Cranberry Gingerbread Granola

I usually make some kind of Christmas treats to give out to family and friends at Christmas. Last year, it was homemade marshmallows. Other years, I’ve done spice mixes, baking mixes, and other goodies you can find in my Homemade Holiday Gift Ideas post. This year, I felt like making something healthy but still really delicious and festive. People get overloaded with sugar this time of year, so I figured people would appreciate a treat that’s not really sugary.

Granola is such a great gift-able food item that can be easily stored in a container or bag, and it keeps well for several weeks. It’s an addictive snack food as well as a wholesome breakfast.

I found this recipe from Minimalist Baker for Gingerbread Granola and loved how simple it was to make. The first time I made it pretty much as written, and it was delicious. The next time, I tweaked it to reduce the sugar and added some natural sweetness of cranberries. My family loved this so much that it only lasted a few days in our house. I’ve made two more batches since then so I could give it to friends and family. My friend from work said she and her husband enjoyed it so much they were looking for the recipe so they could make more. Well, here it is! And just in time for Christmas. After this post, I’ll be taking a short break from blogging to spend time with my family over the holidays. I hope all of you have a wonderful time with your loved ones as well. Make them some of this granola — I’m sure they’ll thank you for it!

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Cranberry Gingerbread Granola

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 22 minutes

Yield: 10

Your home will smell like Christmas when you bake this delicious healthy granola with gingerbread spice and cranberries.

Ingredients

• 3 1/4 cups rolled oats
• 1 3/4 cups pecans
• 3 tbsp. Splenda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp gingerbread spice
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 2 tbsp. molasses
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 20 drops liquid stevia
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. In a large bowl, mix rolled oats, pecans, Splenda, salt and gingerbread spice.
3. In a medium microwavable bowl, add coconut oil, applesauce, molasses, stevia and vanilla.
4. Microwave for about 1 minute on high, or until the coconut oil has melted.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.
6. Pour the mixture onto a large baking sheet and spread it out evenly.
7. Bake for 18-22 minutes until golden, stirring the granola about halfway through the baking time.
8. Once granola has fully cooled, stir in the cranberries.
9. Store the granola in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Notes

Watch carefully so the granola doesn't burn. It's okay if it's still slightly soft when it comes out of the oven, it will harden as it cools.

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http://foodwhine.com/2015/12/cranberry-gingerbread-granola.html