Gingerbread Granola
The holiday season is the perfect time to make this gingerbread granola. An easy recipe for gingerbread-flavored granola made from scratch, using Christmas spices, molasses, pecans and dried fruits.
4 reasons to try this gingerbread granola recipe:
Easy recipe – We all love simple recipe ideas, and this is definitely one of them.
Quick preparation – 5 minutes to prep and 20 minutes in the oven.
Perfect for breakfast or snack as well as DIY edible gift.
Festive breakfast recipe that tastes delicious! Better than store-bought granola!
This recipe is also naturally vegan and refined sugar-free!
How to make gingerbread granola
Basic recipe: The basic festive granola recipe includes oats, gingerbread spice, molasses, pecans, salt and coconut oil.
This is all combined (make sure to mix this gingerbread granola well so that the spices and liquids cover all the flakes) and baked in the oven for 20 minutes.
It is important that you stir it a few times during baking. I usually do it 3-4 times so about every 5 minutes.
Because the add-ons are dry, you simply stir them in the granola after it’s been cooked. You can choose what you like and how much you want to add to this gingerbread granola.
Optional extras: I used dried cranberries, chia seeds, dried figs and coconut flakes. Freezer dry raspberries, raisins, dried papaya, chocolate chips, dates or seeds of your choice are also great options.
If you want to turn this homemade gingerbread-flavored granola into a DIY Christmas gift, then just put it into bags or jars and use nice name tags or anything to make it festive and you are done. Just make sure to let it cool down completely first.
And if you are looking for more edible Christmas gift ideas, I have some more tasty recipes for you: chocolate covered dates or candied orange slices are a great sweet treat to turn into homemade gifts.
If you have friends who like baked goods, they will appreciate Linzer cookies or Christmas cookies (my favorite recipe: Christmas cookie dough).
Tips for making gingerbread granola from scratch
- 2 cups of rolled oats fit perfectly onto baking sheets with dimensions of 15 x 10 inches (39 x 26 centimeters). You can also use a 9 x 13 inches pan, but I would not go with a smaller pan.
- This recipe for homemade granola with gingerbread flavor can be easily doubled/tripled, etc.
- Making gingerbread spice from scratch is easy and only takes minutes. In my recipe, I use a blend of 6 spices and while you can adjust the amount of each spice as well as omit some, for this homemade granola recipe I recommend using at least 5 of those spices. They also make a great DIY Christmas gift so why not make a large batch and turn it into gifts?
How long does homemade granola last?
If stored properly (in an air-tight container or ziploc bag) it should last up to 2 weeks. You can also freeze it, if you like.
How many calories are in homemade granola?
This will depend on how many add-ons you use so every time the calorie count can be different.
The good thing about granola made at home is the fact that you can easily control the amounts of each ingredient added. So, if you think this gingerbread granola recipe is too rich for you, omit some of the optional ingredients.
Is homemade granola good for you?
Yes, it is. There are no additives – no colorants or flavorings, no refined sugars.
All the ingredients are healthy, so your body only gets the good stuff. That being said, you should eat everything in moderation to keep a healthy lifestyle.
More granola recipes:
Gingerbread Granola
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats , see note 1 (200 grams)
- 1 tablespoon gingerbread spice , see note 2
- salt , a pinch
- ½ cup pecans , roughly chopped (60 grams), see note 3
- ¼ cup coconut oil , melted (60 milliliters)
- 6 tablespoons molasses
- ½ cup dried cranberries (60 grams)
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds , optional
- 1 cup dried figs , optional (160 grams)
- ½ cup coconut shavings , optional (17 grams)
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Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine rolled oats, gingerbread spice mix, salt and pecans. Add melted coconut oil and molasses. Give everything a good mix.
- Spread the mixture evenly onto a baking sheet lined with baking parchment.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 300° Fahrenheit (150° Celsius) for 20 minutes. During baking, stir the granola 2 to 3 times so it does not get burnt.
- When ready, take it out and stir in the rest of the ingredients. Let it cool down completely before transferring it to a Ziploc bag or air-tight container.
- Enjoy as is or with yogurt, milk …
Notes
- I don’t recommend substituting rolled oats for quick oats.
- Homemade gingerbread spice recipe: 1 tablespoon ginger, 1.5 tablespoons cinnamon, ½ teaspoon allspice, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon cardamom, ½ teaspoon cloves. You should have enough spice for 2 batches.
- Pecans can be substituted with walnuts. You can also add more if you like.
- Molasses can be substituted with honey or agave syrup.
- Other tasty add-ons are: freezer dried raspberries, raisins, various seeds or dates.
- I used measuring cups for dry ingredients to measure both the dry and wet ingredients.
- Store for up to 2 weeks in your pantry. You can also store it in the freezer, if you like.
Such a great recipe to keep handy. I love how it looks and I can imagine how tasty it is. That granola paired with dried fruits is something special!
Thanks, Danielle!
This not only tastes great but it smells amazing! Thanks for the idea to add dried cranberries. I love the favor it added.
You are welcome!
You read my mind! This was exactly the type of new granola recipe I was looking for! I can’t wait to make a jar full of it. Thanks for sharing!
You are welcome, Paula :)
Love this recipe! It was so easy and had the best flavor! Will definitely be making again!
That’s great to hear!
I would say you can make it any time of the year – it can easily create the right mood for the rest of the day. Great choice of the ingredients.
Thank you!
Hi Julia🙂 I made the gingerbread granola today with disappointing results. The amount of molasses in the recipe made my granola super dark and bitter. I’ve been looking up different types of molasses (light, dark and blackstrap) and ive gotta say I don’t believe I’ve ever seen light (colored) molasses. So I made some adjustments and I still need to tweak it some more to my taste. I would like to know your opinion on golden syrup as an alternative to the molasses. I think it might help hold the granola together better than my adjustment (2T molasses, 2 T honey and 2 T brown sugar instead of 6T of molasses). I’m really digging the gingerbread spice blend and have made the candied nuts a few times. I appreciate your advice on this when you can. Thanks so much, Rachel
Hi Rachel. I am sorry to hear that. I will investigate more, but at the moment it is hard to buy rolled oats in my corner of the world.Golden syrup should work just as well as molasses. As for the bitterness – maybe it was not the molasses. It could also be the spices. Sometimes they might be overpowering – depending on a brand, how fresh they are, etc. Try use less of the gingerbread spice blend to see if that works. Hope this helps.