Rawnola (no-bake vegan granola, oil-free, fruit-sweetened)

Looking for a simple, no-cook, delicious and truly healthy breakfast and treat recipe that keeps forever in the fridge?  This fruit-sweetened, oil-free vegan Rawnola recipe is going be your new favorite!  Ready in minutes and bursting with classic cinnamon-y granola flavor, this raw adaptation is just as delicious and even more nutritious.  Made with six simple whole-food ingredients, say goodbye to paying exorbitant grocery prices for granola with less-than-ideal ingredients (like sugars and oils).

Whether you’re nutritarian or just looking for an incredibly simple, healthy and satisfying breakfast idea, I think you’re going to love this Rawnola recipe…

What makes this Rawnola recipe special? 

• 6 simple ingredients
• no cooking or baking required
• 5 minutes to make
• sweetened only with whole dates (means a lower glycemic reaction than recipes with sugar, molasses or maple syrup)
• uses nuts and seeds instead of oils for healthy fats (preferred fats with intact fiber)
• high in plant-derived omega-3s (from the walnuts and flaxseeds)
• incredible 3-week+ shelf life in the refrigerator

What is Rawnola?

To put it simply: rawnola is a healthy raw granola.

There is no baking involved.  Instead, you use a food processor (or sometimes a blender) to mince ingredients down into granola-like pieces.  Another key element is that whole dates are used as the main sweetener instead of the typical sugars and syrups used in traditional baked granola recipes.

Rawnola recipes came on the scene somewhere in the mid-2010s and have been a popular healthy plant-based recipe ever since.  Honestly, I don’t know what took me so long to hop on this train–but I’m so very glad that I have!

What are the key health benefits of eating raw granola?

• No acrylamides: These are harmful chemical compounds that form when cooking food at high temperatures (above 245° F).  Acrylamides are the toxic byproducts of frying, baking and roasting. (source)
• Raw nuts and seeds have higher nutrient content: Roasting and baking can degrade certain heat-sensitive nutrients and vitamins found in nuts and seeds. (source)
• Sweetened with dates: Most traditional granolas are made with sugar, honey, molasses or maple syrup which lack the intact fibers and phytochemicals found in dates. Dates prevent glycemic spikes because they have intact fibers and less calories. (source)
• No oils: Most baked granolas recipes require at least some amount of oil.  Rawnola gets healthy fats from raw nuts and seeds which retain their fiber and phytonutrients.

What 6 simple ingredients do you need for this healthy Rawnola?

1. dates
2. raw walnuts
3. rolled oats
4. ground flaxseed
5. cinnamon
6. vanilla extract

Dates: The fresher and softer the dates you use the better the result will be.  I used Medjool dates when developing this recipe, but feel free to use the same amount of the dates of your choice with an eye towards softness.  If you only have super-dried out dates on hand you can revive them by soaking them overnight or soaking for 15 minutes in very hot water (just covering).  Allow the soaked dates to dry off before using them in the recipe or you’ll end up with a gloopy mess.

Is it safe to eat “raw” rolled oats? 

Yes!

Rolled oats are steamed and flattened as part of their processing, so they’re not technically raw at all.  Does that mean I need to change this recipe name to mostly-rawnola? (wink-wink)

If you have trouble digesting “raw” rolled oats feel free to substitute the oats for 1/2 cup nuts, coconut flakes or seeds or your choice.  Just be mindful that the calories and fat will be increased with those substitutions.

How to make this recipe:

You’ll need a food processor for this Rawnola recipe and you’re only going to use the pulse function because it’s very easy to over-process this recipe.  When I was developing this recipe I had quite a few failed attempts where I over-processed and ended up having to make energy bites instead.

Pay particular attention to the numbers of pulses I recommend and stick to them for the best results!  

First, add the whole walnuts to your food processor first.  Pulse for 3 seconds.

Next, add in all of the dates and pulse 13 to 15 times.

Finally, add in the vanilla extract, rolled oats, flaxseed and cinnamon and pulse 3 to 5 times.

The final result should be a medium-large mince similar in size to granola.  There may be some bigger pieces of dates and that’s okay!  As I warned you, there’s a fine line between Rawnola and energy bite dough.

What is the taste and texture like? 

Taste: The Rawnola tastes sweet, with notes of vanilla and cinnamon and has a lovely natural nuttiness from the walnuts and ground flax.  The flavor melds and compliments whatever you top it with, from fresh fruit to yogurt or smoothie bowls.

For me, the natural nuttiness and cinnamon flavor have made it fall season favorite but it honestly works for every time of year (much like traditional granola).

Texture: The texture is satisfyingly chewy (thanks to the bulk of dates) with hints of crunch from the larger bits of nuts and oats. Overall, it’s a very pleasurable mix of subtle textures but it will not be crispy like conventional granola.

What are the storage recommendations?

Fridge: Rawnola must be stored in the refrigerator.  It keeps for 3 to 4 weeks (yes, you read that right) in a glass Mason jar with tight-fitting lid.  Because all of the ingredients are already shelf-stable on their own you get incredible longevity out of this Rawnola!

Freezer: This is not my preferred storage method for this recipe because you can get such a long shelf life from just storing it in the refrigerator–why bother with the unwanted textural changes that come with freezing?

These are some of my favorite ways to enjoy Rawnola:

• sprinkled over fresh fruit with or without plant milk (check out my recipe for high-protein banana-almond milk)
• as a topping for warm Apple Pie Filling (or your favorite homemade applesauce)
• sprinkled over crispy, tart apple nachos (shown here with my Date Caramel sauce)
• as a fun textural topping for smoothies (like this or this) or a smoothie bowl

How much can you have on the nutritarian plan? 

If you’re following the Aggressive Weight Loss Plan: I recommend no more than half the recommended serving size.  So, for weight loss purposes you’ll want to do a 2-Tbsp. portion instead of 1/4 cup.

The best way to enjoy this Rawnola for weight loss: Use it as a topping for fresh fruit, especially berries.  You can also microwave frozen strawberries or blueberries and sprinkle the Rawnola on top for some healthy crisp or crumble action.

Nut & Seed Allotment: Dr. Fuhrman advises women who are trying to lose weight should have no more than 1 ounce of nuts and seeds daily while overweight men can have 1.5 – 2 ounces (see source here).  One ounce is 28.35 grams.  Half a serving of this Rawnola (2 Tbsp.) has 8.5 grams of nuts and seeds, so keep that in mind as you plan the rest of your intake for the day.

Dates: Dr. Furhman generally advocates for dessert recipes that are sweetened with one-half to two Madjool dates tops per serving.  A 2 Tbsp. portion of Rawnola has comes in at 1.4 Madjool date.  So, you won’t want to have more than 1/2 a date on a day where you enjoy this treat.

If you’ve reached your ideal BMI (under 23): You can enjoy a full 1/4-cup portion or more (especially if you’re very active).

5 from 1 vote

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Rawnola (no-bake vegan granola, oil-free, fruit-sweetened)

This 5-minute Rawnola is full of health-promoting omega-3s, has a satisfying chewy-crunchy texture and a sweet cinnamon-vanilla flavor that tastes great on everything!

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword gluten-free, healthy, no cook, nutritarian, oil free, refined sugar free, WFPB

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 7 servings

Calories 249 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups pitted Medjool dates* ~280 grams
• 1 cup raw whole walnuts ~112 grams
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract ~4 mL
• 1/2 cup rolled oats** ~50 grams
• 1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed ~7 grams
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon ~4 grams

Instructions

1. You’ll need a food processor for this recipe and you’re only going to use the pulse function because it’s very easy to over-process.

2. First, add the whole walnuts to your food processor first. Pulse for 3 seconds.

3. Next, add in all of the dates. Pulse 13 to 15 times.

4. Finally, add in the vanilla extract, rolled oats, flaxseed and cinnamon. Pulse 3 to 5 times.

5. The final result should be a medium-large mince similar in size to granola.  There may be some bigger pieces of dates and that’s okay.  

Recipe Notes

Recipe Yield: just over 2 3/4 cups (~438 grams) 

Servings: seven 1/4-cup or fourteen 2-Tbsp. servings 

NOTES:

*Medjool dates: 1 1/2 cups pitted Medjool dates measures out to 19 to 20 dates.  The fresher and softer the dates you use the better the result will be. 

Substituting with other date varieties: Feel free to use the same amount of the dates of your choice with an eye towards softness. 

If your dates are hard: Revive them by soaking them overnight or soaking for 15 minutes in very hot water (just covering). Allow the soaked dates to dry off before using them.

**Substituting rolled oats: If you have trouble digesting uncooked rolled oats feel free to substitute the oats for 1/2 cup nuts, coconut flakes or seeds or your choice. Be mindful the calories and fat will be affected.

STORAGE: 

Stores for 3 to 4 weeks in a glass Mason jar with tight-fitting lid.   

 

Nutrition facts shown for 1/4-cup portion:

Nutrition Facts

Rawnola (no-bake vegan granola, oil-free, fruit-sweetened)

Amount per Serving

Calories

249

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

12

g

18

%

Saturated Fat

 

1.1

g

7

%

Sodium

 

1.1

mg

0

%

Potassium

 

2623.59

mg

75

%

Carbohydrates

 

36

g

12

%

Fiber

 

4.3

g

18

%

Sugar

 

27.1

g

30

%

Protein

 

4.1

g

8

%

Vitamin A

 

20.72

IU

0

%

Vitamin C

 

1.46

mg

2

%

Calcium

 

44.7

mg

4

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

I’d love to know what you think if you give this recipe a try!

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