Maple Tahini Granola
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Easy to make, and full of large crispy clusters and warming spices, this Maple Tahini Granola is downright delicious! It’s made with oats, nuts, seeds and coated in an irresistible tahini and maple syrup blend!
Ever since I made my peanut butter banana protein granola, I’ve been thinking about other granola recipes that can be made with seed or nut butters.
Enter this delicious Maple Tahini Granola! Inspired by Amy Zitelman’s recipe in The Tahini Table cookbook, this healthy granola boasts the perfect balance of savory and sweet flavors.
We have here:
- Heart healthy wholegrain rolled oats.
- Warming spices like cinnamon, cardamom and apple pie spice.
- Crunchy toasted mixed nuts, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds.
- Tahini, a middle eastern sesame paste/butter that helps bind the granola together and lends a lovely nutty flavor.
- Maple syrup as our natural sweetener.
- Sweetened dried cranberries to finish!
This maple tahini granola is super easy to make and great for meal prep. It’s full of healthy fats, protein and fiber and will kick off your morning right!
Whether you serve it over Greek yogurt or with milk for breakfast or enjoy it on its own as a healthy snack, I guarantee you’ll love it and will be making another batch!
If you’re a granola lover, check out my pumpkin spice granola, apple pie granola and tropical coconut pecan granola!
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy to make. Homemade granola is super quick and simple to make and all you need to do is mix, spread, bake and break into clusters. The oven takes care of most of the work!
- Amazing flavors! Tahini paired with warming spices like cinnamon and cardamom and a hint of vanilla is absolutely delicious!
- Full of healthy fats, protein and fiber. Maple tahini granola boasts a good dose of healthy fats, protein and fiber from the nuts, tahini, seeds and oats.
- BIG clusters! Avoiding stirring the granola during baking means you can break the granola up into irresistible big crispy clusters!
- Customizable. Customize it with any of your favorite nuts, seeds and dried fruit.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutes
- Old Fashioned Rolled Oats. Use wholegrain old fashioned rolled oats. Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats if needed. Instant, quick cooking and steel cut oats will not work well in this recipe.
- Seeds: I went with a combination of sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds (pepitas). You could sub in or add raw sesame seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds or hemp seeds.
- Unsalted Mixed Nuts: I used a raw unsalted mixed nuts mix which had pecans, pistachios, almonds and cashew nuts. However, any type of nuts will add some crunch and taste great in this granola! Feel free to chop them up if you like, especially any larger sized nut varieties. I personally prefer to leave them whole.
- Unsweetened Shredded Coconut: Either regular or a reduced fat version. Or use desiccated coconut.
- Spices: We have an epic warming spices combination with ground cardamom, cinnamon, apple pie spice and fine sea salt to bring out the flavors. I used a store-bought apple pie spice blend but a homemade version works too. Or you could use pumpkin pie spice or simply add more cinnamon instead. If using plain table salt, note that you will need to use less.
- Tahini: A sesame paste popular in the Middle East. It is made from pressed sesame seeds. I used a hulled version made from crushed white sesame seeds. It’s creamier and more runny than unhulled tahini.
- Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil: Thanks to the tahini already having some natural oil, you only need a little more additional oil to make the granola crispy and crunchy. I love using extra light tasting olive oil in my homemade granola recipes but softened, melted coconut oil would work too.
- Pure Maple Syrup: To naturally sweeten our granola without adding any sugar. You could use honey or any other natural sweetener you like. Note that using honey would make this granola not vegan.
- Vanilla Extract: A splash because warming vanilla flavors taste excellent in all baked goods and especially when combined with warming spices.
- Sweetened Dried Cranberries: To stir in at the end. Or you could use any other dried fruit or leave it out if preferred.
Full ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below.
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How to Make Maple Tahini Granola
Preheat your oven to 165°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Line a large rimmed baking tray (half sheet pan) with parchment paper or nonstick cooking paper.
- Combine the ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the oats, unsalted mixed nuts, unsweetened shredded coconut, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, fine sea salt, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom and apple pie spice until combined well. Mix in the tahini, extra light tasting olive oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract until everything is evenly coated with the wet ingredients.
- Spread. Pour the granola mixture onto the prepared baking tray. Use a silicone spatula to spread into an even layer. Press down firmly on the mixture to flatten it.
- Bake. Bake for 27-28 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through so that the back of the tray is facing the front and the granola bakes evenly. (Note: If you prefer a loose, crumbly style granola instead of clusters, stir and flip the granola halfway through the baking time).
Be sure to watch closely during the last 5 minutes to make sure the granola doesn’t burn.
- Cool. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack for 45 minutes to an hour. It will continue to crisp up and brown further as it cools. Then break into clusters of your desired size and stir through the dried cranberries.
- Serve! You can enjoy the granola immediately with milk, over Greek yogurt or on its own as a snack.
Or store in an airtight sealed container in a cool dry area for up to 1 month.
Full detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cook’s Tips
- Store the granola in the fridge or freezer. To prolong its life, you can store the granola in the fridge or freezer for up to three months. I recommend freezing individual portions in separate bags so that you only need to thaw what you need. To thaw from frozen, place on the counter to thaw overnight and it’ll be ready for you to enjoy in the morning.
- Cool completely before breaking into clusters. If you try to break up the granola while it’s still warm, it will crumble and turn into a loose style granola. Wait for it to fully cool and firm up so that you can break it up into clusters.
Variations
- Use different nuts. Use any type of nuts or a combination of nuts that you like will. Hazelnuts, walnuts, brazil nuts, macadamias are some other good options.
- Add dried rose petals or other edible dried flowers. This will give the maple tahini granola a fancy look and feel, making it perfect for holiday gifting!
- Use a different sweetener. Sorghum syrup, date syrup, molasses syrup, agave syrup, honey or brown sugar would all work well.
- Use different dried fruit. Raisins, chopped dried figs, golden raisins, dried apricots, dried apples, etc.
FAQs
Hulled tahini is made with sesame seeds that have had their outer husks removed, resulting in a creamier texture and less bitter flavor. Unhulled tahini (also known as whole sesame tahini) is made with the husk still on the sesame seeds. It’s darker in color, stronger in flavor and more nutrient dense.
Most supermarkets will have tahini in stock. You could also buy it from a specialty Middle Eastern grocery store on online.
Tahini is made from raw sesame seeds while tahina is made from roasted sesame seeds.
Runny, creamy natural unsalted peanut butter with no sugar added is a great substitute for tahini. Other options are natural cashew butter and almond butter.
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More Granola Recipes You’ll Love
Maple Tahini Granola
Easy to make, and full of large crispy clusters and warming spices, this Maple Tahini Granola is downright delicious! It’s made with oats, nuts, seeds and coated in an irresistible tahini and maple syrup blend!
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 27
- Total Time: 37 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 375 grams / 4 cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (use gluten-free oats if needed)
- 30 grams / ¼ cup raw unsalted Sunflower Seeds
- 35 grams / ¼ cup raw unsalted Pumpkin Seeds
- 120 grams / 1 cup unsalted Mixed Nuts (I used a mix with pecans, pistachios, almonds and cashews)
- 12 grams / ≈ 4 TBSP Unsweetened Shredded Coconut (or use desiccated coconut, either reduced fat or regular)
- ¾ TSP Fine Sea Salt
- ½ TSP ground Cinnamon
- ½ TSP ground Cardamom
- ¼ TSP Apple Pie Spice (store-bought or homemade – note 1)
- 118 grams / ½ cup hulled Tahini (made from white sesame seeds – note 2)
- 45ml / ≈ ¼ cup Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil (or use melted coconut oil)
- 150ml / 5 fluid ounces Pure Maple Syrup (or use honey – note 3)
- 1 TSP Vanilla Extract
- 60 grams / ½ cup Sweetened Dried Cranberries
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 165°C / 325° F / Gas Mark 3. Line a large rimmed baking tray (half sheet pan) with nonstick cooking paper (parchment paper).
- Combine the dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, mix together the oats, unsalted mixed nuts, unsweetened shredded coconut, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, fine sea salt, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom and apple pie spice until combined well.
- Add the wet ingredients: Add the tahini, extra light tasting olive oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Mix well until everything is evenly coated with the wet ingredients.
- Spread: Pour the granola mixture onto the prepared baking tray. Use a silicone spatula to spread into an even layer and press down firmly on the mixture to flatten it.
- Bake: Bake for 27-28 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through so that the back of the tray is facing the front. (Note: If you prefer a loose, crumbly style granola instead of clusters, stir and flip the granola halfway through the baking time). Watch closely during the last 5 minutes to make sure the granola doesn’t burn. It should be golden brown, mostly dry and lightly toasted.
- Cool: Transfer the tray to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely – about 40-45 minutes. The granola will continue to crisp up and brown further as it cools.
- Break and add cranberries: Once completely cool, use your hands to break into clusters of your desired size. Stir through the dried cranberries.
- Serve or store: Serve immediately with milk, over Greek yogurt or enjoy on its own as a snack. Or store in an airtight sealed container in a cool dry area for up to 1 month.
Notes
- Apple Pie Spice. I used a store-bought apple pie spice blend made from cinnamon, nutmeg mace and cloves. Feel free to use pumpkin pie spice or simply add more cinnamon and other warming spices instead.
- Hulled Tahini: This is a sesame paste popular in the Middle East and used to make hummus, dressings, and more. I used a hulled version (preferred) made from crushed white sesame seeds. It’s creamier and more runny than unhulled tahini which can be slightly bitter due to being made with whole sesame seeds with the husk still on.
- Pure Maple Syrup. You can use honey instead if preferred but note that this granola won’t be vegan if using honey.
- To store granola longer. To prolong its life, you can store the granola in the fridge or freezer for up to three months. I recommend freezing individual portions in separate bags so that you only need to thaw what you need. To thaw from frozen, place on the counter to thaw overnight and it’ll be ready for you to enjoy in the morning.
- See ‘Variations’ section in the post above to customize this tahini granola recipe.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 282
- Sugar: 11.6g
- Sodium: 112.9mg
- Fat: 15.1g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30.5g
- Fiber: 4.3g
- Protein: 7.5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
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