Gingerbread granola is the (food) gift that keeps on giving. It is loaded with good-for-you ingredients and the ultimate Christmas spices. Eat for breakfast and gift your friends and family a delicious holiday season.
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I remember Christmas as a child, which I always spent with my grandparents. Although I liked the presents I got on Christmas, the best gift was all the mouthwatering food my grandma made. Of course, l was always the first one waiting with my plate to get some warm cookies right out of the oven when I smelled them.
To capture the smell and taste of this childhood memory, I wanted to create an easy and balanced recipe combining the best of both worlds. A healthy treat with the same taste and smell as the carb- and sugar-loaded gingerbread. The gingerbread granola was born! It delivers all the Christmas flavour but in a balanced way. This easy breakfast recipe is made of good-for-you ingredients and the ultimate comforting spices to get you into the holiday spirit.
Love a crunchy and healthy breakfast treat? Try this almond granola and customize it to your personal taste.
Why you'll love this recipe
- holiday flavour in a jar
- perfect for Christmas breakfast and beyond
- crunchy and flavourful
- deliciously healthy
- easy to make
- ready in 25 minutes
Ingredient Notes
Here is what you need to make this festive granola recipe:
- Oats – Rolled oats are the best to use for granola. It perfectly blends with the other ingredients and creates these luscious granola clusters.
- Almond meal – Both peeled or unpeeled almond meal work in this recipe.
- Slivered almonds – Don’t have slivered almonds? Opt for sliced or crushed ones.
- Dried cranberries – To keep the sugar content low in this recipe, use unsweetened cranberries.
- Coconut oil – Use refined coconut oil as it has it doesn’t add a coconut flavour to the granola.
- Maple syrup – You can substitute maple syrup for agave syrup if you like.
- Orange zest – Use natural oranges with untreated skin and wash them under hot water before using.
- Vanilla extract – Instead of the vanilla extract, you can also use ½ teaspoon vanilla bean powder.
- Spices: Ground cinnamon, cloves, and ginger add that heavenly-smelling holiday flavour to this gingerbread granola.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) and line a 30 x 25 cm (12 x 10 inches) baking sheet with parchment paper. Zest the orange with a grater and set it aside.
Mix the rolled oats, almond meal and slivered almonds in a bowl. Add the ground cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. Stir with a spoon to combine.
Add the melted coconut oil, maple syrup, orange zest and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients.
Mix all the wet and dry ingredients until well combined.
Transfer the granola mixture to the baking sheet and pat it flat with the back of a spoon or a mug. Bake it in the oven for 18-20 minutes until golden.
Take the gingerbread granola out of the oven, let it cool completely, and break it into pieces.
Add the dried cranberries, stir and transfer into a big glass jar or airtight container.
Serving ideas
- as cereal with this quick homemade nut milk
- with yoghurt and this healthy mixed berry compote
- topped on chia seed pudding
- with apple cinnamon oatmeal
Tips & substitutions
This recipe is super easy to make and very versatile. Here are some tips and variations:
- Make sure you use rolled oats, not steel-cut oats or the quick-cooking option.
- You can substitute the almonds in this recipe with hazelnuts or walnuts. Stick to the ratios in the recipe stated to get the same result.
- You can also substitute the sweetener. I used maple syrup, but this recipe works perfectly fine with honey or agave syrup. Be sure to use a liquid option. Using a solid sweetener would change the consistency of the granola mixture, and you won’t get the same result.
- Combine the dry ingredients (oats, nuts, cinnamon, cloves, ginger) before adding the wet ingredients (coconut oil, maple syrup, orange zest). This makes it easier to get everything evenly combined.
- Let the granola cool completely before breaking it up. The cooling process makes the baked mixture stick together. This way, you get these heavenly clusters that you want to eat right out of the jar.
- Keep an eye on the oven when baking the granola. If you exceed the baking time, it develops a bitter taste.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Head to the “Tips & substitutions” section above and get all the info on how to customize this recipe.
Make this gingerbread granola gluten-free by using gluten-free oats in this recipe.
Transfer the cooled granola to a glass jar or airtight container and store it at room temperature. This way, it will keep for up to one month.
???? Recipe
Gingerbread Granola
Ingredients
- 250 g rolled oats (2 cups)
- 50 g almond meal (½ cup)
- 50 g slivered almonds (⅓ cup)
- 4 tablespoon melted (refined) coconut oil
- 3 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 orange (untreated)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or ½ teaspoon vanilla bean powder)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 100 g dried cranberries (¾ cup)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) and line a 30 x 25 cm (12 x 10 inches) baking sheet with parchment paper. Zest the orange with a grater and set it aside.
- Mix the rolled oats, almond meal and slivered almonds in a bowl. Add the ground cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. Stir with a spoon to combine.
- Add the melted coconut oil, maple syrup, orange zest and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Mix well with the spoon until combined.
- Transfer the granola mixture to the baking sheet and pat it flat with the back of a spoon or a mug. Bake it in the oven for 18-20 minutes until golden.
- Take the gingerbread granola out of the oven, let it cool completely, and break it into pieces. Add the dried cranberries, stir and transfer into a big glass jar or airtight container.
- Serve with (plant-based) milk, yoghurt, fruits and more for a crunchy holiday spiced breakfast or snack.
Notes
- Make sure you use rolled oats, not steel-cut oats or the quick-cooking option.
- You can substitute the almonds in this recipe with hazelnuts or walnuts. Stick to the ratios in the recipe stated to get the same result.
- You can also substitute the sweetener. I used maple syrup, but this recipe works perfectly fine with honey or agave syrup.
- Keep an eye on the oven when baking the granola. If you exceed the baking time, it develops a bitter taste.
- Let the granola cool completely before breaking it up. The cooling process makes the baked mixture stick together. This way, you get these heavenly clusters that you want to eat right out of the jar.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only calculated with the recipe calorie and nutrition calculator provided by verywellfit.com. The author of this website is not a nutritionist nor a doctor. All nutritional data provided in the recipes and correspondent blog posts are for informational purposes only. Do not use the information as nutritional or medical advice.
Jo says
Showed my mom this recipe, she loved it!
Yvonne says
Thanks for the comment Jo. So happy she likes it 🙂 Happy holidays!!