Chinese Five-Spice Granola with Honey Yogurt and Candied Walnuts
A sophisticated breakfast that layers warm five-spice granola with creamy honey yogurt and candied walnuts. The granola combines rolled oats, coconut, and sunflower seeds toasted with Chinese five-spice powder, while the candied walnuts add a sweet, crunchy contrast. Finished with a drizzle of honey and a dash of cinnamon, this dish brings Asian aromatics to a Western breakfast format.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Wait
- 20 min
- Total
- 1 hr 10 min
- Makes
- 4 servings (about 2 cups granola, ½ cup candied walnuts)
Steps
Before you start
- Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C) for granola and candied walnuts
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper
- Have all spices measured and ready before starting
Mix granola dry ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, shredded coconut, sunflower seeds, five-spice powder, cinnamon, and sea salt.
- Whisk together until the spices are evenly distributed throughout the dry ingredients, about 1 minute.
- Make sure there are no clumps of five-spice powder.
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Tip: Sift the five-spice powder and cinnamon together first if you suspect clumps, to avoid pockets of overly spiced granola.
Combine wet ingredients
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the honey and melted coconut oil together until they're fully combined and warm to the touch, about 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
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Ready when: Mixture is warm and honey flows easily
Tip: Warming the honey makes it easier to coat the oats evenly; if honey is cold, it clumps and won't distribute well.
Coat granola mixture
- Pour the warm honey mixture over the dry ingredients.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir vigorously for 2–3 minutes, making sure every oat and seed is coated with the honey-oil mixture.
- The mixture should feel slightly clumpy and hold together when pressed.
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Ready when: All dry ingredients are visibly coated and clump when pressed together
Tip: Don't skimp on stirring—undercoated granola bakes unevenly and won't get golden and crisp.
Spread and bake granolaOven 325°F / 165°C
- Spread the granola mixture evenly on a 13×18-inch (33×46 cm) parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer, breaking it into ½- to 1-inch pieces.
- Bake at 325°F (165°C) for 20–25 minutes, stirring halfway through (about 12 minutes in), until golden brown and fragrant.
- The granola should be dry to the touch and have a toasted aroma.
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Ready when: Golden brown, dry to the touch, fragrant with spices
Tip: Stir halfway through to prevent burning on the edges. The granola will crisp up further as it cools.
Prepare candied walnuts
- While the granola bakes, in a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg white until foamy, about 30 seconds.
- Add the walnut halves and toss to coat evenly.
- In another small bowl, combine the brown sugar and ground ginger.
- Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the walnuts and toss until all pieces are coated.
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Ready when: Walnuts are evenly coated with egg white and brown sugar mixture
Tip: Use just one egg white—too much liquid will make the sugar dissolve rather than caramelize.
Bake candied walnutsOven 325°F / 165°C
- Spread the sugar-coated walnuts in a single layer on a second parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake alongside the granola for 12–15 minutes (starting when the granola is about halfway done) until the coating is caramelized and golden brown.
- The walnuts should smell sweet and nutty.
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Ready when: Sugar coating is golden and caramelized, walnuts smell sweet and toasted
Tip: Watch carefully in the last few minutes—they can go from golden to burnt quickly.
Cool and crisp
- Remove both baking sheets from the oven.
- Let the granola and candied walnuts cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes—they will crisp up as they cool.
- Once cooled, break the granola into bite-size pieces (about ½ to 1 inch) and let the candied walnuts cool completely on the sheet.
- If the walnuts stick together, gently break them apart after they've cooled slightly.
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Ready when: Granola is crispy and breaks easily when pressed; candied walnuts are cool and dry
Tip: Don't skip the cooling time—the granola will seem soft when hot but will harden as it cools.
Assemble bowls
- Divide the Greek yogurt among four serving bowls (about ½ cup per bowl).
- Top each bowl with ¼ cup of the five-spice granola, then scatter about 2 tablespoons of candied walnuts over each.
- Drizzle each bowl with about ¾ tablespoon of honey.
- Finish with a pinch of ground cinnamon if desired.
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Tip: Assemble just before serving to keep the granola crispy; if assembled too far ahead, it will soften.
Good to know
Tips
- Five-spice powder can overpower a dish, so this recipe uses a measured 1.5 teaspoons for four servings—taste a sample of the baked granola and adjust in future batches if you prefer more or less intensity.
- The egg white acts as a binder for the brown sugar coating on the walnuts and helps create a crisp candied shell. Don't skip it or substitute with oil.
- Store the granola and candied walnuts in separate containers even after baking—the walnuts are moister and will soften the granola if stored together.
- Make double the granola recipe; it keeps well for a week and is excellent eaten plain with milk as a cold cereal or topped with fresh fruit.
Make ahead
Granola and candied walnuts can be made up to 5 days ahead and stored in separate airtight containers at room temperature. Assemble the yogurt bowl just before serving.
Storage & reheating
Granola: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Candied walnuts: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Assembled bowl: Eat immediately for best texture; the granola will soften if refrigerated.
Substitutions
- plain Greek yogurt → plain yogurt or coconut yogurt. Plain yogurt will be thinner and slightly tangier. Coconut yogurt works well for a dairy-free version.
- coconut oil, melted → unsalted butter or neutral vegetable oil. Butter will add a richer flavor; vegetable oil is neutral. Both will work equally well.
- sunflower seeds → pumpkin seeds or sesame seeds. Pumpkin seeds add earthiness; sesame seeds add a subtle nutty crunch.
- Chinese five-spice powder → 1 tsp ground cinnamon + ¼ tsp ground cloves + ⅛ tsp ground white pepper. Make your own five-spice blend if you don't have the powder on hand. The flavor will be slightly different but still aromatic.
