Tahini Cardamon Granola

I love granola - but I hate that every time I go to buy it there's a laundry list of ingredients that half the time I cant pronounce. And while they taste so good, I don't want to waste all of my sugars for the day on one snack. So I started making it. If you haven't tried my pumpkin pie granola or banana bread granola then you should also give those a try. Its really just a matter of finding the right balance of all your ingredients to a sticky sweetener or nut butter to bind it all together.

Whats great about this granola is that while many granola recipes use a lot of sugar, or syrups to add sweetness, this one is naturally sweet from a little maple syrup, but it takes on a profound flavor from the cardamon - you almost don't even need it to be super sweet for it to be good. Crunchy and filling this is perfect to eat on its own or on top of some yogurt or a smoothie bowl.

Start first by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. You'll need two bowls for this - in a large bowl combine all of your dry ingredients and give a quick stir. In a smaller bowl mix together tahini, maple syrup and vanilla. If its not mixing well, pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds to melt it down. When thoroughly mixed, pour over the dry ingredients and stir until completely incorporated. It'll look wet but not soggy.

Pour the mixture onto a greased baking sheet - and spread evenly. The trick I've found for getting those big chunks of granola, is DO NOT STIR while cooking. I try to let it cook nearly all the way before I give it a quick toss. Of course if you find the edges getting too dark to your liking stir it sooner. About 20-30 minutes will do just find and it'll be golden all over.

What I love about this granola (and most granola recipes in general) is that you can really easily put in the ingredients that you want. Keep your base of oats the same and rotate our your favorite nuts, seeds and fruit. I love to pack mine with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp hearts and almonds to give a ton of flavor but also some solid protein. To sweeten a little, I add in a cup of chopped dried apricots. Get creative and add in your favorites.

Tahini Cardamon Granola (V/GF)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20-30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups old fashioned oats

• 1 tablespoon chia seeds

• 1 tablespoon ground flax

• 2 tablespoons hemp hearts

• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds

• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

• 1/4 cup slivered almonds

• 1 teaspoon maca powder (optional)

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cardamon (less is more to start!)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup tahini

• 1/3 cup maple syrup

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 cup chopped dried apricots

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl, set aside.

3. In a smaller bowl mix together tahini, maple syrup and vanilla. If difficult to mix, pop in microwave for 30 seconds.

4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

5. Pour onto greased baking sheet and spread evenly. Place in oven and bake 20-30 minutes rotating halfway through. Try not to stir for larger chunks. Its ready when its golden brown.

6. Remove from oven and let cool. It'll get crunchier as it cools.

xx

Rita