Date & Seed Granola Bars

Written By majed ali

In Ramadan, for suhoor, I normally stick to yogurt, bananas, or anything with fiber. I don’t usually go beyond that. But sometimes you just want a change — something easy to grab and go, something a bit nuttier or crunchier, especially since I’m someone who’s obsessed with crunchy and nutty textures.

So I decided to come up with these granola bars. The idea behind them was also to give my mom more options for suhoor, because she’s the kind of person who will grab whatever is in sight and have it as a snack or for suhoor.

I wanted to hit two birds with one stone by developing this recipe — something nourishing enough for suhoor, but also something she could enjoy as a small bite after a heavy iftar meal.

These are made with dates and seeds, but you have the freedom to substitute whatever you like. I’ll write down the ingredients below. It’s very easy to make — just a simple one-bowl recipe.

Ingredients

  • 200 g (2 cups) rolled oats

  • 150 g (1 cup) mixed seeds

    (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds)

  • 50 g (⅓ cup) pistachios, roughly chopped

  • 100 g (½ cup / 7 Tbsp) unsalted butter

  • 50 g (2½ Tbsp) clear honey

  • 100 g (½ cup) brown sugar

  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

  • 100 g (about ½ cup) Medjool dates, pitted and coarsely chopped

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F).

Grease and line an 8 × 8 inch (20 × 20 cm) baking pan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the rolled oats, mixed seeds, and pistachios.

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter with the honey and brown sugar, stirring occasionally until smooth and well combined. Pour the warm mixture over the dry ingredients and stir gently to combine.

Add the cinnamon and chopped dates. Mix well.

Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking pan and press it down evenly using a small palette knife or the back of a spoon.

Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until golden.

Allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before slicing into bars (about 4 × 8 cm).

For Extra Crunch

For a crunchier texture, roast the oats, seeds, and pistachios on a baking tray at 180°C (350°F) for 20 minutes before mixing with the butter mixture.

majed ali
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