Gluten-Fra La La La La Gingerbread Granola with Oat Milk

When all is calm and bright over the holidays, it could mean we’ve honoured our minds and bodies with nourishment and self-care, while embracing the spirit of giving. #holidaygoals

In real life: many of us have weathered a flurry of festive gatherings, spread ourselves thin, attempted to handcraft all the Christmas gifts, and somehow remained sane. Phew.

We know the holiday hustle can ask a lot of our precious energy stores. That’s why we’ve handpicked some simple, fuelling granola ingredients to replenish the good cheer. Even better, this granola actually tastes like childhood at Christmastime. 

Traditional granola tends to centre around the beloved oat. In this case, we’re milking it. You could certainly pair this gingerbread-inspired granola with your preferred non-dairy milk of choice (almond, cashew, hemp). 

A nostalgic spoonful of peace, love, and presence.

Psst: the homemade oat milk is GF along with the granola, for happy bellies over the holidays. The walnuts also add a nice toasty, grounding flavour to the ‘nutty’ season ?

Ingredients

For the gingerbread granola

• 1 cup raw almonds
• 1 cup raw walnuts (or pecans) 
• 1 cup mixed raw seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax work nicely)
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut 
• 1/3 cup unrefined coconut oil, at room temp
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup (or raw honey if not vegan)
• 3 Tbsp coconut sugar
• 2 Tbsp blackstrap molasses (high in iron!)
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp pure vanilla bean extract 
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

For the oat milk

• 1 cup rolled oats (certified gluten-free), pre-soaked for 30 mins
• 3 cups purified water
• 1 tsp pure vanilla bean extract 
• 2-3 Medjool dates, pitted (optional – for a little extra sweetness)
• Cinnamon (to sprinkle on top)

Method

For the gingerbread granola

1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, mix your dry ingredients together.
3. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt your coconut oil, maple syrup, molasses and vanilla extract. Drizzle over your dry ingredients and blend together using a spatula. 
4. On a large baking sheet, spread your mixture and bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway.
5. When your granola starts to brown, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Note: Store in an airtight container and enjoy over the holiday season.

For the oat milk

1. Combine all ingredients into a high-speed blender, and blend until smooth (approx 1 min).
2. Over a large bowl, pour your oat milk mixture into a nut milk bag or mesh sieve (cheesecloth). 
3. Use your hands to gently squeeze the oat milk out of the bag/cloth and into the bowl. You can always strain out any loose clumps that spillover from the bag. 
4. Drizzle over your gingerbread granola to your heart’s content. 

Note: If you prefer creamier oat milk, just add less water. 

Store in the fridge for up to 5 days and shake well before use.