Nut & Fig Granola

Recipe 25 minPreparation Time 45 minCooking Time

Nut & Fig Granola

25 minPreparation Time 45 min Cooking Time

About this Recipe

This granola with toasted nuts and seeds, coconut, and fig purée is gluten-free and energy-boosting. It might be your new go-to recipe. You can make it in advance and store it in an airtight jar for a couple of weeks, if it lasts that long. Snack on it straight from the jar or add it to yogurt for breakfast. I make a fig puree for sweetness, but you can substitute unsweetened applesauce if you don't want to prepare the purée.

The Benefits

Nuts & seeds contain prebiotic fibers which may beneficially impact gut health. Oats are gluten-free and an excellent source of fiber, plus minerals like phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc. Their high soluble fiber content can reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels, promote healthy gut bacteria, and increase satiety. Because it’s naturally sweetened with dates, this is a great kid-friendly granola. 

Note: This makes more fig purée than you need for the granola recipe. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. 

Ingredients

6 cups (900 g) MAKES

Date & Fig Purée

  • 16 pitted dates
  • 2 cups (453 g) unsweetened fig purée (store bought) or use 10 rehydrated dried figs
  • 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp (20 ml) acai juice1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp (20 ml) acai juice
  • 1 Tbsp (15 ml) vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup (56 g) coconut oil

Granola

  • 1 cup (160 g) raw pecans
  • 1 cup (140 g) raw cashews
  • 2 cups (280 g) raw almonds
  • 2 cups [160 g) shredded unsweetened coconut
  • 3/4 cup (105 g) pumpkin seeds
  • 1/4 cup (56 g) Fig Purée or unsweetened applesauce
  • 3/4 tsp salt

Directions

  1. Step 1
    Heat the oven to 200°F/95°C. Line an 8-by-16-in (20 by 40.5 cm) baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Step 2
    For the fig purée: Put the dates, fig purée, acai, vanilla, and salt in a small pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Whisk in the coconut oil, cooking the mixture for 3 to 5 minutes to thoroughly combine. Transfer to a blender and purée for 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the blender several times to make sure all the ingredients get fully incorporated. Cool in the refrigerator.
  3. Step 3
    Make the granola: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the pecans, cashews, and almonds a few times, keeping the pieces fairly large. Pour the chopped nuts into a large bowl and add the shredded coconut, pumpkin seeds, fig purée (or apple sauce), and salt. Mix well with a wood spoon.
  4. Step 4
    Transfer the mixture to the parchment-lined sheet tray and spread it out evenly. Bake until golden brown and crunchy, stirring with a spoon 2 or 3 times during baking, 40 to 45 minutes. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of weeks.

Adapted from Good for You: Bold Flavors with Benefits by Akhtar Nawab (Chronicle Books, 2020)

Substitutions: As a substitution for the pecans, cashews, almonds, and pumpkin seeds here, use what you have on hand: walnuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, etc.