Last week I was on a homemade granola kick! I think I whipped up about ten bags of the blissful stuff to both give as gifts and to enjoy for myself. After my first batch I was addicted to that warm, cozy, spiced aroma that wafted through the house as the granola slowly baked in the oven. And once you realize how easy and delicious homemade granola is to make, it is really hard to stop yourself from making it and experimenting with new flavors every chance you get! The combination possibilities are endless.
Homemade granola is a perfect holiday gift because not only can you customize the flavor to suit whatever ingredients you have on hand or like best, but it is a gift that comes from your own two hands. And that is always something very special.
Dive into my homemade granola recipes and get your house smelling amazing! Skip the crowded shopping malls and stay home and make granola with some Christmas music or movies playing in the background. (Sounds good to me!)..
**ps sorry if you received an incomplete version of this post in your inbox. My cat ran over my keyboard and published my post early. Le sigh**
5 Granola Gifting Tips:
1. Make it Pretty! Package granola in festive treat gift bags. You can find these at most gift wrap or craft stores. You can even include a large cinnamon stick in the bag to keep your granola smelling extra delish. It looks pretty too! (You may want to put a note to not eat the cinnamon stick though .. you never know!)
2. Brand it! Attach labels that describe the flavor. Give your granola a cute custom name like "Kathy's Cozy Winter Blend" or "Crazy Walnut Winterland" or whatever you'd like. Creativity makes this activity fun for you are the giftees!
3. Diet Friendly. It can be a great idea to include an ingredients list and any dietary description labels with your gift just in case someone has food allergies. You can remark if the blend is vegan and/or gluten free or even nut free. If you'd like you can even use a calorie calculating program like CalorieCount.com to help you include estimated nutritional info.
4. Include a recipe! After they gobble up your delicious granola they will probably be begging you for the recipe. So be one step ahead of them by including a printed recipe of the gifted granola. (This can also take the place of tip #3 which describes including the ingredients list!)
5. Send it Fresh! It is a good idea to make your granola close to the time you plan on giving it. And even include storage instructions. Granola can be stored on your counter top or kept in the fridge or freezer to keep it extra fresh. I personally find that granola tastes best consumed within 1-3 days of making it - and I store mine in the fridge or in a cool/dry spot - in a sealed container on my counter. (Homemade granola does usually last a good few weeks if stored properly. Fridges or frozen even longer.)
Homemade granola recipes are easy to customize and really, you can make generous substitutions in the recipes I have laid out below. Use these recipes as guides and inspiration for crafting your own granola recipes. Feel free to adjust the spices and sweeteners as well to suit your taste preferences.
The recipes below:
Almond Spice Granola. This recipe has a large amount of flaky sliced almonds in it that mimic the flakiness of the oats. This is a great recipe for anyone who loves almonds. The pumpkin pie spice, citrus and maple are lovely accent flavors.
Vanilla Spice Brazil Nut Granola. Chunky, crunchy Brazil Nuts speckle this warmly spiced, vanilla-infused granola. Creamy, crunchy walnuts accent.
Tropical Coconut Ginger Pecan Granola. Ginger, coconut and plenty of crunchy, buttery pecans infuse this tropical blend. Accented with sweet banana and citrus.
Almond Spice Granola
vegan, makes about 5 cups granola
2 ½ cups rolled oats
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 ½ cups sliced almonds, raw
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
3 tablespoon melted virgin coconut oil
1 tablespoon flax seeds
⅓ cup dried mulberries
¼ cup maple syrup
⅓ cup sugar (I used Florida Crystals. Organic brown sugar works too.)
1 satsuma mandarin orange, squeezed for juice
1 satsuma mandarin orange, peeled/diced
¼ teaspoon citrus zest (from satsuma peel)
¾ teaspoon almond extract
Vanilla Spice Brazil Nut Granola
vegan, makes about 6 cups granola
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 ½ cups Brazil Nuts, roughly chopped/raw (you could also lightly grind in a food processor of vitamix)
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
3 tablespoon melted virgin coconut oil
1 tablespoon flax seeds
1 teaspoon chia seeds
⅓ cup raisins
¼ cup maple syrup
⅓ cup sugar (I used Florida Crystals. Organic brown sugar works too.)
1 large satsuma mandarin orange, squeezed for juice
¼ teaspoon citrus zest (from satsuma peel)
¾ teaspoon real vanilla extract
Tropical Coconut Ginger Pecan Granola
vegan, makes about 5 cups granola
3 cups rolled oats
¼ cup pumpkin seeds, raw
¼ cup cashews
1 ½ cups Pecans, chopped
½ cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1-5 dashes cayenne
3 tablespoon melted virgin coconut oil
1 tablespoon flax seeds
1 teaspoon chia seeds
¼ cup crystalized ginger, chopped (or substitute dried fruit + ½ teaspoon ginger powder)
⅓ cup maple syrup
⅓ cup sugar (I used Florida Crystals. Organic brown sugar works too.)
1 large satsuma mandarin orange, squeezed for juice
¼ teaspoon citrus zest (from satsuma peel)
1 banana, peeled/diced
¾ teaspoon real vanilla extract
Directions for all recipes above..
To make:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients and toss very well.
3. Line a baking sheet with foil or wax paper and spread the granola over top in a thin layer.
4. Bake at 300 degrees for about 35 minutes. Tossing the granola around every ten minutes. Let rest a few minutes to cool and crisp up before bagging.
