Need to use up leftover tahini? Make this vegan pumpkin spice tahini granola.
The last couple of weeks have been really intense. Between starting several new work projects, booking our winter trip for earlier than planned, and hosting Thanksgiving, I’ve become exhausted and managed to have several emotional breakdowns in a span of a few days. It also doesn’t help that Syracuse is already snowed in and we won’t be getting any sunshine til April.
I’m not sharing this to throw myself a pity party, but rather because you may be going through something similar. Spending weeks planning, prepping, cooking for everyone else, and trying to be the perfect host, is draining, and it’s important to take time to do something grounding after the marathon that is Thanksgiving.
One of my favorite ways to decompress is making granola. Sounds arbitrary, I know, but it’s a simple act of self-love that says, “I care about what I eat for breakfast,” and also, “I’m sick of eating leftovers.” The process couldn’t be simpler and it fills your house with the comforting aroma of pumpkin spice. It’s like giving yourself a hug, but even better, because you can eat it.
This pumpkin spice tahini granola is adapted from Leah‘s second cookbook, The New Porridge. It’s a 144-page love letter to the world’s trustiest breakfast and features sweet and savory porridges beyond traditional oatmeal, featuring grains like quinoa, barley, and black rice to name a few.
The book also includes all types of porridge toppings, among which is a cardamom tahini granola. I was immediately drawn to it because cardamom is one of my favorite spices and the recipe has since become default on my meal prep list. As the weather cooled down, I couldn’t help but add more warming spices to the mix and thus this pumpkin spice tahini granola recipe was born.
Granola is a great way to use up leftover tahini if, say, you bought your first jar to make hummus and haven’t touched it since. And if you don’t like tahini or don’t have it on hand, natural peanut butter is a fine substitute here.
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Pumpkin Spice Tahini Granola
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: About 4 1/2 cups 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Tahini granola is a great way to use up leftover tahini if, say, you bought your first jar to make hummus and haven’t touched it since. If you don’t like tahini or don’t have it on hand, natural peanut butter is a fine substitute here. (This recipe is adapted from The New Porridge by Leah Vanderveldt [Ryland Peters & Small, 2018]).
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups “old fashioned” rolled oats
- ¾ cup roughly chopped raw walnuts OR pecans
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil OR extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup or honey
- ¼ cup well-stirred tahini
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (See Note)
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 diced apple, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, stir together the oats, nuts, and chia seeds.
- In a medium bowl, combine the oil, maple syrup, tahini, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, and salt and whisk until smooth. Pour the oil mixture over the oat mixture and stir together with a rubber spatula until the oats are evenly coated.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet and arrange in an even layer. Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate the baking sheet, and continue baking until the granola is fragrant and golden brown, about 10 minutes more.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely (do not stir) – the granola will become crunchy and form clusters as it cools. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to several weeks.
Notes
Feel free to use pumpkin spice mix instead of the individual spices. Pumpkin spice usually contains ground cloves. I don’t keep it on hand but if you do, feel free to add some to the mix.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3/4 cup
- Calories: 350
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 5.3 g
- Protein: 8.7 g
Lucy says
Thanks so much! Just Pulled a tRay of it out of the oven. Smells and tastes great!!
Lucy says
Hi! Just Wondering About the spice amounts in the original recipe as written? I love cardamom but am a liTtle less keen on pumpkin sPice.
Thanks!
Alexandra says
Hi Lucy! The original recipe in the book calls for just the cinnamon and cardamom, so feel free to leave the rest out 🙂