If, like me, you focus on eating to keep warm in the colder months, you’re in for a treat. I created this recipe a while back when I was trying to kick my habit of indulging in store-bought, extra sugary sweet granolas; I liked the crunch they added to my smoothie bowls.

Over the last couple of years, I have developed a deep love for tahini. Authentic, drizzle-consistency tahini. (The magical seed butter I’m speaking of can be found in Mediterranean grocery stores and of course, on Amazon.) I started replacing oil with tahini in some of my favorite recipes (salad dressings, sauces, and marinades) and found the result to be most pleasant. Substituting tahini for oil in these recipes added a special richness in flavor, which is really apparent in this granola recipe.

Vanilla Tahini Granola

Servings: 8-10

2 c old fashioned oats
2 c crisped brown rice cereal*
1.5 c nuts and/or seeds of choice (I used walnuts, pecans, almonds, and pumpkin seeds)
1.5 t vanilla bean powder**
6 t coconut sugar
Scant 2/3 c maple syrup
6 T tahini

Preheat oven to bake at 320F. Combine oats, crisped rice, and nuts in large bowl. Add vanilla bean powder, coconut sugar, maple syrup and tahini. Stir to combine and fully coat dry ingredients with wet ingredients.

Pour mixture onto parchment paper lined baking sheet and spread evenly. Place in oven for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and change oven temperature to 340F. Stir/break up granola and bake in the oven for another 5 minutes.

Remove from oven, stir/break up once more, and let cool.

Enjoy plain, as a topping for smoothie bowls, or with your favorite plant milk and fruit of choice.

*Essential for a light and airy crunch.
**Optional – you can substitute vanilla extract, but add that in with the wet ingredients instead of the dry and expect a less vanilla forward flavor.