Christmas Orange Cranberry Granola with Olive oil and Cinnamon [vegan]

Christmas Granola with orange and cranberry. I can’t begin to describe how amazing this tastes. All the Christmasy flavors combined in this granola. This makes a great idea for a Christmas gift for your loved ones and is the perfect healthy breakfast or snack. Pour it in a bowl with sliced banana, almond or cashew milk, slices of strawberries, or whatever toppings you love. Or eat it by the handfuls right out of the jar just like I do!

You can taste the orange, cranberries, the nutty flavor of hazelnuts and almonds, and all the spices that make this granola so delicious. I also added coconut chips after baking because I guess coconut makes everything taste better!

Granola was one of the first recipes I mastered when I went vegan. Now I like to play with its flavors using all the seasonal produce and spices.

It has all the healthy fats from pumpkin seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, and olive oil. We are not used to baking sweet stuff with olive oil but recently I’ve been using more and more extra virgin olive oil (since here olive oil is the oil you can find more easily because of the high yield in Albania, and you can find extra virgin olive oil everywhere). Some might find it weird the use of olive oil in this recipe but despite the fact that it is healthier, olive oil makes a good combination with citrus fruit. If you use it with orange juice or lemon juice it is the best flavor. In this recipe, you can’t taste the strong aroma of olives because of the orange strong aroma but it gives orange a special kick.

This granola is the best! My mother takes this every day to work and now at Christmas time, this is her favorite! She likes to eat this with yogurt and banana slices. The other day she made a big batch of this and stored it in small jars for her co-workers because of the high demand for this granola.

So not only is it easy to make, but it’s the perfect breakfast when you’re in a hurry and you want something fast. I like to serve it with almond milk and fruits and snack it during the day.

This granola is not only flavorful but also packed with healthy fats and nutrients. The combination of orange and olive oil is what makes this perfect.

I hope you would love this granola, because it is :

• Flavorful
• Crunchy
• Easy to make
• Full of healthy fats because of the nuts and seeds
• Tasty

If you try this recipe, let us know! You can leave a comment on our Instagram page or tag us in your pictures on Instagram or the Facebook page of bimorah. We would also love to see pictures of you giving this as a gift to your loved ones. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Flavorful, rich, nutty, and delicious granola in a bowl. This is like a cookie but instead in a more healthy way. Have this as a quick breakfast or as a snack!

Ingredients

Makes about 600-700 grams

• 4 cups of rolled oats (old fashioned oats)
• 1/4 cup of almonds (chopped)
• 1/4 cup of hazelnuts (chopped)
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 3 tbsp coconut sugar
• zest of 1 orange
• juice of one orange
• 1  tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• sprinkle of vanilla
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup of dried cranberries
• a handful of coconut chips
• pinch of salt

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
2. Combine rolled oats, nuts, seeds, spices, and orange zest in a big bowl and give everything a stir so they are combined.
3. In a small bowl combine the orange juice with coconut sugar and stir it so the sugar is dissolved. Then add the olive oil and give it another stir.
4. Add the liquids in the big bowl with dried ingredients and stir until all pieces are evenly coated. Transfer the mixture to a greased or lined baking tray.
5. Let it bake for about 30-40 minutes giving it a stir occasionally.
6. Remove from heat and let it cool for about 10 minutes. Then toss the dried cranberries and coconut chips.
7. Let the granola and dried fruits cool completely on the tray before storing them in a jar. Enjoy!

Tip: If you want to give this as a gift, write a cute label with the main ingredients of the recipe and the way it can be used as a breakfast idea or as a snack. Decorate with a festive ribbon and happy holidays!

Notes

• The secret of good granola is the low temperature of baking it. Don’t bake granola at the same temperature you usually bake stuff.
• You can use any other sweetener, I tried making it with liquid sweetener and it turned out great but you have to leave it for an extra 5 minutes in the oven.
• You can sub the nuts and seeds and use whatever nut/seed you like.
• Don’t stir it very often when it is baking if you want it to be super crunchy.
• Store the granola in the jar when it is cooled not when warm because it gets soggy.