Preheat the Oven

• Preheat the oven to 350° F (175 °C).

Poach the Dates

• Place the chopped dates in a small pan on the stove.
• Zest the orange, to create approximately 1 teaspoon of zest. Add the orange zest to the dates in the pan.
• Cut the orange in half horizontally and squeeze out as much juice as you can into a measuring cup. You will likely get about 1/4 of juice.
• Top up the orange juice with water, until you have 1/2 cup of liquid. (This will require around 1/4 cup of water.)
• Add the liquid to the dates and orange zest in the pan.
• Poach the dates on medium-low heat for approximately five minutes. The dates will absorb the liquid. As the liquid is absorbed, stir and turn the heat to low to prevent burning. (Sugar scorches easily.) When you have a lumpy date paste with little liquid left free in the pan, you are done poaching the dates.

Mix Ingredients

• In a large bowl, add the poached dates and the remainder of the ingredients.
• Mix well.

Bake

• Place parchment paper onto a 9×13 inch glass baking dish.
• Spread the mixture on the bottom of the dish and press firmly until it forms an even layer.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes. Each oven is different, so check at the ten minute mark. Bake until nicely browned.
• Let the granola cool in the pan. This will help the granola stick together so that you get nice clusters.

Enjoy & Store

• Enjoy your granola with your favorite fruit, yogurt, and/or milk.
• Store left over granola is an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.