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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). I've included a half-batch recipe in the post as well (which still makes quite a bit), as I'm only one person and making a full batch for myself would be insane.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Breakfast Goodies
Cuisine: American

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups of whole rolled oats + up to 1/2 cup extra, see notes
  • 3/4 cup of uncooked 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.  Do not stir or break it up while it cooks! 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 fully and then break apart.

Notes

  1. See the recipe notes for the proportions/ingredients for a half-batch (if, like me, you're just one person and don't always need a massive amount of granola...)
  2. 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.
  3. I've backed off the sweetness about as far as I'd recommend...I would not advise decreasing the maple syrup any more.
  4. 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.