Homemade Christmas Granola (Vegan Gluten-Free)
This Homemade Christmas Granola is packed with festive spices like cinnamon and ginger, made with wholesome ingredients and a variety of nuts and seeds. It’s great for the Christmassy season and is naturally vegan and gluten-free.
Nothing beat a jar of homemade granola and this festive recipe is my current favourite. It has lots of warming spices, nuts and seeds and is finished off with dried cranberries. I love the base of almond butter and maple syrup to make it sticky sweet but also full of healthy fats and the oats provide fibre and slow releasing energy. It’s great to eat with yoghurt or plant-based milk, on top of porridge bowls or just to snack on from the jar.
Why will I love this granola?
This granola is amazing:
- Smells and tastes like Christmas
- Packed with cinnamon, ginger and mixed spices
- Loaded with plant-based, good-for-you ingredients
- A delicious blend of mixed nuts and seeds
- A great source of plant points
- Full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals
- Easy to make in 5 minutes prep time
- Bakes in 25 minutes
- Full of health fats
- Delicious for breakfast or as a snack
- Naturally plant-based, egg-free and dairy-free
- Easily gluten-free with nut-free options
- Ideal as a festive gift with a ribbon and label
- Comes together in just a few steps
- Lasts 2 weeks
If you already love the sound of this granola then skip ahead to the recipe card below. or, first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.
What ingredients do I need?
You can see the ingredients with weights in the recipe card below and also see my favourites and recommended products in the “shop the recipe” section.
For the granola:
- Rolled oats: the base for all good granola recipes. Make sure they’re gluten-free where needed.
- Mixed nuts: this recipe is great with pecans, almonds and cashews but other nuts will work like hazelnuts and walnuts.
- Mixed seeds: I use a blend of sunflower, pumpkin, hemp and whole linseeds.
- Desiccated coconut: this adds texture and is so delicious without tasting like coconut at all.
- Ground flaxseed: this adds omega-3 fatty acids which are great for our health.
- Spices: cinnamon, ginger and mixed spices.
- Salt: for the flavour.
- Almond butter: this adds a lot of the fat, flavour and stickiness to the granola. Make sure it’s runny and smooth and you can also use cashew or pecan butter, too. To make it nut-free use sunflower seed butter or tahini.
- Maple syrup: to make the granola sticky sweet and crunchy. You can also use agave syrup.
- Molasses: for the really Christmassy flavour and smell. Just 1 tbsp goes a long way.
- Olive oil: to add the “buttery” goodness and flavour. I use regular or light olive oil, and you can also try this with coconut oil, too.
- Vanilla extract: for flavour.
- Dried cranberries: look for 100% cranberries without added sugars and ingredients, where you can. Also you can swap them for chopped dried dates or raisins.
Is this gluten-free and nut-free?
This is easily gluten-free as long as your oats are certified gluten-free. To make this nut-free, swap the almond butter for sunflower seed butter or tahini and swap the mixed nuts for extra oats or mixed seeds.
How do I make this?
This granola is ready in a few steps:
- Chop the nuts and combine all of the dry ingredients: in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients to a saucepan: and warm until melted together.
- Pour the wet into the dry and stir: to evenly coat all the oats.
- Spread the granola onto a lined tray: and press down to make a compact layer.
- Bake for 25 minutes: turning the tray every 10 minutes.
- Allow to cool fully: it will crisp up as it cools.
- Break apart and add the dried cranberries: and enjoy or store.
How long will it last?
This granola will keep for 2 weeks in a sealed container.
What other recipes can I try?
For more festive breakfast and snack ideas:
- Cinnamon Roll Muffins
- Chocolate Orange Cinnamon Star Bread
- Christmas Chestnut Almond Butter
- Homemade Gingerbread Granola
- Mince Pie Cinnamon Rolls
Homemade Christmas Granola (Vegan Gluten-Free)
This Homemade Christmas Granola is packed with festive spices like cinnamon and ginger, made with wholesome ingredients and a variety of nuts and seeds. It’s great for the Christmassy season and is naturally vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 150g rolled oats
- 120g mixed nuts (e.g. pecans, almonds and cashews), chopped
- 80g mixed seeds (e.g. pumpkin, sunflower and hemp)
- 20g desiccated coconut
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp mixed spices
- A pinch of salt
- 60g runny smooth almond butter
- 45ml maple syrup
- 1 tbsp molasses
- 60ml olive oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100g dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 140Fan/160ºC and line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
- Into a large mixing bowl, add the oats, nut, seeds, coconut, flaxseed, cinnamon, ginger, mixed spices and salt and stir well.
- In a small saucepan, combine the almond butter, maple syrup, molasses, olive oil and vanilla and gently warm until silky smooth and combined.
- Pour the liquid mix over the oats and stir really well to evenly coat it all.
- Transfer the granola to the tray and spread out evenly, pressing down firmly to make a thin-ish layer.
- Bake for 25 minutes, turning the tray around every 10 minutes.
- Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool fully.
- Now break apart the granola into chunks of your preferred size and stir in the dried cranberries.
- Transfer to a saleable jar and keep airtight at room temperature for 2 weeks.
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Stay in touch
I look forward to hearing what you think of this Homemade Christmas Granola so please do let me know in the comments below and leave a star review above. If you do make these, I’d love to see so please tag me, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest – please say hello!
With Christmas love x
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They were so good, didn’t stick together quite as well as yours but will make them again for a lovely Christmas present and another batch for us to scoff!!
I am glad you enjoyed them, and next time add 1-2 tbsp more syrup if you need to make it all stick together and make sure it’s really compact when you bake it!