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Homemade Yogurt with Maple Tahini Granola
A little bit of yogurt becomes a LOT of yogurt in this homemade version that's super-luscious, oh so creamy, and packed with wholesome protein – the perfect backdrop for the maple tahini granola. Making this has become a weekly habit at my house!
Homemade Yogurt with Maple Tahini Granola
Prep time: 20 minutes plus overnight
Cook time: 2 hours
Serves: makes about 8 cups yogurt, 5 cups granola
Ingredients
Homemade Yogurt:
2 quarts whole milk
Heaping 1/3 cup whole milk plain yogurt with active cultures
Maple Tahini Granola:
2 cups old fashioned oats
½ cup Medjool dates, chopped
1 cup roasted salted pistachios, chopped
½ cup pepitas
½ cup white sesame seeds
¼ cup tahini, well-stirred
6 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 egg whites, whisked until frothy
Pinch salt
Instructions
For the Homemade Yogurt:
•Add the milk to a large pot and bring to almost a simmer over medium low heat. Bubbles will form around the edges and the milk should be at a temperature of 190ºF, stirring occasionally.
•Remove the pot from the heat and allow the milk to cool until it’s nicely warm to the touch, around 110ºF (this is important because you don’t want to kill the live cultures in the yogurt starter you are about to stir in!).
•Whisk some of the warm milk into the yogurt in a medium bowl until smooth and combined. Then whisk the yogurt mixture into the milk in the pot. Cover the pot and place in a slightly warm place like an off oven with the oven light on or on wrapped in a clean thicker bath towel on top of a heating pad set to low – the goal is to keep the yogurt around 100ºF.
•Allow the yogurt to sit out at room temperature for 12 hours, this is great to do overnight! It will thicken and become tangy. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours until chilled and serve.
Note: If you want your yogurt to be thicker in consistency then simply strain the yogurt by lining a mesh sieve or strainer with cheesecloth and placing the yogurt in the fridge to drain for a couple of hours. This is how you make Greek yogurt. If the yogurt is too thick after straining, simply stir in some of the liquid until desired consistency.
For the Maple Tahini Granola:
•Preheat the oven to 300ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl add the oats, dates, pistachios, pepitas, and white sesame seeds. Set aside.
•In a medium bowl, add the tahini, maple syrup, olive oil, and ground cinnamon and mix until well combined. Pour over the oat mixture and stir until well coated.
•Pour over the egg whites and stir again to evenly coat. Spread the granola mixture onto the baking sheet until flat and one even layer.
•Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until golden brown and toasted (the granola will still be a little wet and will crisp as it cools).
•Remove from the oven and allow the granola to cool to room temperature. Break into pieces. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.
TIPS
•Heating the yogurt first kills any bacteria that will compete with the yogurt’s bacteria.
•Use your regular yogurt as a starter to create more yogurt, just make sure there are live cultures in your bacteria
•Granola – low and slow, the egg whites are key to getting the chunks of granola that are also crunchy.
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