Vanilla Bean Nut-ola

This recipe is not much of a recipe in the fact that you can really go any direction with it. I used to make granola, but since going (mostly) grain & gluten free, oats were out of the question which is why I called this Nut-ola. It is a delicious mixture of nuts and dried fruits and more similar to nut clusters, but perfect on top of yogurt, fruit, or with a splash of unsweetened almond milk. I eat it pretty much every morning for breakfast with fruit and a splash of almond milk, and can't get enough of it! You can use any nuts, fruits or spices that suit the season or your taste buds. You can't go wrong with this recipe. I should note that it will seem very runny/watery, but the moisture will dry up as it bakes, and it will harden and crisp up as it sits out and cools. 

Vanilla Bean Nut-ola

Don't overcook the nut mixture. Take it out when it seems to be close to browning, but not browned. It will harden and stiffen up as it cools. 

1/4 cup honey
5-6 dates soaked in very hot water for 5 minutes or so, 3-4 Tbsp of water reserved for sauce
1 vanilla bean, soaked in the water with the dates for a few minutes, the seeds scraped out
1-2 tsp cinnamon or any other spice of choice, like pumpkin pie spice
pinch of salt
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
3 cups roughly chopped nuts ( I used 1 cup walnuts, and 2 cups almonds, but any nut would work great)
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup craisins

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a blender, blend dates (pitted) vanilla bean seeds, water, honey, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. In a large bowl mix the rest of the ingredients with the wet, and spread onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat. You may need two cookie sheets. Bake for 35-40 minutes, stirring every ten minutes or so. Let cool, and break into pieces and keep in a sealed container for up to two weeks.