Magic Grain-Free Granola

These past two days have been filled with some of the best, deepest, most meaningful conversations I've had in so long! I began talking to guests for the podcast, making future plans with friends and fellow coaches, setting goals (3 recipe posts a week!) and connecting with women here in Nashville. There are so many incredible things happening right now --- not to mention it's fucking SNOWING outside.

That's right. When you're from Texas, snow is basically magic.

So magical, in fact, that I couldn't resist making a recipe! I'm kind of trapped at home (we drive a Fiat) and only had a few ingredients to work with, but I wanted to make some granola. Like, I needed to make some granola. 

I only had raw, mixed nuts, dates, and some organic unsweetened corn flakes (totally optional and random), but this seriously turned out perfectly. My inspiration behind the idea was definitely the fact that I finally found a nondairy, unsweetened yogurt that was good af and had a significant amount of protein. I'll link it here.

I hope you didn't miss it, because it only lasts for 24 hours, but I made an Instagram story of me making this granola from start to finish. I wouldn't recommend making it without a food processor or a high-speed blender, but there are ways. You could use whole nuts and not chop them, and you could use a liquid sweetener like honey or maple syrup instead of blending up the dates. You do you, but I haven't tried that yet!

Magic Grain-Free Granola

INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 c raw almonds
• 1/3 c raw cashews
• 1/3 c r pecans
• 1/2 c large flake coconut
• 1 cup unsweetened organic cereal flake of choice (optional if making paleo)
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 3 pitted dates
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 3 tbsp apple sauce
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp maple extract
• big pinch of sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. In a food processor, combine dates, melted coconut oil, maple extract, and cinnamon until they form a smooth ball or mixture.
3. Add in remaining ingredients, and pulse until you get a chunky granola-like consistency.
4. Remove onto baking sheet and flatten with a spatula into one thin layer.
5. Bake until firm to touch, no longer sticky, approx. 10 minutes.
6. Let cool ENTIRELY.
7. Break up into chunks and store in an airtight container in the fridge, or freeze!
8. Enjoy!