Vanilla, Cardamom & Peach Christmas Granola

A lightly sweet, slow-toasted granola with vanilla, cardamom, pecans and chewy dried peaches — inspired by the toasted granola served at Musket Cove in Fiji. Perfect for Christmas morning and beautiful packed into jars as gifts.
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This is the granola I’ll be serving on Christmas morning — light enough to enjoy before a long festive lunch, yet nourishing and quietly special. Slow-toasted and gently spiced, it’s the kind of breakfast that feels considered without being heavy.

Introduction

As it bakes slowly, everything turns deeply golden and fragrant. The dried peaches soften into chewy little pockets of sweetness, inspired by the toasted granola I fell in love with at Musket Cove in Fiji. Pecans add richness and texture, coconut threads toast just enough to hint at their presence, and the vanilla olive oil perfumes the whole tray. Cardamom lifts the flavour, while mixed spice wraps everything in a soft, festive warmth.

Packed into jars, it makes a thoughtful homemade gift. Served with yoghurt and berries, it’s a calm, comforting way to begin Christmas morning — and to fill the kitchen with that quiet pre-Christmas glow.

Vanilla, Cardamom & Peach Christmas Granola

60 minutes

Cook Mode: OFF

Ingredients

1/2x
1x
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Servings: 12

Dried mixture

  • 5 rolled oats
  • 1 dried peaches, roughly chopped
  • .5 currants (added later)
  • .5 cranberries (added later)
  • 1 pecans, roughly chopped – keep some whole
  • .5 brazil nuts, roughly chopped
  • .5 slivered almonds
  • .5 pumpkin seeds
  • .5 sunflower seeds
  • .25 chia seeds
  • .50 coconut thread
  • 1 cardamom
  • 1 mixed spice
  • 1 flaky sea salt

Wet mixture

  • .5 vanilla olive oil, see notes
  • .5 maple syrup

Directions

  1. Preheat
    Preheat oven to 150°C fan.
    Line a large baking tray (or two smaller trays) with baking paper.

  2. Combine dry ingredients
    In a large bowl, mix oats, pecans, brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, slivered almonds, coconut thread, dried peaches, cardamom, mixed spice, optional vanilla extract and salt.

  3. Whisk wet mixture
    In a separate bowl or jug, whisk together vanilla olive oil and maple syrup or honey.

  4. Coat evenly
    Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients.
    Use your hands to toss and squeeze the mixture so it clumps lightly — this helps create medium clusters.

  5. Bake 20 minutes
    Spread mixture onto the trays in an even layer, gently pressing a few spots together to form clumps.
    Bake for 20 minutes.
    Remove from the oven and stir through currants and cranberries.

  6. Continue baking
    Return to the oven and bake for 15–25 minutes more, stirring once or twice, until deeply golden and fragrant.
    Reduce the heat slightly if it browns too quickly — slow toasting is the secret.

  7. Cool completely
    Let the granola cool on the tray.
    It will crisp up as it cools — resist the urge to move it too soon.

  8. Store or gift
    Spoon into airtight jars.
    Keeps for 2–3 weeks in a cool pantry.

     

Serve (Christmas Morning)

  • Add to bowls with thick Greek yoghurt

  • Spoon over fresh berries, or white balsamic roasted strawberries

  • A drizzle of maple or honey or a spoon of passionfruit pulp

Light but satisfying — exactly what a Christmas morning breakfast should be.

Tips

If you don’t have vanilla-infused olive oil, use cup grapeseed oil or melted coconut oil, plus seeds from 1 vanilla pod or 1–2 teaspoons vanilla extract. For extra aroma and a beautiful finish, tuck a split vanilla pod through the warm granola after baking and allow it to cool before storing.

For Gifting

Package in glass jars with a handwritten tag.
A tiny sprig of rosemary or a slice of dried orange tied to the ribbon gives it a festive, understated finish.

Equipment

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Kia ora, and welcome to Māia.

I believe food should be nourishing, joyful, and shared. Māia is about giving you confidence in the kitchen and making the everyday a little more delicious. I’m Colleen, and I’m so glad you’re here

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Tips

If you don’t have vanilla-infused olive oil, use cup grapeseed oil or melted coconut oil, plus seeds from 1 vanilla pod or 1–2 teaspoons vanilla extract. For extra aroma and a beautiful finish, tuck a split vanilla pod through the warm granola after baking and allow it to cool before storing.

For Gifting

Package in glass jars with a handwritten tag.
A tiny sprig of rosemary or a slice of dried orange tied to the ribbon gives it a festive, understated finish.

Equipment