Holiday spiced fruit granola

Christmas breakfast take-two….that’s if you haven’t already been swayed by my Christmas baked oatmeal! Maybe you’ll just have to have two breakfasts…or even better reserve this for a snack. Mid morning, or mid afternoon, whenever you’re flagging an in need of a spiced fruity kick all packed into a little chewy granola nugget to power you through your day.

I love to eat a handful of granola clusters as a snack, but if you are more the breakfast kind you can spread the raw mixture thinly and bake to make more of a ‘flaked granola’ and serve with your favourite fruit/milk/yoghurt. Layer up that breakfast bowl!

There are two things I really love about this granola: the smooshed up fruit (aka mincemeat) gives the chunks an amazing glazed crisp yet chewy texture it is amazing. Secondly because the fruit pieces in the mincemeat have been smooshed to a more paste, it doesn’t burn it like whole raisins or cranberries etc would do. I also added some extra dried fruit to the mix once cooked but that’s optional.

I know I am a little oat obsessed…we are only 5 days in and already we have two oat recipes! Well I am not apologising, I love my oats and they make the perfect snack for a bit of sweet sustenance. But I’ll do you a deal...no more oats for the next few days, I have a few more ideas in store!

Recipe: Holiday spiced fruit granola

Makes approx 2-3 bowls (or 2 baking sheets worth)

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cup oats

2 tbs chia seeds

1 cup hazel nuts (or any nut mix)

¼ cup flakes almonds

¼ cup mincemeat

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp rum extract to taste- optional

1 tbs orange zest (or ½ tsp extract if no zest)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground mixed spice

2 tbs coconut oil- melted

2 tbs rapadura (or other unrefined sugar) or more to taste

½ cup cranberries or other dried fruits mixed through once cooked- optional

  

Method:

Melt the coconut oil and mix with the extracts, mincemeat and zest.

Add all dry ingredients  (except whole dried fruit pieces) to a medium bowl and mix well. Add the wet ingredients and mix through to form a sticky mix.

Spoon onto 2 lightly greased baking sheets making sure to achieve a thin even layer with lots of clumpy bits for clusters or a no clumps for a flaked mix.

Bake at 170C for 10-12 minutes until slightly golden, flakes may take a minute or so less. Add the dried cherries/cranberries to the mixture once cooled. Stores in cupboard for a few weeks.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.