This sesame miso granola is deliciously sweet, salty, and nutty with lots of crunchy clusters. Oil-free and naturally sweetened with dates!

sesame miso granola in a bowl with spoon

Why We Love This Sesame Miso Granola

Sweet and Salty: This granola is not too sweet and has a subtle salty, savory flavor. Perfect for those who love the sweet and salty combination!
Naturally Sweetened: You don’t need any sugar or maple syrup for this, just medjool dates! The dates add the perfect caramel-like sweetness and also help form thick chunks.
Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Dairy-Free, Oil-Free: This is an allergy-friendly granola! You can even make it soy-free by using chickpea miso.

Key Ingredients

Sesame Seeds ⟶ Whole and in paste form! You can use Chinese or Japanese sesame paste, or make your own by blending roasted sesame seeds.
Miso ⟶ Any kind of miso works. I usually use awase (mixed) or red miso for a more savory profile.
Rolled Oats ⟶ Please use rolled oats, not quick or steel cut oats. Use certified gluten-free oats if necessary.
Medjool Dates ⟶ These sweeten the granola and help make thick clusters. This may work with other kinds of dates, but I’ve only tested this with medjool dates since they are sweeter and softer than other varieties.

How to Make

This is a brief overview. Jump to the recipe card for full details!

Mash dates or blend in a food processor to form a paste.
- Unless your dates are very soft and moist, soak them in hot water for at least 10 minutes to soften.
Add sesame paste, miso, vanilla extract, and water.
Mix until well combined (you can also do this in a food processor).
Add oats, sesame seeds, and pumpkin seeds and stir to combine.
Spread the mixture out on a lined baking sheet. To form clusters, press down tightly to compact the mixture so it sticks together. Skip this step if you want a loose granola.
Bake at 320°F/160°C for 15 minutes or until the edges start to brown, then flip/stir the granola and bake another 10 minutes. Check and stir the granola every 5 minutes after until golden brown. Granola will crisp up more as it cools.

Tips for Success

Soak dates in hot water ⟶ If your dates are very dry or they’ve been in the fridge, soak them in hot water for 5-10 minutes to soften. This will make it easier to blend them. Don’t forget to drain them well (no need to pat dry, though).

Use a food processor or mash by hand ⟶ A food processor is easiest but does mean more clean up. When I’m feeling lazy I will just mash the dates with a fork. The date paste will be more chunky, but it’s not very noticeable in the granola.

Clusters or loose ⟶ If you want lots of granola clusters, spread the granola out in a thin layer on your baking sheet, then pack it down tightly so it sticks together. For a looser granola, you can just spread the granola on the baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

Cool completely ⟶ The granola will still feel soft right when you take it out of the oven, but after a few minutes of cooling it should start to firm up. When completely cooled, you should have crispy, crunchy granola.

Sesame Miso Granola FAQ

Peanut butter is a great alternative as it provides a similar nutty flavor. Or you can make your own sesame paste! Toast sesame seeds in a pan on the stove over medium heat until golden brown, then blend in a food processor or high-powered blender. You can also use other nut/seed butters like almond butter, tahini, sunflower seed butter, etc., but be aware it will alter the flavor.

There are two ingredients that may contain gluten – rolled oats and miso. Oats are naturally gluten-free but can come into cross contamination with gluten during processing. So if you are highly sensitive to gluten, use certified gluten-free oats. Miso typically doesn’t contain gluten, but some brands can be made with barley or other grains that contain gluten, so check the ingredients.

This granola will stay fresh for about 2-3 weeks when stored in an airtight container.

There is excess moisture in your granola (maybe you added too much water when blending the dates) and you didn’t bake your granola long enough. The granola should be a toasty golden brown color when it’s done. You can test the doneness by removing a few pieces first – they should crisp up within 5 minutes or so. If your granola is still too soft even after cooling, pop it back in the oven for a few more minutes.

More Granola Recipes

If you try out this recipe, don’t forget to leave a comment/rating down below and tag me in your photos on instagram @ellielikes.cooking. I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!

Prep Time:15

Cook Time:35

Servings: 6

Ingredients

6 large medjool dates pitted
1-4 tbsp (15-60g) roasted sesame paste*¹
1 tsp miso²
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 cups (160g) rolled oats²
¼ cup (30g) sesame seeds
¼ cup (30g) pumpkin seeds

Instructions

Soak dates in boiling water for at least 10 minutes to soften.
Preheat oven to 320°F/160°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Drain dates (save 1 tbsp of soaking water) and mash with a fork to form a paste, or blend in a small food processor.
Add sesame paste, miso, vanilla extract, and the reserved tablespoon of soaking water. Mix until well combined.
Combine date mixture with the oats and seeds.
Spread date mixture out on a lined baking sheet. To form clusters, press down with a spatula to compact the granola, otherwise leave as-is for a loose granola.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges start to brown, then carefully flip the granola (break it apart into large sections so it's easier to flip) if making clusters, or simply stir for a loose granola. Bake another 10 minutes, then stir and check the granola every 5 minutes and remove any pieces that are browning too quickly. (It should take 30-40 minutes total to bake.)
Remove the granola when it's golden-brown. It will still be a little soft right out of the oven, but it will crisp up as it cools.
Let the granola cool on the baking sheet, then break into clusters and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

1) Roasted Sesame Paste: Use 4 tbsp if you want thick clusters, but you can get away with 1 tbsp if you want a slightly lower fat/calorie option.

2) Gluten-Free: To make this granola gluten-free, use certified gluten-free oats. Also be sure to use miso that isn’t made with gluten-containing grains (like wheat or barley).

Nutrition Facts

**Nutrition information is a rough estimate and intended for informational purposes only. I am not a registered dietitian or certified nutritionist, and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration.

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