Nut-Free Granola

Nut-Free Granola

1 cup sunflower seeds, unsalted

1 cup pumpkin seeds, unsalted

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup hemp seeds or chia seeds

1/2 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened

3 tbs. pure maple sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup raw honey

1/2 cup sunflower seed butter, unsweetened

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup medjool dates, coursely chopped

1/2 cup dried figs, coursely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

2. Cover two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

3. Place 1/2 cup of the sunflower seeds and 1/2 cup of the pumpkin seeds into a coffee grinder or food processor and pulse until seeds are chopped into pieces. (After I process mine in a coffee grinder, I have 1 part course flour and one part chopped seeds.)

3. In a large bowl, combine all seeds, including the processed portion, (sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, hemp, chia) and shredded coconut.

4. Add maple sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Mix well. Set aside.

5. In a small saucepan, heat coconut oil, raw honey, sunflower seed butter and honey over low heat for about four to five minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Once it has melted and become a thick liquid, pour over seed mixture and mix with a spoon until well combined.

7. Spread granola mixture onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheets, making a thin layer by flattening with a spoon, keeping the mixture together as if you are making a giant cookie cake.

8. Heat for 1 hour and 20 minutes, stirring and flattening every 25 minutes.

9. Remove from heat. Add dates and figs to granola and mix well. Flatten mixture onto cookie sheet and let cool at room temperature for 1-2 hours. Store in an airtight container in fridge up to three weeks.

*Option: If you do well with nuts, I recommend adding 1/2 cup pistachios and 1/2 cup cashews in place of the sesame/hemp/chia seeds.