This blog post is sponsored by California Dates but as always, the opinions and experiences expressed in this post are my own.
Prepare yourself for one hot date. No need to put on fancy shoes or spend an hour fixing your makeup though, because this eligible bachelor appreciates natural beauty, wholesome sweetness, and intelligence more than anything else. Rich, worldly, yet down to earth, its impossible to resist his charm. Ready to swipe right on this man of mystery? Well, I’m actually talking about dates. Whole, fresh dates, a universally beloved fruit with a whole lot of heart.
Though the majority of those found in stores fall into the “soft” category (versus the “semi-dry” and “dry” varieties), not all dates are created equal. Huge disparities in quality exist even within the same cultivar, depending on climate, water, soil, and topography, otherwise known as terroir. Yes, just like wine, California is uniquely suited to grow the very finest Medjool dates, moist, succulent, and honeyed through and through.
California dates add a natural sweetness with a lower glycemic Index than sugar. In fact, California dates are a healthy sugar substitute and can be used cup for cup in cooking and baking. Beyond imparting great taste, dates also add fiber, nutrients and antioxidants and other polyphenols to the diet.
Paying homage to the bountiful state that these fruits call home, I wanted to highlight some of the best that California has to offer, all in one nutritious morsel of sunshine. Beaming with the brilliant color of turmeric, the three official state nuts, almonds, pistachios, and walnuts, team up in a chunky, crunchy granola blend. Sweetened entirely with dates, the thick and hearty clusters are equally alluring at breakfast and snack time. Spiced with warming ginger, sensuous cinnamon, and exotic cardamom, each bite takes you on trip straight to the west coast- Or as I like to say, the best coast.
Stay sweet, stay golden, and don’t forget to indulge in a blind date every now and then.
Golden State Granola
Beaming with the brilliant color of turmeric, the three official state nuts, almonds, pistachios, and walnuts, team up in a chunky, crunchy granola blend. Sweetened entirely with dates, the thick and hearty clusters are equally alluring at breakfast and snack time. Spiced with warming ginger, sensuous cinnamon, and exotic cardamom, each bite takes you on trip straight to the west coast.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Cups Medjool Dates, Pitted and Divided
- 1/4 Cup Coconut Oil, Melted
- 1/2 Cup Aquafaba
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Cups Quick-Cooking Rolled Oats
- 1 Cup Crispy Brown Rice Cereal
- 1/2 Cup Pistachios
- 1/2 Cup Walnuts, Roughly Chopped
- 1/2 Cup Whole Almonds
- 2 Teaspoons Ground Turmeric
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Ground Ginger
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cardamom
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cayenne Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 300 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Place 1 cup of the pitted dates into your blender along with the coconut oil, aquafaba, and vanilla. Puree on high speed, pausing to scrape down the sides of the canister as needed, until completely smooth. Set aside.
- Chop the remaining 1/2 cup of dates and place them in a large bowl, along with the oats, cereal, nuts, and spices. Toss to combine, making sure all the dry ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
- Pour the liquid blend into the bowl and stir well, until fully incorporated.
- Distribute the granola evenly between the prepared baking sheets, spreading it into as thin and consistent a layer as possible.
- Bake for 40 - 50 minutes, stirring halfway through, until lightly toasted and dry to the touch. It will get crisper as it cools, so don't panic if it still seems a bit soft fresh out of the oven.
- Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 275Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 152mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 5gSugar: 20gProtein: 5g
All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimates.
I have only recently begun to eat them and I love them!
I grew up eating dates…they are the best! Medjool are my favs. Thanks!
! love dates and use them a lot, as I live in a country where they grow:) And your granola sounds very yummy:)
Dates are amazing, love the variety and how great they are in recipes and this recipe sounds perfect. Thanks!
This sounds like a delicious granola. Adding it to my breakfast yogurt would be a great way to start the morning.
Delicious!
Hi Hannah,
Last week I made the Golden State Granola and it came out really well. I used a turmeric ginger latte mix (turmeric (53%), cinnamon, ginger (15%), nutmeg, cardamom, black pepper and saffron) and maybe I got a little heavy handed with it, thinking it only had 53% turmeric, so the taste was very earthy. Because I did not write any notes down (and my brain is clearly not working properly), I do not remember if I kept the amounts of ginger, cinnamon and cardamom the same as in your recipe.
Anyway, it is a marvelous recipe (I am always looking for new granola recipes) and next time I will use plain turmeric as mentioned in your recipe.
By the way, I did not have any time to make recipes from your new cookbook ‘Sweet Vegan Treats’ as yet (I want to go and live in the kitchen and forget about all the obligations!) but of course I have flipped through the pages and I was thinking the whole time ‘oh I want to make this right now!’ because the photographs and the recipes/ingredients are entirely my kind of baking – thank you!
I’m over the moon to hear all this! Things have changed so much since I first started writing recipes, and I did wonder deep down if anyone really wanted more desserts. It’s such a relief, and joy, to know that they do! Thank you so much. Take your time enjoying Sweet Vegan Treats and don’t hesitate to reach out with more questions or comments. <3
I’d love to try this Golden State Granola. I’ll order some from the best Medjool dates in California
[…] Granola: While you could always add chopped dates into your favorite granola formula after baking for extra bites of sweetness, they’re also fantastic when used as a sticky binder to make more substantial oat clusters, as is the case in this recipe for Golden State Granola. […]