Clusters of Grain-Free Orange Tahini Granola infused with juice from Sunkist® Minneola Tangelos and warm spices like cinnamon and ginger. This grain-free tahini granola makes for a healthy low-sugar breakfast. Perfect for topping yogurt, smoothies or enjoying by the handful!

Citrus Yogurt Bowl with Grain-Free Orange Tahini Granola

This Grain-Free Orange Tahini Granola should come with a warning label! Its bright and zesty flavor and big thick clusters make it truly irresistible. Plus, it’s packed with healthy fats, protein, and fiber to help keep you full and satisfied for hours. It’s the perfect addition to your breakfast routine or mid-day snack.

Since this granola is grain-free, its base doesn’t have any oats. Instead, a mix of nuts, seeds, and unsweetened coconut flakes creates a hearty base that’s nutritious and super filling. This mix gets most of its flavor from the juice and zest of Sunkist® Minneola Tangelos. This adds a bright citrus punch that complements the nutty tahini. Ground ginger and cinnamon add a layer of warmth. Plus, the entire batch is only lightly sweetened with only 1/4 cup maple syrup. This makes it a great low-sugar grain-free granola option, especially when compared to most store-bought granola.

INGREDIENTS For Grain-Free Orange Tahini Granola

  • Nuts and seeds — a mix of nuts and seeds create the base of this granola. The recipe calls for almonds, walnuts, pecans, and pumpkin seeds but any mix of nuts and seeds will work. Feel free to use what you have on hand or the nuts and seeds you enjoy the most.
  • Unsweetened coconut flakes — adds more healthy fats and texture to the mix.
  • Chia seeds — help bind the granola together while also adding a boost of omega-3s.
  • Tahini —  adds a delicious flavor, while also acting as a binder. Tahini pairs wonderfully with orange and warm spices like cinnamon and ginger. Feel free to use a nut butter or different seed butter in its place.
  • Maple syrup — a touch of maple syrup adds a light sweetness. Honey will also work. I simply chose maple syrup to keep this recipe vegan as written.
  • Vanilla extract — an added layer of flavor and enhances the overall sweetness.
  • Sunkist® Minneola Tangelos — the star ingredient in this orange tahini granola. The juice and zest of one Sunkist® Minneola Tangelos adds a bright, sweet orange flavor. Sunkist® Minneola Tangelos are super juicy. You only need 3 tablespoons of fresh juice for the granola but save the remaining juice and mix it into yogurt before topping with the granola.
  • Cinnamon + Ginger — these warm spices complement the orange and tahini and add a lovely, cozy flavor!
  • Arrowroot starch — this is one of my secrets for getting big clusters of grain-free granola. You can omit it and still get big clusters by letting it cool completely on the tray, but I highly recommended adding it if you have it. No arrowroot starch? Tapioca starch will work.
Grain-Free Orange Tahini GranolaTips for the Best Grain-Free Granola

  • Crush the nuts and seeds — while this is optional, lightly crushing your nuts, seeds, and coconut with a rolling bin before mixing in the other ingredients creates smaller jagged pieces that stick together into big, thick clusters of granola. If you’re after big clusters of grain-free granola, don’t skip this step!
  • Pack the mixture together — another tip for big clusters of granola is to make sure the nut and seed mixture is packed together on the tray. The closer together the mixture, the bigger the clusters.
  • Don’t over bake — properly baked grain-free granola will still be a bit soft to the touch right out of the oven, but it will crisp up as it cools. Baking for 30-35 minutes is plenty of time to toast the nuts to golden and evaporate most of the liquid. If you wait until the granola turns dark and crispy before pulling it out of the oven, the delicate oil in the nuts and seeds are most likely burnt. This makes the granola taste overwhelming toasty, masking the flavor of the tahini, orange and spices.
  • Let it cool — patience is key! Letting the granola cool for about 10 minutes on the baking tray before breaking it apart makes for the biggest granola clusters. To speed up the cooling time you can place the tray in the freezer. Also, granola straight from the freezer is amazing!

Grain-Free Orange Tahini Granola

What are Minneola Tangelos?

This bold and flavorful citrus is a cross between a grapefruit and a tangerine. They have a deep red-orange exterior and can usually be identified by the knob-like formation at their stem. Sunkist® Minneola Tangelos are exceptionally juicy with a bright, tangy flavor. This makes them perfect for juicing to enjoy by the glass or to use in a variety of recipes including cocktails, salads, baked goods and soups. Minneola tangelos are available mid-December through April.

Minneola Tangelos are a great way to add a boost of nutrition to your day. They’re an excellent source of vitamin C and folate. One Sunkist Minneola Tangelo contains 60% of the daily value of vitamin C and 80% of the daily value of folate. They also offer potassium, calcium, and fiber in every bite.

Citrus Yogurt Bowl with Grain-Free Orange Tahini Granola

How to Make My Favorite Citrus Yogurt Bowl

My favorite way to enjoy this grain-free tahini granola is in a citrus yogurt bowl. It’s naturally sweet and zesty thanks to the zest and a squeeze of fresh juice from Sunkist® Minneola Tangelos. The grain-free granola adds the perfect texture and crunch to the creamy yogurt. Plus, it’s low-sugar and balanced with protein, healthy fats, and fiber to keep your blood sugar stable and feeling satisfied for hours.

Ingredients (for two bowls)

    • 1 ½ cup dairy-free yogurt
    • 1 Sunkist® Minneola Tangelo (3 tablespoons of juice + zest)
    • ½ cup or more Grain-Free Orange Tahini Granola
    • Sunkist® Minneola Tangelos and Sunkist® Blood Oranges, sliced

To make, simply mix the dairy-free yogurt with the zest and a squeeze of fresh juice from the Sunkist® Minneola Tangelos. Top with a handful of granola and the sliced Sunkist® Minneola Tangelos and Blood Orange.

Citrus Yogurt Bowl with Grain-Free Orange Tahini Granola

MORE Winter Citrus RECIPES:

If you make this grain-free orange tahini granola be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe below. I’d love to hear from you, and it encourages others to make the recipe too.

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Grain-Free Orange Tahini Granola

Clusters of Grain-Free Orange Tahini Granola infused with juice from Sunkist® Minneola Tangelos and warm spices like cinnamon and ginger.

  • Author: Jessica Bippen
  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Cook Time: 35 min
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 2 bowls + extra granola 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup sliced almonds
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • ½ cup pecans
  • ½ pumpkin seeds
  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds or ground flax
  • ⅓ cup tahini
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons Sunkist® Minneola Tangelos juice
  • Zest from 1 Sunkist® Minneola Tangelos
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch (see notes)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Add the slivered almond, walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds and coconut flakes to a large resealable bag. Use a rolling pin to crush the the nuts and seeds slightly. Feel free to skip this step if you prefer whole nuts. Add the crushed nut mixture to a bowl. Add the chia seeds, spices, and sea salt. Mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed.

In a small bowl, mix together the tahini, maple syrup, Minneola Tangelos juice and zest, and vanilla. Mix to combine. Pour on to the nut and seed mixture. Stir until evenly coated. Sprinkle in the arrowroot and mix until the ingredients are coated.

Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Use a spatula to spread into a compact but thin layer. Similar to a granola bar in that you want everything touching. Place in the oven for 30-35 minutes rotating the tray halfway through.

Remove the tray from the oven and let the granola cool completely before breaking it apart. This creates big clusters. To speed up the cooling time you can place the tray in the freezer after it’s been out of the oven for 5-10 minutes.

Store the granola in an airtight container on the counter or in the fridge for 3 weeks or in the freezer for 3 months.

Notes

*Arrowroot makes for big clusters of granola (this can be replaced with tapioca starch). I’ve tested grain-free with arrowroot, without arrowroot, and with almond flour. You can also omit it and still get big clusters by letting it cool completely on the tray. The almond flour didn’t do much for holding the clusters together.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

I’d love to hear how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #nourishedbynutriton and #MySunkistTableYou can also find this recipe on Sunkist.com/recipes/grain-free-orange-tahini-granola/


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