Sesame Date Granola (gluten-free, refined sugar-free, vegan, and all around healthy)

A few years ago, my husband decided to cut refined sugar out of his diet. And I’ve got to be honest with you, when he did it, I was mad. And I don’t mean just a little bit annoyed. I mean MAD. Big, angry, cranky, wanted to kick and scream, MAD. Now, I realize that an appropriate response would have been to be impressed, supportive, proud or inspired, but I felt none of those things. It’s not like he was even trying to pressure me into joining him, he just quietly started reading labels and stopped eating any of the desserts I baked and didn’t order treats when we were out. It was all very reasonable, but it didn’t feel that way to me. It took a few months for me to understand my own reactions, but it came down to a feeling of jealousy. He has discipline and will power that I never believed I could possess. Because I doubted my own ability for restraint, I resented that it came so easily to him.

And come on, have you seen this blog? Do you know me at all? Then you probably get how important sweets are in my life, and how a good cookie or cake brings me sheer happiness, and a chewy brownie brings me comfort when all else fails. So the idea of giving that up scared the daylights out of me. Scared maybe isn’t the word…..I was worried that I would feel deprived, and that isn’t something I was willing to entertain. But truth be told, his sugar-free period lasted around 6 months, and he then went back to his normal ways.

But jump ahead to this past spring, and the sugar-free plan resurfaced. But this time, I was finally open to thinking about it. What changed? Me. I changed. I got to a point where I felt like something had to give, and I had to put my health as a higher priority. I hadn’t been feeling great during the winter, my energy had been low, and I needed a kickstart. My mom has been refined-sugar free for almost a decade (well, if you don’t count her celebratory chocolate indulgences every so often, which I think just makes her human,)  and has been preaching the benefits forever. With both she and Brian telling me how great they felt, I decided it was worth a shot. Admittedly, the first few days were HARD. I had to change almost 40 years of deep rooted habits, and my body was not pleased. The crankiness I felt when Brian began his sugar-free stint a few years ago was nothing compared to how my body and mood reacted to the lack of chocolate and the missing sugar high. I wanted to cry.  But I was determined to push through it, and after a week, it got easier. And after two, I could comfortably turn down cake at a birthday party. (Crazy, right?!? Did you know you could do that? Actually say, “no thank you,” when someone offers you a piece? I honestly didn’t know that. I mean, who wants to offend the host that you don’t want her cake? Especially when it’s homemade with 7 rainbow colored layers?) And after 3 weeks, I wasn’t really missing it. It was that quick. And it’s because I could feel the improvement and it was worth it. I felt more in control of my cravings, my skin was dramatically different, I was losing weight, I was sleeping better, and I had more energy. No fancy supplements or crazy diets, just attention to what I did and did not eat. And by attention, I mean reading labels. Did you know that there’s sugar in tortilla chips, salsa, almost every bottled dressing, red pepper hummus, and most other packaged products? It’s a little frightening. But for a good 6 or 7 weeks I did my best to avoid it, and I felt fantastic.

Now, this space is about reality, and not just an idealized version of who I want to be. Which means I have to tell it straight: my sugar-free phase hasn’t lasted. But it has informed and changed my eating and cooking habits. I am much more aware of what I am purchasing, and how I compose a recipe. What I learned during the spring is that I can make delicious food without relying on traditional sugars to sweeten things up. I discovered a love of dates, and since they deepen flavors naturally I can achieve similarly satisfying results in many of my favorite foods. The spicy asian noodle dish I make all the time stands up with dates, and so does my morning granola.

As much as I love the Coconut Maple Granola I posted months ago, my new Sesame Date Granola might even be better. I make a batch of it every week, and it is by far my favorite way to start the day. Just as easy as the original, it comes together with less than ten minutes of prep time, and 45 minutes in the oven. You mix your dry ingredients all together, and then you use your blender or food processor to combine the dates, coconut oil, water and tahini into a thick coating. You mix it all up and you’ve got a slightly sweetened, perfect as cereal, granola. The date paste allows the granola to form clumps without any effort, and with a touch of cinnamon and ginger you feel like every spoonful has a complex pop.

The recipe is flexible, so if you aren’t a sesame fan, just leave out the seeds and tahini, and it will still be heavenly. Throw in whatever nuts you have on hand, and change around the spices to fit your preference. If you want a little extra crunch, throw in some crispy rice cereal to the mix, and you’ll wonder why you haven’t done this before. (And yes, there are gluten-free and refined sugar-free brands out there if you’re looking.) Keep the whole giant batch for yourself, or share it with neighbors and friends. Packed up in jars or in little plastic bags tied with twine, it makes a perfect hostess gift. It’s healthy, filling, easy to make, and tastes divine. My worry about feeling deprived was for nothing, because not only does this satisfy a sweet craving when served in a bowl with fresh or dried fruit, but it makes me ooh and ahh with every bite. It’s that good, and good for you. I hope you make it, and if you do, please make sure to let me know in the comments!