Sometimes you take a bite of something and just go, “WHOA.” And when it’s for a food that you’re generally kind of “eh” on (like granola), it’s even more exciting. So let’s just say that I’ve made three batches of this cinnamon maple tahini granola over the past six weeks.
Which…is a lot for one person.
A new round of food sensitivities and dietary restrictions was the catalyst for creating the recipe. It prompted me to go waaaaay back into my recipe archives to see what might work, and I remembered my peanut butter quinoa granola and maple nut quinoa granola recipes from way back when.
So, using those as a foundation, I combined and tweaked…pulling in tahini instead of peanut butter, keeping the maple syrup flavor, bringing in some warm spices, mixing up the nuts and seeds a bit. And man, am I happy with the result!
This recipe is pretty flexible, so if there are particular nuts or seeds that you don’t like, can’t have, or just don’t have in the house, you can sub out for something else, or just sub more oats. I’d just recommend keeping the grain-to-nut/seed-to-liquid ration generally stable.
One thing that you have to kind of use your gut on with this recipe is how wet the mixture is before baking. I’ve found that the amount of oil in tahini varies drastically by brand, and that can impact the baking time.
If you feel your mixture is too wet, you can add a little more oats before baking. You’ll also probably need to bake it a bit longer, and that’s totally fine.
BUT, one thing to realize is that the granola will not look totally dry and clumped when it’s done. It’s still somewhat soft, and will dry and clump as it cools. Don’t be tempted to way overbake it, as it can get too dark and taste slightly burnt (…she says from experience).
In large mixing bowl, combine the grains and seeds (the first 5 ingredients listed). Roughly chop the nuts and add them to the bowl along with the dried fruit, cinnamon, and coconut.
Stir the melted coconut oil and maple syrup, trying to evenly coat all the ingredients with the liquids.
Spread the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake at 275 F convection (300 F regular) for 20 minutes, then down to 250 F convection (275 F regular) for between 30-45 minutes. It will not be dry and crispy when you take it out of the oven, it will still be kind of soft but will harden and set as it cools.
Don’t take it too long or let it get super dark because it will taste slightly burnt (I speak from experience).
Let it cool and then break apart—you don’t need to actually break it, it crumbles pretty easily if you just brings the ends of the parchment paper together.
I keep my granola in a giant ziploc bag or airtight container. It will keep at least week—as long as I’ve ever had it around without devouring it—but I’d think up to two weeks shouldn’t be an issue. Do not keep in the fridge, it will get damp and weird.
This cinnamon maple tahini granola has been a lifesaver with a bunch of travel all stacked up…gives me something healthy to snack on that meets my current dietary needs and travels well!
Other healthy make-ahead breakfast options:
- Make-Ahead Mini Baked Eggs with Veggies
- Kale, Bacon, & Egg Breakfast Casserole
- Clean Eating Banana Oat Muffins (gluten-free)
- Cheryl’s Healthy Morning Glory Muffins
- Peanut Butter & Jelly Baked Oatmeal (GF, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free)
- The Best, Easiest Iced Coffee at Home
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Cinnamon Maple Tahini Quinoa Granola (GF, vegan, almond-free)
This cinnamon maple tahini granola is crazy delicious, super easy to make, & a great gluten-free, almond-free, vegan breakfast option (or snack any time of day).
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups of whole rolled oats (+ up to 1/2 cup extra, see notes)
- 3/4 cup quinoa (you can use all white, or mix of white & red)
- 1/4 cup of ground flaxseeds
- 2 tablespoons of chia seeds
- 1/4 cup of pepitas
- 1/4 cup of sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup of raw hazelnuts, chopped
- 1/4 cup of raw sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup of raw walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup of shredded coconut
- 2 generous teaspoons of cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons of kosher sea salt crystals (the bigger ones, see notes)
- 1/4 teaspoon of fine sea salt
- 2/3 cup of dried cranberries, cherries, or golden raisins
- 2/3 cup of maple syrup
- 1/2 cup of coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 cup of tahini
Instructions
- In large mixing bowl, combine the grains and seeds (the first 5 ingredients listed). Roughly chop the nuts and add them to the bowl along with the dried fruit, cinnamon, and coconut.
- Stir the melted coconut oil and maple syrup, trying to evenly coat all the ingredients with the liquids.
- Spread the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 275 F convection (300 F regular) for 20 minutes, then down to 250 F convection (275 F regular) for between 30-45 minutes. It will not be dry and crispy when you take it out of the oven, it will still be kind of soft but will harden and set as it cools. Don't take it too long or let it get super dark because it will taste slightly burnt.
- Let it cool and then break apart—you don’t need to actually break it, it crumbles pretty easily if you just brings the ends of the parchment paper together.
Notes
- The oil amounts in tahini vary drastically by brand, and that can make a big difference in how wet your mixture is, and thereby how long it takes to bake. You can add more oats if the mixture is too wet, or back off the coconut oil, or bake longer. Or just add more of the quinoa and oats until it's the right texture.
- I've backed off the sweetness about as far as I'd recommend...I would not advise decreasing the maple syrup any more.
- If you don't have the big kosher sea salt crystals and are using more fine Himalayan or table salt, go with more like 3/4 teaspoon.
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