Looking for a festive addition to your Christmas breakfast? This Christmas granola, made with pecans, dried cranberries and a touch of gingerbread-style speculaas spice, is crunchy, flavorful and fills the kitchen with warm holiday aromas. It’s perfect sprinkled over yogurt, paired with milk, or eaten by the handful for a quick seasonal snack.
Easy Christmas Granola Recipe with Pecans
Granola always feels a little special—quick to make, easy to adapt, and it makes the house smell incredible. For us, Christmas mornings aren’t complete without this gingerbread-spiced granola. It pairs beautifully with creamy yogurt and fresh fruit, and it’s also a satisfying snack straight from the jar.
The speculaas spice mix, with its cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg notes, adds a cozy festive layer of flavor. Combined with tart dried cranberries and buttery pecans, each bite tastes of the holidays. This granola has become a family tradition—kids love stirring the mixture and spreading it on the tray before it goes into the oven.
The Magic of Homemade
Homemade granola beats store-bought every time: it’s fresher, more flavorful and fully customizable. Swap ingredients to suit the season—summer berries and coconut, autumn apples and raisins, or winter cranberries and pecans like in this version. It also makes a lovely edible gift: jar it up, add a ribbon, and you have a thoughtful homemade present.
If you make this granola, tag #byandreajanssen on Instagram—I love seeing your photos and sometimes share them! If you enjoyed the recipe, please leave a rating on the recipe card; feedback helps other home cooks and the recipe author.
📖 Recipe
Andréa
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Recipe Help
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- ⅓ cup sunflower oil
- ¼ cup honey
- 4 cups oatmeal
- ⅔ cup pecan nuts, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon speculaas spice mix, or cinnamon
- ⅔ cup dried cranberries
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 320 °F (or 290 °F).
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Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
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In a large bowl, mix the dark brown sugar, sunflower oil and honey until smooth.
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Add the oatmeal, chopped pecans and speculaas spice mix, then stir until everything is evenly coated.
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Spread the mixture in a single even layer on the prepared tray for uniform baking.
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Bake for 15 minutes.
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Remove the tray, use a spatula to stir and loosen the granola to promote even browning.
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Return to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes.
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Let the granola cool to room temperature.
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Once cooled, stir in the dried cranberries.
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Store the granola in an airtight container to keep it fresh.
Notes
1. Add More Fruit: Try mixing in other dried fruits such as currants or raisins for extra variety.
2. Spice Swap: If you don’t have speculaas spice mix, pumpkin spice or a simple cinnamon blend works well.
3. Baking Tip: Spread the granola as flat as possible so it bakes evenly and crisps up nicely.
4. Storage:
- Room temperature: Keep in an airtight jar or container in a cool, dry place; if sealed well, it stays fresh up to two weeks.
- Refrigerator: Avoid refrigeration—moisture can make granola lose its crunch.
- Freezer: Freezing is not recommended because it can reduce crispness.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 29 g
Protein: 3 g
Fat: 14 g
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