Make Your Own Granola

Store-bought granola is SO not on trend anymore.The Forks Over Knives cookbook gave me the inspiration for this homemade granola creation. Below is their basic recipe and serving size. (If you follow this serving size, you will have granola for MONTHS!!!). From there, I added a few of my own ingredients I had on hand already in my pantry. You can get as creative as you want with this one. Enjoy by the spoonful on its own, with milk or yogurt, or my personal favorite – a smoothie bowl!

Make Your Own Granola

Ingredients: recipe makes 16 (1/2 cup) servings

8 cups rolled oats

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp salt

2 bananas (the more ripe they are, the sweeter they will be!)

2 cups chopped, pitted dates

My add-ins: raisins, pumpkin seeds, raw pecans

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 275 degrees
2. Bring 1 cup of water and pitted dates to a boil over medium heat for about 10 minutes, adding more water if needed
3. Add the date mixture to a food processor with your bananas, almond extract, and salt and process until smooth
4. In a large bowl, mix rolled oats and the date mixture until well combined
5. Divide the mixture into two baking sheets lined with parchment paper and spread out evenly (here is where you add your own toppings, if desired!)
6. Bake for 40-50 minutes and stir every 10 minutes (this is crucial to make sure each side gets cooked evenly)
7. Let cool (it gets so much more crispy!) and store in an airtight container or mason jars