Perfectly crunchy, chewy homemade granola with olive oil, tahini, walnuts and dried fruit. This easy granola recipe with a Mediterranean twist is loaded with flavor and nutrition. Be sure to read through my tips for how to make it!
If you’re anything like me, you have probably tried a variety of store-bought granola before you discovered that homemade granola is way better, not to mention cheaper! To me, the perfect granola recipe is:
- Fresh and has an element of richness not found in the dried-up ready bags
- Crunchy with just the right amount of chew
- Strikes the right balance of sweet and savory in every bite
- Has the right amount of fun add-ons in the form of nuts, dried fruit etc…
My friends, this recipe with my Mediterranean twist delivers on all the above! And I love it as a snack or for breakfast with milk, Greek yogurt, or…maybe even with a couple tablespoons of Labneh.
Granola with a Mediterranean twist
If you take a glance at the list of ingredients, you’ll find this recipe starts with the usual old fashioned oats + a handful of nuts (walnuts and pistachios) and seeds (in this case, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds). But what truly sets it apart from your average healthy homemade granola and takes it to next-level delicious are two very Mediterranean ingredients: extra virgin olive oil and tahini paste (a super creamy, rich vegan paste made by finely grinding roasted sesame seeds until buttery smooth).
Not only do the EVOO and tahini infuse the oats with nutrition and deep, nutty flavor, but they also lend an extra layer of richness that helps the granola strike the perfect balance of crunchy and chewy!
For sweetness, I mainly relied on honey and Medjool dates, which are added once the granola is baked (I do pit and chop the dates into smaller pieces). It is totally optional to add spices to your granola, but I like a little pinch of cinnamon and cardamom.
How to make granola from scratch?
Some of us are more visual, so let’s walk through this easy recipe step-by-step (scroll down for the print-friendly version with ingredient list):
- Combine the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, toss together your oats, pistachios, walnuts, sunflower seed, and sesame seeds, and coconut flakes
- Combine wet ingredients + spices
In another bowl, whisk together the honey (it helps to warm up the honey so it’s nice and runny), tahini, olive oil, vanilla extract, brown sugar, cinnamon and cardamom. - Mix wet and dry ingredients well
Pour the wet olive oil and tahini mixture over the dry oat mixture and toss until the oat mixture is well-coated - Spread the granola flat on a sheet pan
Make sure to use a large enough sheet pan that allows you to spread the granola in a single even layer - Bake at 350 degrees F
It will take anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes to bake (mine took closer to 45 minutes). Make sure to stir the granola every 7 to 10 minutes or so to prevent burning, the outer edges will need to be pushed to the center occasionally - Let cool then add dried fruit
Pull the sheet pan out and set it aside until the granola has completely cooled off. At this point, you can break it up into chunks and mix in your dried fruits (I used 1/2 cup chopped Medjool dates and 1/2 cup dried cranberries)
Tips for the best crunchy homemade granola
Making granola is fairly straightforward but here are a few tips that can make all the difference in texture and flavor:
- Use a lower-temperature oven. I set mine to 350 degrees F, which will allow the granola to toast nicely without over-baking
- Use a large sheet pan and make sure to spread the oats mixture in one single layer directly on the pan. I do not use parchment paper, I know it’s easier for clean up purposes but it does not produce the same results in terms of crunch
- Check the granola every few minutes during the baking time and stir to avoid burning. The granola around the edges should be pushed toward the center once in a while
- Take it out of the oven when it looks lightly toasted. Remember granola will still look somewhat sticky when it comes out of the oven, it won’t be fully dry yet.
- Let it cool completely. Once you take it out of the oven, allow the granola to sit in the sheet pan completely undisturbed until it has cooled. At this point, you can use a wooden spoon to break it up into chunks. This is also when you can add your dried fruit.
How to store it
Once fully cooled, transfer the homemade granola to an airtight jar or container. It should be good for up to 2 weeks.
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Homemade Granola Recipe with Olive Oil and Tahini
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ¾ cup shelled pistachios
- ¾ cup walnuts
- ½ cup sunflower seed
- 3 tablespoons raw sesame seeds
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- ¾ cup honey warmed up so it’s runny
- 2/3 cup tahini
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- ½ cup chopped Medjool dates (about 6 dates, pitted and chopped)
- ½ cup dry cranberries or cherries
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine the oats, pistachios, walnuts, sunflower seed, and sesame seeds, and coconut flakes in a large bowl.
- In another bowl, mix the honey, tahini, olive oil, vanilla extract, brown sugar, cinnamon and cardamom. Pour over the oat mixture and toss until the oat mixture is well-coated.
- Spread the mixture on a large sheet pan in one single layer. Bake in the heated oven, stirring every 7 to 10 minutes, until the mixture is golden and well-toasted (anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes)
- Remove from the heat and allow the granola to cool completely. Break it up into clusters and mix in the dates and cranberries (or other dried fruits of your choice).
Video
Notes
- Storage: once the granola has fully cooled, you can store it in a tight-lid jar or container for up to 2 weeks.
- Visit Our Shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils and tahini used in this recipe.
Hi, love your recipes. I’m not an overly big fan of sweetness. Can I omit the brown sugar and just leave the honey?
Hi, Annette. While we haven’t tested this without sugar, but another reader has with success. So, if you like things a bit less sweet, I’d say go ahead and give it a try!
Hi Suzy! What time and temperature do you use to make this granola in the air fryer? It Looks Delicious 😋.
Hi, Lana. We’ve never tried this one in an air fryer before, so, although it will likely work, it’s hard to advise on time/temp. If you decide to give it a go, please stop back and share your thoughts. We’d love to hear how it worked for you!
Can I use quick oats instead of rolled oats?
Hello! We haven’t tested this recipe with quick oats, but I think they would work just fine. If you give it a try, please stop back and let us know how things went for you!
OMG! The best, and I do mean best, granola I have had or made. I love the tahini in it, and have substituted items when I didn’t have the originals in the recipe (e.g. almonds for pistachios, raisins for dates or cranberries)
I bake it a bit longer as I love the nuttiness of slightly dark toastiness (I am a “burnt toast” kind of person).
I love your website, and recipes in general, but this is one I am so happy to have found!
I’ve just started following a Mediterranean food plan. I was surprised at the amount of brown sugar in this recipe. Can you give me your thoughts on that?
Hi, Chris. Including brown sugar in a Mediterranean recipe might not be super common (as natural sweetness from fruits or minimal amounts of natural sweeteners, like honey, is more typical), small amounts of brown sugar can be used occasionally, especially if the overall nutritional profile of the meal remains balanced and healthy.
Thanks for the info.
Plan on trying this, question, any other nuts you would recommend? We don’t eat walnuts, and I have never had pistachios.
Hi, Nora. You can really substitute any other nut that you enjoy here. This recipe is pretty forgiving in that way.
Thank you😁
I’ve made this granola 4 times now. My husband LOVES it! This time I replaced the olive oil with homemade ghee, and since I only had raisins, had to do without the dried dates and cherries. You can’t hurt this recipe!!! It’s so good, so much better and healthier than store bought! And saves money! Thank you, Suzy!!!!
You are very welcome, Cindy! Thanks for the great review!
We love this recipe but it’s only 2 of us. I was wondering how this would do freezing some?
Hi, Jennie. We’ve never tried freezing this ourselves, but it should be fine as long as it’s stored in a freezer-safe, air-tight container. Would love to hear your thoughts if you give it a go!
I read that you can freeze granola as you noted above in an airtight container. The dried fruit may get a little drier or harder and you can keep that out until later if you know you want to freeze some. I don’t so I’ll report back in a few months when I open it and see how it faired.
Thank you for the nutritional breakdown but unless I just didn’t see it, what is considered a serving—
Hi, Kenna. This particular recipe can be divided by 14 to get the approximate “serving size”. The nutrition info here is our best effort and we use a program that calculates that for us based on the ingredient list. The exact serving size measurement (by grams, cups, etc) is another layer that’s harder for us to precisely calculate at the moment, but we’re working on it!
If I want to make a higher ratio of oats:other components, would anything need to be adjusted? I love this granola but it uses a lot of ingredients that can be pricy, and for a student would love to make a batch of this stretch a bit longer and get some more bang for my buck.
For the granola what is a serving size. I am diabetic and have to watch my carbs and this recipe is very high in carbs. But, I don’t know the serving size
Hi, Debra. This particular recipe can be divided by 14 to get the approximate “serving size”. The nutrition info here is our best effort and we use a program that calculates that for us based on the ingredient list. The exact serving size measurement (by grams, cups, etc) is another layer that’s harder for us to precisely calculate at the moment, but we’re working on it!
Thanks
To make this recipe do I use the paste tahini
?
Hi, Micehline! Yes, you want to use tahini paste here. Enjoy!
Hello! This question is probably so annoying (I apologize!!), but do you think it would be possible to do the baking of the granola in a skillet?
Hi, Katherine. That might work, but it’s not something we’ve ever tested before. If you give it a try, please stop back and let us know how it went!
FIRE! This recipe is soooo good. I didn’t have all of the ingredients (like sesame and vanilla) but I just did it without and I couldn’t be happier! Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe.
Our pleasure, Alexis! So glad it was a hit!