Super Chunk Gingerbread Granola

Let’s be honest. The best part about granola is the chunks. The way they land in your mouth, craggy and crunchy, requiring an actual of your teeth, a shattering of caramelized everything, oat-and-nut shrapnel. Can you tell I’ve thought a lot about this? Yes.… The post Super Chunk Gingerbread Granola appeared first on My New Roots.

Jan 14, 2025 - 15:37

Let’s be honest. The best part about granola is the chunks. The way they land in your mouth, craggy and crunchy, requiring an actual <> of your teeth, a shattering of caramelized everything, oat-and-nut shrapnel. Can you tell I’ve thought a lot about this? Yes. The chunks!

Even though I’ve successfully made a lot of chunky granolas, I knew there was still room for improvement. More chunkiness. More slabs that need splitting just to fit inside a jar – that’s the level we’re on, people. And thinking back to all the times I endeavoured to make chunky granola but fell just short, there was one thing in common: stirring during baking. That’s right. The secret to the world’s chunkiest granola does not lie on the ingredients – it’s the processing that counts! Or, the lack thereof. Let me explain.

I’ve always thought that to get an even bake on granola, you have to take it out of the oven every 10 minutes or so, stir it around, and yea, break up any chunk potential. But then I read that if you just lower the oven temperature and leave the granola alone, it will not only cook perfectly evenly, but also keep the granola fully in tact, like one, gigantic cookie. Boom!

Which brings me to my next two points: one, the flavour of this new-and-improved, super chunk granola is gingerbread cookie!

And two, oh hey, I’m back! I took some time away from the blog to focus on other aspects of my business, like Grow, and Golden Circle Retreats. I’ve expanded the My New Roots universe in ways that I am truly proud of, and I hope you’ll check out those offerings too! And I’m glad to be here on the blog and connecting in this way again.

One thing that has kept me from blogging besides a very full workload, is the huge amount of pressure I put on myself to show up here with something totally revolutionary every time. I would come up with a great recipe, but due to its simplicity, I didn’t feel that it was “special enough” to write a whole post about it. Now I realize that this was a totally ridiculous story! And that you’re probably okay with simple. You may even prefer it?! So, expect me to be here more often with less complicated dishes. Like granola!

And I also saw a meme about how annoying it is when food bloggers write a 10,000 word essay about their childhood memory of the recipe they’re making, when people just want the dang ingredient list and directions. I laughed out loud (because hi it’s me), and then decided that maybe it’s okay to keep things short and sweet sometimes. The anecdote doesn’t have to ramble on forever; it can just be some context and headnotes. No one needs to know about aunt Janet’s giblet mishap (although that WAS hilarious!). Okay see? I’m doing it again.

Let’s get into the recipe, which is totally revolutionary because of this technique that will lead you to make the chunkiest granola of your lifetime even if it’s not these exact ingredients. And the flavour, which is *the* most classic and seasonal delight, yet happily enjoyed all year ‘round. If you’re a ginger lover, you’ve come to the right place!

This granola is super flavourful, shatteringly crisp, with pockets of squish from the dried fruit and ginger (aka texture balance heaven). In my test batch I left these ingredients out until after baking, since I feared that their inherent moisture would make the granola soggy. Not true! Baked altogether, they get lodged in the nooks and crannies of the oats and nuts and then burst out with a ‘SURPRISE” every now and again, reminding me that the universe is always trying to come back to equilibrium, even in the form of breakfast.

I used two sweeteners here: maple syrup (which could be swapped out for honey), and blackstrap molasses. Molasses gives gingerbread its distinctive, rich taste and colour. Note that fancy molasses is a less-cooked version of blackstrap, and can still be used here, but you’ll be missing out on the iron and calcium that comes with longer processing.

For extra flavour and deliciousness you can use ghee instead of the coconut oil, otherwise this recipe is fully vegan.