Chocolate Gingerbread Granola

I love love granola. It's crunchy. It's sweet. It goes perfect with a splash of milk or sprinkled on top of delicious yogurt. Or, my favorite way to eat it - straight from the container. Why not, right? I just have to be careful to not leave crumbies in the bed when I do. The captain does not like that. Especially when they are on his side of the bed. Did I tell you about the time a craisin was stuck to his leg? Ya, that was bad. I'll spare you the details though.

Okay, back to granola. This granola just screamed "the holidays" to me. Gingerbread is just so spicy delicious and the chocolate just gives it this extra depth of flavor that totally works together. I didn't think that chocolate and gingerbread would go together, but it does. I can't explain it, but just trust me here.  The sticky and gooey molasses plus the chunks of candied ginger and coconut just make it all come together with that extra gingery goodness that we all want during the holidays. At least I do. The best part of this granola is that there is not one drop of oil in it. Most granola recipes call for some kind of oil and lots of it. Not that that's a bad thing, - I just love to find recipes that don't have oil, but taste just as fabulous. This is one of those recipes. I promise that this granola will come out crunchy and delicious and you will never know that there is no oil. Oh and I totally forgot to mention that this gingery goodness has the healthy bonus of ground flax seeds, wheat germ and I even threw in chia seeds as well. Why not, right? Don't worry, you won't turn out like a chia pet. Or will you? I kid. I kid.

This granola is super easy to throw together, but it does take a little bit of monitoring during the baking process - you must mix the granola every 3-5 minutes. I know it seems like a pain, but if you don't, it may burn and burnt granola is bad granola. The constant turning is so worth it though. Of course you can keep the granola for yourself, but I decided to give this away as a little gift of holiday cheer to my sisters two other bridesmaids, Rachel and Julia. Hi ladies! Everyone deserves a little holiday love, especially the form of super yummy granola. It's different from all the goodies and treats that everyone makes this time of the year and it's a little healthier too. Well, not if you eat it all in one sitting, but you know what I mean. Now, who wants some granola?!

granola goodness

gingerbread gooey gooey

oats, flax, germ and coconut

don't forget the spices

or the chocolate and candied ginger

pour in the molasses lava

the best way to mix is to get down and dirty with your hands

oh so messy, but now you can lick your fingers!

Chocolate Gingerbread Granola (www.howsweeteats.com)

2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
2-3 tablespoons chia seeds (optional)
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup candied ginger chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup chocolate chips, chopped

Preheat oven to 375.

In a large bowl, combine oats, flax, wheat germ, coconut, ginger, chocolate and sea salt. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, and combine. Pour spices into bowl of oats and mix well. In a separate bowl, mix honey, molasses and vanilla.  Add honey mixture to oat mixture and stir until moistened. If you need more moisture, add honey 1 teaspoon at a time. Lay on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, flipping every 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown and toasty. Watch closely so granola doesn’t burn. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

It's not to late to make this for you or your holidays guests! Dress it up in little bags or mason jars with a bow and you are good to go. Cute and delicious!