date/nut butter paste in the bowl of the stand mixer. Mix together on low for a couple of minutes until the granola is well combined with the date/nut butter paste.
- Add coconut flakes, mix together.
- Press into cake pan. Cool. Break up and store in a glass jar.
