Need a last minute, homemade Christmas gift? Try out this easy homemade granola that tastes like gingerbread.

For someone you really love, why not give the gift of perpetual granola, or granola for a year? Put it in a nice tin or jar and every time they bring the empty container back, fill it for them.

Our Lebkuchen spice mix comes from Worni, a wine and spirits shop in Schüpfheim, and my in-laws (and even Fabiana, she of the famous Lebkuchen), swear by it for all their Lebkuchen needs. However, you can also get Lebkuchen spice mix at Swiss supermarkets, make your own (recipe below), or replace with mixed spice or gingerbread spice mix.

I’ve made granola for the blog before (check out my posts on Tannen Granola and Ovomaltine Granola). and, as always, two sources have guided me: Felicity Cloake's How to Make the Perfect Granola, and this Buzzfeed guide.

300 g oats

150 g almonds, roughly chopped

50 g melted butter

80 g molasses

50 g maple syrup

1 tbsp Lebkuchen spice mix

pinch salt

100 g candied peel

Preheat oven to 190 C / 375 F / gas mark 5.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix together the oats, nuts, butter, and syrups. Sprinkle over the Lebkuchen spice mix and salt, and mix well with a wooden spoon or your hands. 

Spread the mixture evenly on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for about 20 minutes (rotating the sheet halfway through) or until you can smell the granola and it has browned to your liking.

Once it is out of the oven you can sprinkle over the candied peel (and a handful of raisins, if desired) and give it a good mix.

Let cool completely before storing.

• You can really use any combination of nuts and fruits—I just think almonds and candied orange peel (here’s my recipe for making your own) pair nicely with the Lebkuchen spice. I also like adding a handful of raisins at the end too. Or, if you don’t have candied peel, use all raisins, or dried cranberries instead.

• I’ve used many different combinations of syrups when making this granola. Using just molasses makes it dark and flavourful, but also a little bitter, which is why I temper it with maple syrup. Or, if you don’t have molasses at all, you could use Birnenhonig, golden syrup or honey.

• In Switzerland, oats mostly come in two forms, fein or grob (fine or coarse). The coarse oats remain whole, while the fine oats are cut into smaller pieces. In North America, there are many more forms of oats, like quick cooking, steel cut and rolled, all of which involve pressing or cutting the oats, mostly to reduce cooking time. Usually it is preferable to use coarse oats for granola.

• If you don’t have Lebkuchen spice mix, you can use mixed spice or gingerbread spice. Alternatively, you can make your own:

Lebkuchen Spice Mix

Mix together:

1 tsp each ground ginger, anise, cinnamon, coriander

1 generous pinch ground nutmeg and cloves