Oh boy. I can’t wait for you to try this granola! I just perfected the recipe this morning and had to get it posted right away. As the name implies, it is chock-full of nuts and vanilla, as well as coconut. This granola has just a tiny bit of sweetness. As I’ve written about before here, I have an unfortunate sensitivity to sugar, which causes increased inflammation in my body and leads to joint pain and swelling. I can tolerate only very small amounts of sugar before beginning to feel the negative effects. Not very exciting stuff, but it has inspired me to create new recipes as I search for satisfying and delicious foods without the sugar.

Hence, Vanilla Nut Granola. The perfect breakfast or snack food, without all the sugar found in just about every brand of grocery store granola! The terrific flavors come from cashews, pecans, and coconut (which does have a smidge of sugar all on its own), along with cinnamon and vanilla. A little salt sets off the nut flavors perfectly. Tigernut flour, arrowroot starch, gelatin, coconut oil, and cashew butter, along with just two teaspoons of maple syrup, work to bind it all together to create those granola clumps that are so yummy.

I topped mine off with a few chopped dates and unsweetened dried blueberries for even more flavor, but you could use raisins or dried cranberries if you prefer, or use fresh fruit instead.

Most of the ingredients for this granola were sourced from Azure Standard. If you aren’t yet familiar with this company, I’d love to introduce you to them. Based in Oregon, Azure ships and delivers healthy products nationwide: everything from organic non-GMO food to health and beauty products to gardening supplies. Azure even stocks organic animal feed, which is how I discovered them.

When we moved from Oklahoma to Ohio in 2010, I began looking for a source of organic scratch grains for my chickens. Our local feed store carried one selection, but it was prohibitively expensive. So I began searching online and voila! I found that Azure Standard was an excellent option for all kinds of organic grains for both my family and my chickens. Then I discovered the wide variety of organic foods they supply, and I’ve been ordering from them ever since. I love that ALL of Azure’s products are non-GMO, as well as the fact that they are free from artificial ingredients. You can find out more on their website by clicking on the “About” tab.

Below are a few of the Azure ingredients I used for this recipe. Their dried coconut is absolutely the BEST! If you’ve never tried coconut with the peel on, it is delicious, with the added benefit of the extra fiber found in the peel.

Read on for the recipe, and please let me know how it turns out for you!

• 1 c. pecans

• 1 c. cashews

• 1 1/2 c. coconut flakes (I used Azure Standard Dried Coconut)

• 2 Tbs. tigernut flour

• 2 Tbs. arrowroot starch

• 1 Tbs. gelatin

• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp. sea salt

• 3 Tbs. virgin coconut oil

• 3 Tbs. cashew butter (or other nut butter)

• 1 Tbs. vanilla extract

• 2 tsp. pure maple syrup

• 4 dates, pitted and chopped (I love Azure Standard’s Deglet Noor dates)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Pulse cashews, pecans, and coconut in food processor until chopped. You want a mix of ground nuts, small pieces, and large chunks. The ground nuts and coconut will help to bind everything together.
3. Pour ground nuts and coconut into a large bowl.
4. Add tigernut flour, arrowroot starch, gelatin, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
5. In a small saucepan, heat coconut oil, cashew butter, sea salt, and maple syrup over low heat until coconut oil is melted. Add vanilla and stir well to combine.
6. Pour coconut oil mixture over dry ingredients and stir until well mixed. Spread evenly on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle chopped dates evenly over the top.
7. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and stir. Bake for 10 more minutes or until light golden brown.
8. Allow granola to cool in pan completely before transferring to an airtight container. Granola will keep for up to 4 days at room temperature.

Enjoy!