PECAN PIE NO SUGAR GRANOLA
Granola is one of those sneaky places where added sugars are hiding. What seems like a healthy choice with honey, oats, fruit and nuts can have you exceeding your daily limit of added sugars by the time you’ve finished breakfast. Searching for a flavorful no sugar granola seemed fruitless, until now. So how do you get those delicious clumps of satisfying granola and all of that sweet flavor with no added sugar? Three ingredients, my friends: dates, almond butter, and toasted pecans.
This trio of naturally sweet ingredients comes together to create a no sugar granola reminiscent of pecan pie without any added sugar required. Date puree gives the entire mixture a lovely natural sweetness, and chewy date pieces add bursts of sweet flavor just when you need them.
PECAN PIE NO SUGAR GRANOLA
Makes 16 servings
Ours: 0 teaspoons
Theirs*: 1 to 2 teaspoons
Naturally sweet Medjool dates, creamy almond butter, and toasted pecans add delicious pecan pie flavor to this satisfying no sugar granola. Because this recipe contains zero added sugar, it won’t be as sweet as a conventional granola, but there is a lovely hint of sweetness in the oat mixture thanks to puréed dates, coupled by bursts of sweet flavor when you get a bite of one of the chewy date pieces.
2 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
12 ounces Medjool dates, pitted (about 16 dates)
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup smooth unsalted almond butter
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup raw pecans, roughly chopped
Tip: Do not skip the step of tossing the chopped date pieces in the oat flour: this prevents them from clumping together in the granola.
1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking liner.
2. Place 1/4 cup of the oats in a food processor and process until fine and powdery, about 2 minutes; transfer to a bowl. Chop half of the dates into 1/2-inch pieces and toss them to coat in the oat flour, using your fingers to separate any pieces that have stuck together. Remove the date pieces from the oat flour and transfer to a small bowl. Discard the excess oat flour.
3. Place the remaining dates, water, almond butter, oil, vanilla, and salt in the food processor. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute, stopping as needed to scrape down the sides of the food processor.
4. In a large bowl, combine the remaining oats and pecans. Pour the date mixture on top and stir until evenly coated.
5. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet into a thin, even layer.
6. Bake the granola until evenly browned, 40 to 45 minutes, stirring gently every 15 minutes. Let the granola cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour.
7. Gently break the granola into large clumps and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the date pieces and mix until combined. It can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Variation: To make Apple Pie Granola, add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg to the date-almond butter purée and substitute 1 cup chopped dried unsweetened apple rings for the oat-coated date pieces.
Nutrition Information (1/3 cup):
Calories: 213 | Added Sugar: 0 teaspoons or 0g | Carbohydrates: 27g | Sodium: 74mg | Saturated fat: 5% of calories or 1g | Fiber: 4g | Protein: 4g
*Based on a 1/3 cup serving size. Quaker Oats and Honey Granola contains about 6 1/3 grams or 1 2/3 teaspoons of added sugar per 1/3 cup. Nature Valley Granola contains 9 1/3 grams or 2 1/3 teaspoons per 1/3 cup serving. Kind Oat and Honey Clusters contains 5g or 1 1/4 teaspoons per 1/3 cup serving.
- 2¾ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 12 ounces Medjool dates, pitted (about 16 dates)
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup smooth unsalted almond butter
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup raw pecans, roughly chopped
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking liner.
- Place ¼ cup of the oats in a food processor and process until fine and powdery, about 2 minutes; transfer to a bowl. Chop half of the dates into ½-inch pieces and toss them to coat in the oat flour, using your fingers to separate any pieces that have stuck together. Remove the date pieces from the oat flour and transfer to a small bowl. Discard the excess oat flour.
- Place the remaining dates, water, almond butter, oil, vanilla, and salt in the food processor. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute, stopping as needed to scrape down the sides of the food processor.
- In a large bowl, combine the remaining oats and pecans. Pour the date mixture on top and stir until evenly coated.
- Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet into a thin, even layer.
- Bake the granola until evenly browned, 40 to 45 minutes, stirring gently every 15 minutes. Let the granola cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour.
- Gently break the granola into large clumps and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the date pieces and mix until combined. It can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
- Variation: To make Apple Pie Granola, add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg to the date-almond butter purée and substitute 1 cup chopped dried unsweetened apple rings for the oat-coated date pieces.
Variation: To make Apple Pie Granola, add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg to the date-almond butter purée and substitute 1 cup chopped dried unsweetened apple rings for the oat-coated date pieces.
