Crunchy Granola with date syrup and flavoured with ground ginger and cardamom to bring the traditional Emirati Batheetha to your breakfast bowl. Of course, the other usual granola suspects will show up too! You guessed it, the nuts, seeds, dried fruits, etc!
Now, wondering what is Batheeth. Batheeth or Batheetha is a traditional Emirati sweet snack made with dates and is heavily flavoured with ginger and cardamom. What I did though is bring the traditional Batheeth into our modern breakfast bowl in the form of Granola!
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Date Syrup Granola Ingredients
Granola made with dates syrup is an idea that can easily be overlooked because we always want what the west does - maple syrup, honey, etc. I have previously tried making granola with date paste, but molasses or syrup is a much better choice. This granola recipe can easily be tagged as a healthier option because I have used rolled oats, unrefined oil, and naturally sweetened.
But remember that in diet, moderation is the key because we tend to eat more when it is tagged healthy which nullifies the effort. Guilty.
Here are the ingredients you can use to make a basic date paste granola:
- Oats: Use whole-grain old-fashioned oats so that they can retain shape during baking.
- Nuts and Seeds: I have used cashews, pistachios, and green pumpkin seeds to make this batch. Other options include pecans, almonds, walnuts and sunflower seeds or sesame seeds.
- Fat/Oil: You need oil to make granola crisp and irresistible. I prefer extra virgin olive oil or melted butter. You may use coconut oil but I have not tested it.
- Date syrup: As the title suggests, I have used date syrup for this recipe. I am sure this will work great with real maple syrup or even honey works great too.
- Ground spices: For the spice, I added ginger and cardamom to this batch to keep with the theme of Batheeth. A pinch of salt brings out all the flavours of cooked food, so do not skip it!
- Dried fruits: These add extra sweetness, texture and flavour. I used dried cranberries for this batch. I have previously used raisins, coconut flakes and torn dried apricots too.
- Egg white: I always use egg white which I highly recommend for the elevated taste and texture.
- dried rose petals (optional)
How to make granola without a recipe?
I wish I had taken the time and effort to share every variation of granola I made over the years. I have listed all that in my granola recipe post. But it is so much easier if you know a ratio that can help you build your own granola with your favourite ingredients. My secret to amazing batches of granola is born from this article on Epicurious - How to make granola without a recipe.
The ratio of 6 parts of dry items to 1 part of wet items works amazingly for smaller batches too. Going by this ratio, 1 cup of dry (oats and nuts) will approximately require 3 tablespoons of wet (oil and liquid sweetener). You can add more oil or more sweetener or make it 50/50.
Mix the dry items. Whisk the wet items. Fold both until well-coated. Bake until golden. Cool it completely so that it becomes crispy too. Stir in the seeds, dried fruits, choco chips, rose petals, etc.
Variations
You can make this differently by adding different groups of dried fruits, nuts and seeds each time you make it. I have used dried rose petals and chopped pistachios for added colour and taste. In an earlier batch, I stirred in some chocolate chips and cinnamon chips after the granola was completely cooled.
Equipment
This recipe can be made using oven, microwave or stovetop. For Microwave and stovetop, do in small batches. You can checkout my 10 minutes microwave granola recipe for instructions.
Storage
The best way to store any granola is in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. A glass jar with a tight-fitting lid or a resealable plastic bag are good options for storing granola. You can also store granola in the refrigerator or freezer to extend its shelf life, but be sure to use an airtight container to prevent moisture and freezer burn. When stored properly, granola can last for up to several weeks.
Top tip
Whisk the wet ingredients together in a bowl before adding to the dry ingredients. This will help in getting uniform texture and taste.
FAQ
What can you use to bind granola? or Why is my granola not clumping? To get the granola to stick together, we use a binding agents like natural sweeteners like date syrup, honey or maple syrup. You can also use nut butters like Peanut butter or almond butter. You can use them in place of or in addition to liquid sweetener. Even an egg white make a gread choice of binding granola. If you like coconut oil, then use melted coconut oil as it solidifies at room temperature it helps to hold the ingredients together.
There are a few reasons why your granola may taste bitter:
Over-toasting: If the granola is toasted for too long or at too high of a temperature, it can become bitter.
Burnt nuts or seeds: This can happen if you add more nuts than oats.
Rancid ingredients: If the nuts, seeds, or oils used in the granola are rancid, they can also contribute to a bitter taste.
To prevent bitter tasting granola, make sure to follow the recipe carefully, check the granola frequently while toasting, and use fresh, high-quality ingredients.
Related
Date syrup can be finished off easily but if you have some date paste to use up, then try these:
📖 Recipe
Batheetha Granola made with Date Syrup
Ingredients
Dry items
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup almonds or cashews
- 1½ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1½ teaspoon ground ginger
- a pinch of salt
Wet items
- ⅓ cup date syrup or date molasses
- ¼ cup cooking oil melted butter or extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
- 1 egg white If you don't want to use egg white, then add 2 tablespoons of the same oil instead.
add after cooled
- ¼ cup sesame seeds (optional)
- ½ cup dried fruits raisins, cranberries, apricots, etc. (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 150℃ and line a large sheet pan with parchment/baking paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, nuts, salt, ground cardamom and ground ginger.
- In another smaller bowl, whisk the date syrup, egg white and oil or butter until combined. Stir this into the oats mixture and fold until well coated. Transfer the mixture onto the lined sheet pan and use a spoon to spread them in an even layer.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring halfway and until the granola is golden. Keep an eye on them as they can easily go from baked to burnt. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool completely. The granola will start to crisp up only as it cools. So do not wait for it to crisp in the oven, then it will be burnt.
- Stir in the seeds and dried fruits, if using only after the granola mixture is completely cooled. I stirred in a few chopped pistachios and dried rose petals to add a pop of colour.
- Store the granola in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks, or keep it in the freezer for longer shelf life. Serve as is or with yoghurt.
Becky says
Thanks for this post! I wanted to use up some of the stuff I had in my pantry, including date syrup, so that's how I came across your site. I currently have a batch of granola in the oven and it smells heavenly. I used oats, olive oil, date syrup, chopped dates, raisins, almonds, sesame seeds, and a little tahini.