Preheat oven to 325 degrees and spray a large sheet pan with cooking spray, or line with parchment paper.
Mix dry ingredients: Add oats, sunflower seeds, coconut, almonds, and sesame seeds to a large bowl and stir to combine.
Make Syrup by adding butter to a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, honey and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil and once boiling, remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla.
Combine: Pour syrup over the dry oat mixture and mix well until everything is evenly coated.
Bake: Pour mixture onto prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and toss mixture, then gently press down on it with your spatula to flatten it back into the pan. Bake for another 8-12 minutes until golden brown.
Press and Cool: Remove pan from oven and use the back of a metal spatula to press the hot granola firmly down into the pan. Allow granola to cool completely in the pan before stirring or breaking it up.
