I’m very obviously on a gingerbread kick right now. Last week I baked two batches of soft ginger cookies, made a gingerbread house, and concocted this gingerbread spice granola recipe. I know. But it kind of makes sense to create two recipes that are similar to one another back-to-back, right?
This recipe is based on my go-to granola recipe (found on my other blog) and my ginger cookie recipe. Oh, and on a bag of gingerbread spice granola I saw at Trader Joe’s.
Just like the chocolate cranberry pumpkin granola recipe, it smells fantastic while you’re making it—especially right when you’re combining the wet and dry ingredients.
What are brown rice crisps?
I can already foresee people asking me what brown rice crisps are, so I thought I’d answer that here. Brown rice crisps are a cereal you’ll find in the organic section at the grocery store. Sometimes they’re referred to as “brown rice cereal” or “sprouted brown rice.” Think Rice Krispies, only with brown rice.
Just don’t buy brown rice chips that are being marketed as “brown rice crisps.”
About the recipe
This recipe is a little sweeter than others because, hey, it’s based on gingerbread. It’s also sweetened with molasses, which is a first for me (and I’m pretty stoked about it.) I included pecans even though I secretly don’t like them because I feel like pecans are an especially wintery nut (or is that just me?)
Anyhow, I hope you enjoy! Packed in a jar with a pretty bow, I think this would make a lovely Christmas gift!
Gingerbread Spice Granola
Nutrition per portion
Ingredients
- 3 c (300 g) old fashioned oats
- 1 c (36 g) brown rice crisps
- ½ c (52 g) sliced almonds
- ½ c (55 g) pecan pieces
- 1 ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ⅓ c (79 mL) coconut oil
- ¼ c (59 mL) molasses
- ¼ c (59 mL) maple syrup
- 2 TB dark brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Method
- Preheat your oven to 325°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown rice crisps, sliced almonds, pecan pieces, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and sea salt. Stir well.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the coconut oil, molasses, maple syrup, brown sugar, and vanilla. Whisk frequently for 3 minutes to combine.
- Pour the hot mixture over the dry ingredients and stir well. Make sure the dry ingredients all get thoroughly coated. Arrange your mixture on a baking sheet, spreading the mixture out into an even layer.
- Bake for 17 to 22 minutes until fragrant, turning the pan around halfway through to ensure even baking.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Let the granola cool completely before you break it into chunks.
- Store in a sealed container for up to a few weeks.
