This granola, inspired by masala chai, doesn’t get its fragrance from warm spices like cinnamon and ginger alone—there’s also ground black tea in the mix, which adds a pleasant astringency. Buckwheat groats are incomparably nutty and crunchy—but if you can’t find them, simply sub in more old-fashioned oats.
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What you’ll need
Spice Mill
$60 $50 At Kitchen Aid
Rimmed Baking Sheet
$32 At Amazon
Silicone Spatula
$13 At Amazon
Small Saucepan
$155 At Amazon
Whisk
$10 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
Makes about 6 cups
Ingredients
1
2
1
1
½
½
½
1
½
½
2
¼
¼
1
6
Special equipment
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 300°. Remove tea leaves from bag and finely grind in a spice mill (you should have about 1 tsp.).
Step 2
Whisk ground tea, oats, buckwheat groats, coconut flakes, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, ginger, cardamom, cloves, a few grinds of pepper, and 2 tsp. cinnamon in a large bowl to combine.
Step 3
Cook applesauce, oil, salt, and 6 Tbsp. honey in a small saucepan, whisking to combine, over medium heat until lukewarm, about 1 minute.
Step 4
Pour applesauce mixture over oat mixture and stir with a flexible rubber spatula until oat mixture is thoroughly coated. Spread granola out on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring every 15 minutes, until deep golden brown and dry to the touch, 40–45 minutes. Let cool.
Step 5
Serve granola in bowls with yogurt, pear, and more honey and cinnamon (if desired).
Do ahead: Granola can be made 2 weeks ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
Leave a Review
Reviews (19)
Back to TopThis is a delicious and slightly unusual granola due to the buckwheat and black tea leaves. I love how mildly sweet it is. As with most homemade granolas that don't have a high proportion of sugar and oil, this is crumbly stuff. Not forming large clumps. Which is fine by me because it is great in yogurt. I'll be making this again and again.
Anonymous
Omaha, Ne
3/25/2022
I've made this granola twice and it's DELICIOUS. Probably my new favorite go-to granola. But I do have to mention one important detail for those trying the recipe for the first time. Make sure you purchase regular, UNTOASTED, raw buckwheat groats. My local health food store had both in the bulk section the first time I was purchasing ingredients and I was a little unsure which to choose, so I went with the lighter, blond colored raw groats. They were great and provided a pleasant crunch. In fact, I feel like that's the ingredient that actually gives this granola some real interest compared to other spiced granola recipes. The second time I went to purchase ingredients, they were out of the raw groats and only had dark colored toasted groats (also called kasha) so I used those thinking that they would taste a little different being roasted, but that that toasty-ness would still play well with the other flavors. They actually have a vastly different texture! They are very firm and I'm a little worried that I might crack a tooth chewing on them. I'll still eat this batch I made with the toasted groats, but I'll likely need to let it sit in milk or yogurt to soften a little first. No big deal, but LESSON LEARNED. FYI, I discovered that Bob's Red Mill packages raw buckwheat groats and I'll look for those next time the bulk section is out.
Cale
Austin, TX
2/27/2022
Super good! I loved the way my house smelled with all the spices! I did realize I made a mistake after looking at the picture again. I used regular pumpkin seeds instead of pepitas. Will definitely make again 😊
Jules
Newport Beach CA
1/30/2022
This was delicious and super easy to make. I served mine with vanilla yogurt and banana. Highly recommend!
Ashley K.
Houston, TX
1/17/2022
So delicious and crispy. Love the applesauce idea to bind and sweeten. Will definitely make this all the time.
Anonymous
Los Angeles
1/8/2022