Tahini & Pistachio Granola

A flavor combo inspired by the decadence of middle eastern halva!

Inspiration

I’ve been on a granola kick recently, and this time around, instead of making my traditional Almond Butter Granola, I wanted to swap out the almonds/almond butter and try something a little different. The only other nut butter I had on hand was tahini, so I concluded that it was time to experiment with making a healthier snack that reminds me of the beloved sweet treat: Halva!

What is halva (or halvah, depending on your preferred spelling) you ask? It’s a middle eastern dessert that is made from heating up sugar, tahini, and pistachios, and then it is cooled down to allow the sugar to crystallize into this deliciously flakey texture. It’s one of my favorite desserts of all time, not only because of its funky texture but because of its exquisite flavor that comes from the sweetened tahini.

How to make Tahini & Pistachio Granola

In the blink of an eye, you’ll have fresh granola ready to go for topping your yogurt, eating with milk, or snacking on alone! It’s a granola that is:

Quick

Simple

Filling

Sweet

& Crunchy

Combine the wet ingredients

The first step to making this granola is to combine the wet ingredients which include tahini, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Add these ingredients to a large bowl and then use a fork or wooden to combine.

It’s best to use runny tahini here, and it will make mixing easier, and the additional oil will help to get the granola extra crispy and crunchy!

Fold in the dry ingredients

In the same bowl, add the dry ingredients: oats, pistachios, flaxseed, and salt. Mix well for a couple of minutes until the oats have been evenly coated in the wet ingredients. The mixture will be slightly sticky and will start to smell absolutely divine!

Pour the oats onto a baking sheet and bake

Once the ingredients have been well combined, dump everything onto a baking sheet lined with a nonstick surface. I used my silicone baking mat, but feel free to use parchment paper.

Once poured, use a spoon, fork, spatula, or your hand to spread the oats evenly across the pan.

If you want your granola to have large chunks, pack down the oats after you have spread them out. This will encourage everything to stick together while baking, allowing you to break the pieces apart once it has cooled. However, if you want your granola to have smaller chunks, loosely spread out the oats and do not pack them down as tightly.

Pop the pan in an oven preheated to 325°F, and bake for 25-28 minutes, until golden brown. The longer you cook it, the crunchier it will become, but make sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.

When the granola has finished baking, allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes, and then use your hands to break it apart.

Serving

Sprinkle this granola over a smoothie bowl or vegan yogurt, pour it in a bowl with some milk (such as this Creamy Oat Milk), or simply eat it as is for a snack, hike, road trip, or whatever other situation granola would make sense in!

Storing

You can store this granola in an airtight container for up to a week. If you plan to keep it longer, move the airtight container to the refrigerator for up to a month to help preserve the flaxseed.

Need more uses for tahini? I got you – check these out!

Tahini Rose Cookies

Simple Mayo-Free Potato Salad

Simple Mayo-Free Chickpea Salad

Halva great week!

🤎 M