Preheat your oven to 325F (or 300 if using convection) and line a 9x9 baking tin with parchment paper.
Mix the dry ingredients: Add the dry TVP, rolled oats, chopped dates, ground flaxseed, hemp seeds, chia seeds, chopped pumpkin seeds, powdered peanut butter, cinnamon and salt to a large bowl.Give everything a good stir so the ingredients are evenly distributed. If the dates have clumped up a bit don’t worry; they’re going to get smooshed in there really good once we mix in the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients: In a separate smaller bowl, add the tahini and maple syrup, then warm in the microwave for 15 seconds to help make it runnier (if your tahini isn’t particularly runny). Whisk in the vanilla until everything is well combined.Pour over the dry ingredients and stir really well, and quickly, until everything is evenly coated. The granola mixture will be fairly sticky, but that's exactly what we're looking for. Press into a pan: Transfer the mixture into the baking tray and press it down really, really well. This is the really important part!Use the bottom of a measuring cup, glass or flat spatula to firmly compress the mixture into an even layer. The more compact it is, the better your bars will hold together. Bake at 300°F convection (or 325℉ conventional) for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the mixture feels set.You don't want to bake these until they're completely hard. They'll continue to firm up as they cool. Cool and slice: Let the mixture cool until it's just slightly warm, then carefully slice it into 12 bars. This is the sweet spot for cutting. If you wait until they're completely cold, they can be more difficult to slice cleanly. Once completely cooled, they'll firm up even more.
Optionally, drizzle some melted chocolate on top and finish with a few pinches of flaky sea salt, let the chocolate set, and enjoy!
