How to Make the Best Homemade Granola Gifts this Christmas

delicious homemade granola: the perfect holiday gift

Make the best granola you’ve ever tasted and create homemade treats to give this Christmas & all year long! Handmade gifts are always special. 

Who doesn’t love granola? It’s great with so many things.

• You can eat it alone as a snack
• for breakfast as a cereal with milk
• with yogurt
• as a dessert over ice cream.

Really, the ideas are endless. A good granola recipe can be eaten so many ways and has so many possibilities.

AND it makes the ideal gift.

Package it in a cute little jar and it will easily keep for several weeks and make your friends and family BEG you for the recipe! 

If you want to try another favorite homemade edible gift idea be sure to visit our blog post where we share our Spiced Nuts Recipe handed down by our dear grandmother.

The Granola Story

But this granola recipe has a story which makes it extra special to our family.

It’s the granola that helped save our family business and helped save our family finances.

It all started when my husband Bill asked me to join him in his Senior Care Business that he was trying to get off the ground. It was in its first few years of business, and it was an extremely competitive market. Because the market was based on word of mouth and built on years of relationship building and trust, it was really hard to break into as a brand-new company. We were having a really hard time even getting inside the Senior Care Homes. We desperately needed a way to introduce our business to them.

Bill asked me to help out in the marketing department. Together we started to brainstorm ideas. We needed a way to stand out and get the attention of decision makers.

The Solution We Needed

Normally Senior Care companies like ours would drop off their business cards along with pens, mugs or maybe some flowers to get on the good side of the hiring staff.

Bill was often bringing in lunch for people or dropping off flowers, but nothing really seemed to make a difference.

We needed to think of something unique.

Something that no one else was doing.

Something special.

It was near Christmas time and I thought of packaging up something special.

I thought of a cute mason jar full of something…. something edible…. and then I remembered this delicious granola recipe I had made a few years back. 

Our Granola Recipe Takes Off

One Sunday afternoon I decided to make a big batch. I multiplied the recipe times four. I sent Bill out to get mason jars. We filled up our first jars, tied festive holiday bows and sent him out to his favorite Senior Centers. The following week all the staff wanted, no NEEDED, to have the recipe and asked could they have MORE! 

The next Sunday I made another big batch, but this time I multiplied the recipe by eight. I sent Bill out to get more mason jars. This time we got smaller jars and filled up dozens and dozens. We made up cute little cards with the recipes. From there our marketing success started to take off.

It’s been years since I made the granola for our company as a marketing tool, but people still ask Bill about the granola when they see him. 

When I told Bill I was going to make some granola for the blog, he asked if I could make some for him to hand out for Christmas. How could I refuse? You can guess what Ill be doing this Sunday. I better get out the mason jars!

Try Our Other Fabulous Holiday Treats & Edible Gift Ideas

Looking for more recipe ideas for the holidays that double as giftable treats? Be sure to check out our:

White Chocolate Peppermint Cake

Roan’s Chocolate Chip Almond Biscotti

Starbucks Copy Cat Cranberry Bliss Bars

Spiced Nuts

 

Jodie’s Homemade Granola Recipe

This granola is super easy — most of the work is done on your stove-top. You bake only briefly to dry/crisp up granola to your liking. Have fun personalizing with nuts or dried fruit that you like best. It’s pretty yummy as is, but you can easily save some calories or make a healthier version by reducing the sugar and butter.

Ingredients

2 tbsp. Olive oil

4 cups Old Fashioned Oats

⅔ cups Butter

¼ cup Honey

⅔ cup packed Brown Sugar

1-2 tsp cinnamon 

1-2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup Slivered Almonds

1 cup dried cranberries

1/2-1 cup date pieces (opt.)

1 cup chopped pecans

Makes approximately 14 – 8-ounce mason jars

Step-by-step Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat add olive oil and cook oats until just slightly toasted. Be careful not to burn. You should smell just a bit of toasting. If you wait until you see them turning brown, it’s easy to burn them. Set aside.
3. In the same large skillet cook butter, honey, and brown sugar over medium heat until mixture bubbles. Add cinnamon & vanilla. Remove from heat.
4. Add oats and stir until coated. 
5. While still warm add nuts and dried fruit. Stir to coat all ingredients evenly.
6. Spread in a single layer onto cookie sheets and bake in a preheated oven at 300 for 10-15 minutes.
7. Watch so granola doesn’t turn dark. Granola will crisp after cooling.
8. Store in airtight containers. Should keep for 2-3 weeks.

Homemade Gift Baskets

Another way we love to create gifts that feel more personal is to put together personalized gift baskets. Homemade gift baskets combine the best of all worlds. If you’re short on time but long on creativity you will love putting together gift baskets. Taking the time to put together a themed basket that’s personalized for the recipient is a wonderful way to make someone’s day and show you care. Read our budget-friendly gift basket post for lots of ideas for themes, as well as creative presentation ideas. After all, presentation is everything 🙂

Looking for a fun way to create your own gift tags? Head to our amazingly talented blogging friend Janine @happyhapynester for printable gift tags to make all your packages extra special.

Family Togetherness and Spreading Christmas Joy

These days more than ever homemade gifts mean so much. It’s the thought that counts. It may be cliché but it’s so true.  Taking time to make something is an act of true caring. As we love to say, “It’s love in action.” Honestly, is there anything better? 

Have fun with this project. Get the whole family involved. Put on your aprons. Turn on the Christmas music. And allow the joy of the season to fill your home. Creating homemade gifts can put the whole family in the festive, holiday spirit.

When the mason jars are dressed and the cards filled out, get dressed up in holiday outfits and Santa hats and enjoy delivering them to friends’ doorsteps. This year you can safely deliver by leaving at the door and waving from the car. This is another way to show you care.

Create a new family tradition, one based on selflessness, giving, togetherness, and joy.

Now that’s what we call Christmas Spirit!

Happy Giving!

XO ~