I was in a bulk food store with my jars in tow and a plan to get some staples like brown rice and spices. I spied dried mulberries on sale out of the corner of my eye and just started thinking about a golden brown tahini granola with mulberries, cacao nibs, and orange. Sweet, sour, wine-y and toasty with a bit of sparkle. I filled one of my one quart jars up. That’s the rather boring genesis of this recipe, but the results are pure magic, especially in a bowl with some homemade nut milk.
I am new to using tahini in granola, but am already a huge fan. It helps to clump it up a bit. The nutty sesame flavor is also irresistible with bright orange and warm vanilla notes.
Enjoy this classic high vibe bulk shop staple with a few fancy upgrades! More granola inspiration with this Ginger Molasses Granola with Dark Chocolate and Toasty Maple Cinnamon Pumpkin Seed Granola.
Tahini Granola with Orange, Cacao & Mulberries
Ingredients
- 4 cups rolled oats (certified gluten-free oats, if necessary)
- ½ cup tahini
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup melted extra virgin coconut oil
- zest of 1 medium-sized orange
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup large flake coconut
- ¼ cup raw sesame seeds
- ½ cup dried mulberries
- ¼ cup cacao nibs
Notes
- If you don’t like tahini, I would recommend any of the following butters to replace it: raw cashew, hazelnut, walnut or pumpkin seed. If you want to use almond butter, I’d take the orange zest out of the equation.
- This granola will keep in a sealed container at room temperature for up to two weeks.
- I love this granola with coconut milk-based yogurt. The flavour combination just sparkles.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Place the oats on the prepared baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven and toast the oats for 10 minutes. Once you remove the oats, lower the oven’s heat to 325 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the tahini, maple syrup, vanilla, coconut oil, orange zest, cinnamon, cardamom, and sea salt. Once you have a gloppy and homogenous mixture, stir in the toasted oats, coconut, and sesame seeds to coat.
- Spread the coated oat mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, ensuring the most even layer possible. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake until granola is deep golden brown, about 32-35 minutes. Stir and flip the granola every 10 minutes or so.
- Once you’ve removed the tahini granola from the oven, stir in the mulberries and cacao nibs while it is still warm. Allow the tahini granola to cool completely before storing in a sealed container.
A friend made this for me for Christmas and I printed off the recipe so I could make it myself. It’s so good! The orange zest makes it smell amazing! It’s like Christmas in a bowl. :)
I initially skipped this because of the tahini, but decided to go back and look at it. Nut butter sub, I can do that! For anyone else learning a countertop oven- I recommend dropping it to 300 and putting it on the lower rack. Thought I was watching it close enough at 325 and upper rack(derp, I wasn’t) and burned the mulberries on the first batch! Second one was perfect with the adjustments. Oh the joys of RV living. Haha. Skipped the cacao nibs and cardamom, cut the maple syrup to 1/3. Might have doubled the seeds, coconut, mulberries because we’re a family of 7. Yum. So thankful for a tasty, easy breakfast for a couple days!
Had to say thank you for this recipe, even though I’ve had to tweak 2 of the main ingredients. I had tried various other granola recipes that just didn’t seem to hit the mark, and when I found this, I knew it was a winner. I’m unable to get mulberries and wanted to keep it dog-friendly (our pupper loves licking our breakfast bowls), but subbing in dates for the berries and hemp hearts for the cacao nibs results in a granola that I wake up thinking about, no joke!
Hi Steff,
I’m so glad that the granola is working for you! I love that you made it dog-friendly too :) Gotta spoil those pups when we can.
-L
I love this recipe so much, I’ve made over and over! Thank you so much for sharing your genius and gorgeous images. When I’m unable to find mulberry, I sub currants and raisins, and like to add sunflower and pumpkin seeds as well, topped off with heavy coconut cream chia seed pudding. *divine* Thanks again!
in the oven now. looks TREMENDOUS! thanks for recipe!!
Hi Laura!
Your images and recipes are absolutely exquisite! Made your beautiful granola recipe tonight and so excited to eat in the morning. I’ve been snacking the whole way through making it and it’s just divine. Thank you so much for sharing your brilliance!
xxx
Dara
This looks incredible! Your pictures are absolutely gorgeous, and I love the little things that make this recipe unique – I’ve never thought of putting sesame seeds in granola! Thank you for sharing. I’ll absolutely be trying it!
hello, what a great idea for Christmas gifts! I did homemade vanilla one year using different flavored beans and had a blast. Do you have other granola recipes as well, and how about nutritional values. I am on Weight Watchers program and still enjoy goodies, but this information would help.
Thanks and keep on cooking and apparently living your dream.
P. S. what is the max oven temperature for the sil mats?
Janel in Louisiana
I have made this 5 times; it’s my favorite granola! Today I didn’t have orange but it’s still delicious (I miss the orange though). Thanks for introducing me to mulberries!
One note: maybe it’s because I have a convection oven, but even if I turn the oven down to 300, I still only have to cook it about 20 minutes til very browned!
I made a batch of this yesterday, and I just can’t stop eating it. It kind of reminds me of a sophisticated and healthier version of my favorite childhood cereal Cracklin Oat Bran. What a divine recipe.
Hey Laura, I made this granola last night and it was absolutely divine! I had all the ingredients on hand already. I’m obsessed, I think this is my new favorite granola for the unforeseeable future. Thank you <3
Thank you so much for talking about your efforts to reduce waste Laura! I love your blog/Instagram and content like this makes me even more excited to read your posts. Please keep sharing!
This looks amazing. I can’t wait to try it.
Thanks,
Barb
Not food related but where do you tend shop for jars and canisters?
I’ve found a lot of mine at HomeSense (Home Goods in the US and elsewhere). The Container Store sells wood-topped ones like mine that you can see in the one photo. For tight sealing jars, I tend to prefer Weck or Ball brand jars.
-L
How do you keep your crunchy veggies from getting flaccid in the fridge without the vapor membrane of plastic bags?
I tend to go through my vegetables quite fast because we’ve gotten into a rhythm of buying just the right amount for our house week after week. For things like celery, radishes, and carrots, I clean and cut them, then store them covered in water in glass sealable containers. They usually keep for about 5-7 days like this with a midweek water change. Lettuces and greens get cleaned, cut, and are stored in a sealable container with a slightly damp paper towel. I know that paper towel is a single use thing, but I do what I can, and it really does help keep the greens better.
-L
yummmm, went to my local bulk foods shop, jars in tow, and made it this afternoon. It smells amazing – I LOVE cardamon, tahini and coconut. I used homemade tahini, honey instead of maple, pepitas, sunflower seeds, walnuts and dried figs… because why not. Thanks for the inspiration (both the recipe and encouraging me to take the jars to the shop). Love Chloe, from Perth, living in Canberra, Aus xxx
I wish there was a bulk food store around here!! Whole Foods has a bulk section but it would be so cool to have a whole store devoted to it!! But in 2018 one of my goals was to recycle more and have less trash, so I’m excited to bring in my mason jars as soon as I run out of quinoa and millet ;)
I pretty much only make your Mega CLump Granola from your book these days (so good!) but this one is getting made asap. That flavor combination sounds dreamy.
One question though: I make my own tahini out of whole sesame seeds. Quality is great but it’s of the darker, more bitter variety. As opposed to the lighter tahini made out of hulled seeds. Would that still work as written in the recipe or should I reduce the quantity?
Hi Sandy!
If you’re using homemade tahini from unhulled sesame seeds, I might take the amount back to a 1/3 cup. Let me know what it tastes like (and what the texture is like) if you try it! :)
-L
Fuck yes.
Oh. My. Word.
Wow, how lucky find to dried mulberries. They grow wild where I live, most people treat them as a weed but I may have to dry some on my own this year.
love! would also love to know where you get your jars and containers from? they’re so unique!
Hi Sabine,
Do you mean the wood topped ones on my shelf in the last pic? Those were a lucky find at HomeSense (or Home Goods in the US + elsewhere). The Container Store sells a very similar version though! And you can get wood lids for Weck jars now as well.
-L
Hi! I’m wondering about your note re: the variations in tahini quality… Any thoughts re: Nuts To You Organic tahini? I would be sad to let this recipe down with a subpar tahini.
<3
Hi Aiden!
I’ve never actually tried that brand, so can’t be entirely sure. If you love the taste of it, I say go for it ;)
-L
Thanks so much, Laura. I’m very much looking forward to trying this out. :)
Looks and sounds delish. I am thinking I would sub goji berries though… thoughts or other suggestions for replacing the mulberries?
Enjoy your trip!!
I think goji berries would be great! Or even dried sour cherries would be so bomb here. Chopped up dates too!
-L
Oh wow, love the sound of this combo! Will definitely need to try. Have fun in Turks and Caicos, sunbathing with your super sweet Yeti rambler by your side. :)
This looks too yummy to pass up going to make some today! My co-op has a weigh station next to the bulk so I weigh my glass jars myself. Take me with you to Turks and Caicios, my bones could use some warming up now. Happy and safe travels.
I love the idea of adding tahini to granola – absolutely genius! Your photos are breathtakingly beautiful. Love the recipes too!