Sheila's Crispy Date Nut Granola (Sheila M. Fox)

My family and I have always enjoyed granola for breakfast or a snack. About a year ago, a customer explained how easy it is to create homemade granola. Wanting to keep costs down and still eat healthy, I thought I would try making some myself. I discovered that homemade is much more flavorful and hearty. I haven’t bought pre-made since. I hope you'll enjoy this recipe as much as my family has. 

Ingredients

3 cups organic quick oats (1 minute)

2 tablespoons NOW Real Food® Maple Syrup*

¼ teaspoon cinnamon (ground)

½ cup crispy rice cereal

½ cup dried dates (coarsely chopped)

2 cups organic rolled oats

1/2 cup cup raw almonds

1/3 cup raw cashews

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Mix rolled oats, quick oats, almonds and cashews in a large bowl; set aside.
3. Warm honey, maple syrup, and cinnamon in small saucepan.
4. Slowly mix warmed liquids into dry ingredients until all dry pieces are moistened.
5. Divide mixture between the two cookie sheets and spread evenly to the edges of the pan.
6. Bake pans in oven 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes--with the spatula, scrape mixture from the edges to the middle, stir, then spread out evenly again. Grains should be golden brown when done.
7. Remove cookie sheets from oven and immediately mix ingredients with the crispy rice cereal and the dates.
8. Let mixture cool to room temperature before storing in airtight containers. Enjoy!

*NOW items available at your local health food store