Make a batch of crunchy sesame granola for breakfast all week long. It's made with oats, sesame seeds, tahini, maple syrup, and cozy spices.
Heather's recipe summary
Flavor/texture: Crunchy granola with multiple notes of nutty sesame (tahini, sesame oil, sesame seeds) that's lightly sweetened with maple syrup, plus a hint of warm cinnamon and floral cardamom.
Yield: About 6 heaping cups (12 servings)
Great for: Snacking, trail mix (add it to Fall Trail Mix), or topping breakfast yogurt.
Similar to: Coconut Granola and Chai Spiced Granola
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Maple syrup - Substitute with honey (like my Brown Butter Honey Granola) or brown sugar if desired.
- Oats - Old fashioned oats work best, but can be substituted with quick cook oats. You'll want to cut the baking time in half since quick cook oats are thinner.
- Tahini - Thin, runny tahini works best. If you can't find tahini, any nut or seed butter can work as a substitute. Peanut butter (like in my Peanut Butter Granola), almond butter, or sun butter work great.
- Seeds - Pepitas could be substituted with sunflower seeds or any chopped nuts if desired.
How to make sesame granola
- Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Thin the wet ingredients and drizzle over the dry ingredients, tossing until coated.
- Press into an even layer on a 13x18 baking sheet.
- Bake until set in the middle and golden brown.
Tips and tricks
For chunky granola - Don't stir your granola and allow it to rest completely before breaking apart and storing.
Granola browning in the corners? - Stir the corners to prevent burning, pressing the granola back down into an even layer. Stirring breaks up the clusters from forming, but may be necessary if the edges are browning faster than the middle.
For small pieces - Stir your granola once halfway through baking, then stir it again once removed from the oven. This breaks up any larger clumps that formed and prevents clumps from forming while cooling.
Frequently asked questions
Big clumps are formed from the combination of tahini and maple syrup in this recipe. If you reduce either of these ingredients, your granola is less likely to stick together and form clumps.
Granola will keep for 2 weeks or more at room temperature.
Tahini is nutty, earthy, and slightly bitter on its own. It's made from sesame seeds and has a smooth texture just like peanut butter (or other nut butters). Tahini is often found in the international section of US grocery stores.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Sesame Granola
Ingredients
- 4 cups (356 g) old fashioned oats
- ½ cup (70 g) sesame seeds
- ½ cup (70 g) pepitas, or sunflower seeds
- ½ cup (130 g) tahini
- ½ cup (168 g) maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add old fashioned oats, sesame seeds, and pepitas. Stir to combine and set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add tahini, maple syrup, sesame oil, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt. Stir until tahini has melted and mixture is thin and pourable. Alternatively, carefully warm in the microwave in 30 second increments.
- Drizzle tahini mixture over oats and toss until evenly coated. Pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet and spread into a single layer.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, rotating pan once halfway through. If edges are browning quickly, give your oats a quick toss and press back into an even layer.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on baking sheet. Granola will harden more as it cools. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Storage: Cooked granola will keep for 2 weeks or more in a tightly sealed container at room temperature.
- Sweetener substitutes: Maple syrup can be substituted with honey, brown sugar, or granulated sugar.
- How to make clumpy granola: The maple syrup and tahini create a glue that helps the granola stick together when baked. Make sure you don't reduce or omit either ingredient, and don't stir your granola while it's baking or cooling (unless it looks like it will burn around the edges). Allow the granola to cool completely before breaking into pieces and storing.
- Using quick-cook oats: Quick-cook oats are thin and cook faster than old fashioned oats, so you'll want to reduce the cooking time to 15-20 minutes.
I had so much fun creating this recipe! I hope you give it a try and love it as much as I do. If you have a question, check out the post above, which is packed with information about the recipe. Tried the recipe? I'd love to hear your thoughts — leave a comment and a star rating to share your feedback!