It’s been 81 days since I last shared a granola recipe. Blasphemous, I know, especially since 1) I’m obsessed with granola and 2) I have a list of 17 granola recipe ideas on my phone just waiting to be tested. Strangely enough, the Vegan Coconut Maple Tahini Granola recipe I’m sharing today isn’t one of them.
I know what you’re thinking: ‘Tahini? In granola? WTF?!? Is she insane?”. Well, the answer is no, I’m not crazy AF. It totally works.
In case you didn’t know, tahini a.k.a. ground up sesame seeds a.k.a. sesame seed butter is most commonly associated with hummus because it’s one of the main ingredients. Because of this, I never thought to associate tahini with anything other than hummus, far less sweet recipes.
I’ve made homemade tahini in the past and it was actually pretty easy, but I couldn’t get the super creamy consistency I was looking for. So, when I saw ready made tahini at the store I snapped it up with plans of making hummus all day err day. But after opening the jar, the similarities between tahini and other nut and seed butters really hit me. And that’s when the idea for this Coconut Maple Tahini Granola was born.
Vegan Coconut Maple Tahini Granola
Despite my love affair with homemade granola, I never made it with any nut/seed butters because I thought they would overpower the granola. That’s not a bad thing if your aim is peanut buttery granola, but I like each batch of granola taste significantly different. Luckily, tahini has a pretty mild flavour, especially when paired with maple syrup, my sweetener of choice for granola recipes.
Related: 5 tips for replacing refined sugar when baking, more granola recipes
Another change I made with this Coconut Maple Tahini Granola was omitting the applesauce. I usually add quite a bit of applesauce to my granola so I can reduce the amounts of sweetener and oil. But with this batch, I knew the tahini would cause insane cluster formation and I didn’t want the water in the applesauce to mess with that, so I just left it out.
Despite, or maybe because of, all the changes to my basic ‘nola recipe, I have to say this Vegan Coconut Maple Tahini Granola ended up being pretty amazing. It’s crunchy, satisfying and the perfect balance of sweet and savoury. Plus, it can be ready in under 30 minutes. Score one for sweet tahini recipes.
Oh, and if you were wondering, I never did get around to making hummus although I’m currently on my second jar of tahini. #oops.
- 1½ cups rolled oats
- 1 tsp ground flax (optional)
- 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 2-3 tbsp shredded coconut
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 3 tbsp melted coconut oil
- 2½ tbsp tahini
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp coconut extract
- Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside
- In a large bowl, whisk/stir together the rolled oats, ground flax, seeds and spices, until well combined
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the melted coconut oil, tahini, maple syrup and coconut extract until smooth and pourable. You may need to microwave the mixture for 10-15 seconds to speed up this process
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until well combined
- Spread the mixture evenly onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through for even cooking
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. The granola will crisp up and get even more crunchy as it cools
- Store in an airtight container for up two weeks
Looking for more granola recipes? Check out the ‘nola archives!
What about you?
- What’s your favourite granola recipe?
- Do you put nut and seed butters in your granola?
- Have you ever used tahini for anything other than hummus?
Share in the comments below!
Get Social with me on:
Facebook – Diary of an Ex-Sloth
Twitter – @ExSloth
Pinterest – @ExSloth
Instagram – @ExSloth
Google+ – +GiselleRochford
Bloglovin – Diary of an ExSloth
Follow GiselleR @ Diary of an ExSloth on Pinterest
I never would have thought to use tahini in granola. The flavor combination sounds amazing. Definitely Pinning for later!
It’s crazy good! Let me know what you think if you try it 😀
That’s not crazy in the slightest! I love putting tahini in granola…tahini in everything!
Glad to know I’m not alone then! 😀
Maple Tahini is one of my favourite flavour combos everrrr and maple tahini granola is always my go to!! I’ll happily drizzle tahini on anything and everything <3
Excuse me while I run to your blog to find things to make with the insane amount of tahini currently in my fridge haha
what an interesting idea!! i mean it makes sense; we use sesame seed butter for on toast and stuff. why not granola?! love your creativity =D
Aww thanks Beverley!
What a creative recipe! I actually love the flavor of tahini just by itself so this sounds fantastic!
You’ll LOVE this then 😀
WOW, way to go on the creativeness! It’s so awesome that God gave us brains and minds to develop recipes like this. It looks yummy! It looks so crunchy and sweet.
Thanks Emily! This recipe definitely came from a higher power, because it literally just appeared in my brain while I was in the kitchen LOL
Can’t believe I have never used tahini in granola! Time to change that and make this baby <3
rachel @ athleticavocado.com recently posted…22 Healthy Breakfast Bowls That Will Make You get out of Bed!
Definitely! Let me know what you think when you try it 🙂
I love how you’ve got it down to the day :p and you are not crazy to use Tahini in granola!! Its awesome in any and everything!!
KJ | Om Nom Herbivore recently posted…Unconventional French Toast
haha I take my granola consumption very seriously LOL
I totally associate tahini with savory, so this is a fun sweeter recipe to make 🙂
OH man this sounds so good!
Gretchen | Gretchruns recently posted…Top Five Friday #47
sounds great. though it makes way to small an amount for my household. any chance you could up-size the recipe? I don’t want to be adding 9 tablespoons of maple syrup as I know I will lose count at some point 🙂
While I’m not Giselle I hope she doesn’t mind me chiming in. For tripling the recipe you’d need 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp of maple syrup (~135 ml). Hope this helps.
Thanks for responding Sara!
Hi Jacquie!
As Sara said, you need about 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp maple syrup to triple the recipe, but the other measurements aren’t that user friendly for 4 times the recipe so here it is:
6 cups rolled oats
1 tbsp ground flax (optional)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup melted coconut oil
2/3 cup tahini
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp coconut extract
You may need to add a touch more coconut extract and salt to taste but everything else should be good.
Let me know how it works for you and if you have any other questions!
Giselle
I am crazy about granola, too! I actually love adding a tablespoon of tahini to my oats in the morning so I can only imagine how delicious this tahini granola is! xo
This sounds seriously amazing! I love tahini.
Girl I’m so addicted to my tahini dressing but I need to try it in sweet dishes because this looks/sounds amazing!! Pinning for sure!
Omg you are a granola goddess? I gotta start using tahini in more sweet recipes. Dying to try this flavor combo!!
You need to! It’s life changing ?