These tahini, turmeric, vegan date granola bars are naturally sweetened and perfectly spiced. They make for a great grab-and-go breakfast or snack
Homemade Granola Bars are a million times better than any you’d buy in the store! You can customize all the ingredients to make them your own, and they’re incredibly easy to make.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
We truly think these granola bars are awesome. Very simple: tahini and turmeric….they’re some of our favorite ingredients! They’re a flavor match made in heaven with so many recipe possibilities. Yes, the combination makes these bars somewhat unusual, but that's in part what makes them so good (in our opinion anyway!). The inspiration, once again, was our grandmother and her amazing turmeric cake. This healthy granola bar recipe is healthy enough to enjoy for breakfast, but it’s a great snack on the go!
Healthy Granola Bar Ingredients
These homemade bars are made with all pantry ingredients that you likely already have on hand! It’s a truly scrumptious combination of ingredients that combine into a granola bar that’s sweet, chewy, and perfectly spiced.
- Old Fashioned Oats. Also known as rolled oats. They get toasted, which adds a great deep flavor to these bars! Oats are also higher in protein than most grains in addition to containing fiber and protein. If you want these granola bars gluten-free make sure to purchase GF oats.
- Maple syrup. We love using pure maple to sweeten recipes without relying on refined sugars.
- Tahini. Runny tahini will work best for mixing into bars like this. Make sure the tahini is not dry, if it is, just open a fresh jar of tahini, but shake it well before you open it. Tahini is a great nut-free substitute for nut butter, and we love the flavor it adds to baked goods.
- Coconut oil. This will help your bars stick together.
- Vanilla extract. Vanilla enhances all those warm, spiced flavors!
- Seasonings. turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, ground ginger, coriander, salt, and pepper - This combination of spices makes these bars come alive!
- Pitted dates. Dates naturally sweeten the bars and add a great, chewy texture!
- Shelled pistachios. We love the color, flavor, fiber, and protein.
- Sesame seeds. Adds a little extra crunch and nutty flavor.
How to Make Homemade Granola Bars
This is a super simple process that creates the most delicious, flavorful homemade bars!
- Step 1: Combine the coconut oil, maple syrup, and tahini in a small saucepan and cook it over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the spices and dates.
- Step 2: Spray an 8x8 pan with nonstick spray and line it with parchment paper.
- Step 3: Mix oats, pistachios, and sesame seeds in a large mixing bowl. Pour the cooled wet mixture over it and mix it well.
- Step 4: Pour the batter into the pan and push it down making sure it is packed. Pop them in the refrigerator for 3 hours before cutting them into bars!
Recipe Tips for Perfect Chewy Granola Bars
Here are a couple of tips to make sure this no-bake granola bar recipe turns out perfectly every time.
- Use runny tahini for the best results in binding the mixture together! Melting the coconut oil completely on the stovetop will also help this step.
- You’re going to want to REALLY press the bar mixture into the bottom of the pan! The more compact the mixture gets, the better the bars will hold their shape.
- Don’t cut the chilling time short. The bars need a full 3 hours in the refrigerator to set and harden! You can put them in the freezer if you’re feeling impatient.
- Have fun with mix-ins! You can add any of your favorite nuts, seeds, or dried fruits to these bars to make them your own.
Mix-In Ideas
Granola bars are fully customizable and you can add all your favorite flavors. Try mixing in some of these ingredients to add texture and flavor to your homemade granola bars. Start with ¼ cup of any mix-ins below in place of or in addition to the pistachios.
- chocolate chips
- coconut flakes
- sunflower seeds
- pepitas or pumpkin seeds
- chopped almonds, cashews, or other nuts
- raisins, dried cherries, dried apricots, or other dried fruits
How to Store Homemade Granola Bars
These no-bake date granola bars are very soft and chewy. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer to help them keep their shape. For an easy grab-and-go snack, you can use parchment paper to individually wrap the bars before stacking them in an airtight container.
Bars will last about 2 weeks in the fridge or 6 months in the freezer. Frozen bars will defrost quickly at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.
The Story Behind these Tahini, Turmeric & Date Vegan Granola Bars
As food bloggers, sometimes we have to rely heavily on others to determine if a recipe is a success. And it's not that we don't trust our judgment, but seeing things through someone else's eyes (or in this case, taste buds) is most definitely helpful at times. You know, like when you're about to go out wearing a brand new outfit and a new hairdo and you think you look amazing, but in reality, you look like Mrs. Potato Head had an unfortunate encounter with a mop? And you have to rely on your friends to tell you? Yeah, it's just like that. In a less extreme way maybe, but you know what I'm talking about.
So if you're feeling a little adventurous, I strongly suggest you give these tahini and turmeric vegan granola bars a try. As always, feel free to give us your (honest) feedback! Leave a comment or tag us @mayihavethatrecipe on Facebook or Instagram. You know how much we love hearing from you!
If you enjoyed this recipe, it would help us tremendously if you left us a star rating in the comments below or on the recipe card. Do you have any questions about the recipe? Do you need a swap for any of the ingredients? We are here to help, just leave us a question in the comments below.
Date Granola Bars With Tahini and Turmeric
- Total Time: 3 hours 25 mins
- Yield: 8 bars
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These tahini, turmeric and date vegan granola bars, are naturally sweetened and perfectly spiced. They make for a great grab and go breakfast or snack
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten-free old fashioned oats
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 3 tablespoon tahini
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon coriander
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 6 pitted dates, chopped
- ¼ cup shelled pistachios, chopped
- 2 tablespoon sesame seeds. Black, white or a combination of the two
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Spread the oats on a large baking sheet and place them in the oven for 8 minutes, until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool
- Combine the maple syrup, tahini and coconut oil in a small sauce pan. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the vanilla extract, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, coriander, salt and black pepper and mix well. Add the dates and set aside to cool slightly
- Combine the oats, pistachios and sesame seeds in a large bowl. Pour over the maple syrup and tahini mixture, mixing well using a wooden spoon or your hands and making sure the oats are well coated
- Spray the bottom of an 8x8 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place parchment or wax paper over it and press it down so it sticks well to the bottom and sides
- Transfer the oat mixture to the lined baking dish and press it down using your hands (the more you press it down, the better the bars will hold together). Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Lift the parchment paper, place on a flat surface and cut into bars. Store the granola bars in the refrigerator
Notes
- Store granola bars in the refrigerator
This recipe was originally published in February 26, 2016
- Prep Time: 3 hours 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 257
- Sugar: 20.2
- Sodium: 76.7
- Fat: 9.2
- Saturated Fat: 3.9
- Unsaturated Fat: 5.1
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 38.6
- Fiber: 4.2
- Protein: 5
- Cholesterol: 0
Joy
Do you use concentrated Tahini in this recipe or Tahini that's been mixed with lemon juice or water?
Vicky and Ruth
We used tahini concentrate. The only ingredient in the jar is Ground Sesame Seeds.