Ingredients: 

• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup ground flax seed
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup olive oil (or coconut oil)
• 1/4 cup honey (or maple syrup)
•  1/4 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped dates (or a mix of dried fruit)
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips (I used dark)

• Melted dark chocolate

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F or 160C. Line a 9inch baking pan with parchment paper. Grease the sides of the pan.
2. Place oats in a food processor and pulse briefly to break into smaller pieces. If using quick-cooking oats like Quaker brand, you can skip this step.
3. Place the oats and shredded coconut on baking sheet. Toast in the oven until golden brown about 8-12 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the flax meal, salt and cinnamon. Mix to incorporate and set aside.
4. In a small saucepan, warm up the oil, honey, coconut sugar, and vanilla just until warm and the sugar has dissolved. Pour over the oat mixture while it’s still warm, and stir to combine. Add the dates and fold in.
5. Transfer the granola mix to the prepared pan. Distribute the mix evenly and press down firmly with your hand. If the mixture seems sticky, dampen your fingers with a little water. Make sure you press down very well to make sure the bars don’t break apart when you slice them later on.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely before removing from the pan and slicing.
7. Drizzle on some melted dark chocolate for those extra picky eaters.