Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds and cinnamon in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the maple syrup and oil, stir together until all the dry ingredients are moistened.
Spread the granola on a large baking sheet. Bake the granola until it begins to brown, approximately 25 minutes, then stir it with a flat spatula. Let the granola continue to bake for 15-20 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, and watching it carefully to be sure it doesn't burn during the last few minutes.
Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack and add the raisins (or dates), stirring to combine. Let cool completely and transfer it to an airtight container or zippered bag.
The granola can be stored for a month on the shelf or frozen for over 6 months. (You can serve the granola straight from the freezer - it doesn't get hard and thaws immediately when milk is poured on it. A trick to avoid that awful stale granola taste!)
Mr Breakfast would like to thank HollyMartel for this recipe.
