This easy, healthy homemade gluten-free Christmas granola is a delicious cranberry orange granola mix – perfect for a healthy homemade Christmas food gift, because who doesn’t like an edible Christmas gift?
Is it possible that Christmas is here already?! Really?! I feel like just last week it was Summer. Where is the year going? On the plus side, that means it’s time to knock out some delicious Christmas recipes, and that includes this healthy homemade Christmas granola.
It’s a cranberry orange granola mix including Christmas spices, oats, almonds and walnuts. It makes for the perfect healthy homemade food gift because even the health-conscious deserve an edible Christmas gift option!
Cranberry, orange, cinnamon, nuts. Etc. All of these ingredients encompass the taste of Christmas, and now, it can be made into a delicious, healthy homemade Christmas granola. Plus, this recipe is ridiculously simple to make. I like to make a massive batch and then pop it into jars with a lovely label, some ribbon and a little tag. Voila – an edible Christmas gift that you can add as a stocking stuffer, for a health-conscious secret Santa recipient or even as part of a DIY Christmas hamper.
I like to attach a little ‘scroll’ along with the Christmas granola with some suggested ‘uses’. That might sound silly, I know because surely everyone knows how to eat granola. But there are a lot of different options and sometimes people like the extra inspiration.
So, how can you eat this Homemade Christmas granola
Yes, you can eat it as a cereal or in a bowl of yogurt or a yogurt parfait. But did you know that you could also:
- Sprinkle it over your smoothie bowls
- Use it to make granola bars
- Stir it into your oatmeal
- crush it up and roll or dip nut butter covered fruit in it
- Bake it into bread or muffins
- Use it to top your morning pancakes or waffles with ( along with syrup, of course)
Bonus points if you also manage to gift other foodie items that will help them carry out some of the above suggestions (i.e. muffin/pancake mix etc.)
How to make this healthy homemade Christmas Granola Recipe
Granola is surprisingly simple to make, considering it can contain lots of ingredients. To put it simply- you mix the dry ingredients, mix the wet ingredients, combine, bake and voila! But getting more into detail.
Begin by mixing the rolled oats with the other dry ingredients – the nuts, cranberries, sugar and spices- in a large bowl.
You can choose to chop the nuts at small as you like. I simply crushed the walnuts into a few pieces and left the almonds whole.
Next, you need to mix the wet ingredients in a small bowl. To do this, begin with melting the coconut oil. Just a few seconds in the microwave should do. Add the molasses and homemade vanilla extract (this is another fantastic edible Christmas gift idea. But to have it adequately infused, you need to start it a good month before Christmas), and then combine thoroughly.
Grate the orange peel and add the zest to the wet ingredients. I love love love the smell of my kitchen at this point!
Then combine the wet ingredients into the dry one and mix thoroughly.
Pour the mixture onto a baking tray and spread evenly then bake in the oven at 160ºC (fan assisted) for 20 minutes, turning half-way.
Once it’s cooked, remove it from the oven and leave to cool completely then store in airtight glass containers.
This granola can then be kept at room temperature for 2-4 weeks.
And that, as they say, is that: a delicious homemade cranberry orange granola and fantastic edible Christmas gift idea.
Christmas granola variations
In terms of the ingredients of this homemade Christmas granola recipe, it’s worth noting that certain elements are interchangeable, like the nuts. I chose to include almonds and walnuts because A) I love the taste of both of them, B) walnuts remind me of Christmas and C) they are both little nutritional powerhouses!
Walnuts, for example, are almost ridiculously full of health benefits – reducing bad cholesterol with healthy fats, an excellent plant-based source of Omega-3 and antioxidants as well as containing calcium, iron, selenium, zinc and Vitamin E and some B vits. All of those elements combined mean that walnuts have anti-inflammatory properties, reduced risk of heart disease, can improve gut health… To name a few.
Almonds are another source of healthy fats as well as protein, fiber and various vitamins and minerals which can reduce blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Once again, to name a few of their benefits.
I could keep writing lists of health benefits for ingredients in this Christmas granola but, I think you get the point.
Depending on who you are making this homemade Christmas granola for, feel free to use your/their favourite nuts of choice.
Another simple variation would be to add some desiccated coconut to the mix. This isn’t necessarily a Christmas ingredient, I love it and the different texture it brings to granola. You can also add in some cacao nibs or unsweetened chocolate chips if wanted.
Other homemade Christmas food gift ideas you might like
When it comes to receiving an edible gift, yes, please! For some other inspiration for edible Christmas gifts look no further. The health-conscious may like their own jar of 5-seed Protein blend. For the foodies in your family, I’d suggest some homemade Vanilla extract or Powder or even Rose Water! And, for something ready to eat, you can’t go wrong with this Vegan nutella or these vegan coconut bliss balls.
And for lots of other inspiration check out all my DIY’s!
Let me know in the comments below if you’d like me to share more of my homemade Christmas food gift ideas and recipes!
Also, feel free to tag me in your recreations @AlphaFoodie and let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Healthy Homemade Christmas Granola
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup almonds
- 1 cup walnuts or your favourite
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 3 tBsp molasses recipe on the blog
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp salt
- zest of 1 orange
Instructions
- Begin by mixing the rolled oats with the other dry ingredients - the nuts, cranberries, sugar and spices- in a large bowl. You can choose to chop the nuts at small as you like. I simply crushed the walnuts into a few pieces and left the almonds whole.
- Next, you need to mix the wet ingredients in a small bowl. To do this, begin with melting the coconut oil (just a few seconds in the microwave should do, add the molasses and homemade vanilla extract (this is another amazing edible Christmas gift idea. But to have it properly infused, you need to start it a good month before Christmas) and then combine thoroughly.
- Grate the orange peel and add the zest to the wet ingredients. I love love love the smell of my kitchen at this point!
- Then simply combine the wet ingredients into the dry one and mix thoroughly, making sure all the dry ingredients are thoroughly coated.
- Pour the mixture onto a baking tray and spread evenly then bake in the oven at 160ºC (fan assisted) for 20 minutes, turning half-way.
- Once it's cooked, remove it from the oven and leave to cool completely then store in airtight glass containers.
- This granola can then be kept at room temperature for 2-4 weeks.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Is there any substitute for orange zest or can I skip it ?
Hi, it’s completely optional! You can just skip it 🙂
Would homemade pure maple syrup be an okay swap with molasses???
Hi Marybeth, yes of course!! Homemade pure maple syrup sounds incredible! Hope you like it 🙂
So glad you asked. I only have maple syrup too. The molasses recipe doesnt seem to be showing. Im making this now for my mum. Hope it turns out as good with the maple.
Love this
Thank you for the idea
I made this as Christmas Presents ♥️