Recipe: Tahini and Cardamom-Spiced Granola

Karen Biton-Cohen
Karen Biton-Cohen
Karen is a food photographer and recipe developer. She's an enthusiast of fresh produce, whole grains, and elaborate breakfasts. She spends her weekends biking around Tel Aviv with her husband Oren. For more of Karen's recipes check out K.abc Photography
updated May 1, 2019
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(Image credit: Karen Biton-Cohen)

Too often, the jar of tahini paste gets tucked away in the back of the pantry and only gets taken out for the occasional Middle Eastern salad dressing or batch of hummus. But tahini, ground sesame paste, is exceptionally versatile and can be used like any other nut or seed butter in your cupboard — it’s delicious in cakes, cookies, and even granola! Put your tahini to good use this fall and get baking. This delicious spiced granola is proof that tahini has a world of uses.

(Image credit: Karen Biton-Cohen)

Something about the toasty aromas of oats and spices oozing out of the oven, permeating the entire apartment, epitomizes fall for me. Although tahini might be the exotic ingredient in this granola recipe, cardamom definitely steals the show with its warm, complex earthiness.

With this granola, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sliced almonds, and shredded coconut get tossed in maple syrup and coconut oil and baked to granola perfection. This is certainly a granola meant for autumn — one to make straight away and enjoy until all the leaves fall off the trees.

(Image credit: Karen Biton-Cohen)

Cardamom-Spiced Granola with Tahini

Makes 6 cups

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 2 cups

    old-fashioned rolled oats (gluten-free, if needed)

  • 3/4 cup

    shredded coconut

  • 1/2 cup

    sliced raw almonds

  • 1/2 cup

    raw pistachios, shelled

  • 1/2 cup

    raw pumpkin seeds

  • 1/4 cup

    sunflower seeds

  • 2 teaspoons

    ground cardamom

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    ground cinnamon

  • Hefty pinch of salt

  • 3/4 cup

    maple syrup

  • 1/3 cup

    coconut oil, softened

  • 1/4 cup

    tahini

  • 1 teaspoon

    vanilla extract

Instructions

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  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, shredded coconut, almonds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt together. Drizzle in the maple syrup, coconut oil, tahini paste, and vanilla extract. Toss to coat.

  3. Spread the granola mixture evenly onto a baking sheet and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. The granola is done when deeply golden and toasted. Cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week or in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Recipe Notes

If using any pre-toasted nuts or seeds, don't bake them with the rest of the batch; toss them in at the end.

If you reduce the maple syrup to 1/3 cup, and add another hefty pinch of salt, and a couple grinds of freshly cracked black pepper, this granola is also delicious over salads and soups!