This homemade dark chocolate granola is the easiest, most delicious sweet, and most wholesome breakfast. The chocolate granola cereal is mixed with almond butter, dried cherries, coconut flakes, and chocolate chips for a perfectly crunchy sweet treat.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Brownie granola - this breakfast treat tastes like a brownie in cereal form! The addition of dutch-processed cocoa powder adds the perfect chocolate undertones. Want extra chocolate flavor? Add chocolate chips or chunks for a chocolate chip granola version.
Versatile - make it your own by adding or adjusting various mix-ins. From dried fruit, nut spread, and seed or protein options, the possibilities are endless.
Stores well - This chocolate granola stores in a sealed container for weeks. Enjoy it every day, or only a few times a week to make it last that long!
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Store Bought Granola vs. Homemade
While store bought granola has the benefit of simply picking it up off the shelf and paying for it, homemade granola has more benefits:
- Customizable. Add a wide variety of mix-ins to suit your taste preferences.
- Control the amount of sugar going into it.
- Adjust the amount of fat.
- No storage additives are included.
- More cost-effective. While you'll spend more upfront to buy all of the ingredients, you'll be able to make multiple batches, making it far more affordable.
What to Eat with Chocolate Granola
This granola is wonderful to eat in many ways:
- On yogurt or greek yogurt with fresh fruit like bananas, strawberries, raspberries or blackberries.
- In a bowl with milk like granola cereal.
- As is just for snacking!
- Try it on your favorite ice cream for a crunchy contrast.
Ingredients
- Rolled oats. These may also be marketed as "old fashioned oats" - do not use quick-cooking oats, instant oats, or steel-cut oats.
- Almond butter.
- Coconut oil.
- Cocoa powder. The recipe calls for dutch-processed cocoa powder, which is recommended. Natural cocoa can be used, but it won't have the same depth of flavor.
- Almonds. Raw, non-toasted almonds should be used.
- Chocolate chips. This is optional but makes it feel like an extra special treat. Mini chocolate chips would also be great!
- Coconut flakes. The unsweetened version. Sweetened flakes or the shredded version are not recommended.
- Dried cherries. Chocolate and cherries are a perfect combination, but this can be omitted or substituted for another dried fried.
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
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Substitutions and Variations
- Use tahini or natural peanut butter in place of almond butter.
- Try your favorite type of raw nut or go nut-free.
- Add seeds! Sunflower seeds, pepitas, or chia seeds are good options.
- Use any dried fruit. Dried apricot tastes lovely.
- Mix in up to 3 tablespoons of protein powder to increase the protein content.
- Swap white chocolate chips for normal chocolate chips.
- Use honey in place of maple syrup. For more granola clusters, use honey and increase the amount to ⅔ cup.
How to Make This Recipe
One: Melt the coconut oil and almond butter and mix to combine.
Two: Add the cocoa powder, maple syrup, and water and mix to combine.
Three: Add in all of the ingredients (except the coconut flakes and chocolate chips) and mix well until completely coated.
Four: Spread the mixture evenly on top of a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes.
Five: Remove the parchment paper, then add the coconut flakes. Mix the granola, then press it into the pan. Bake again.
Six: Allow the chocolate granola to cool fully on the pan, then enjoy as is, with milk, or on yogurt.
Expert Tips
- Mix very well so all pieces get covered in the chocolate mixture prior to baking.
- Remove the parchment paper at the halfway mark. This helps to absorb excess oil at the start, but then gets removed to help it crisp up directly on the pan.
- Wait until the granola is completely cool before adding chocolate chips, otherwise, they'll melt!
Recipe FAQs
Granola can be a wholesome option depending on what's in it. It's fiber-rich from oats, and added protein from the nuts. Homemade granola is a great option as you can control the ingredients and additives better than store-bought.
This can be for a few reasons. Too much liquid was used; it was cooked at too high a temperature and burned before being able to dry out; it was cooked at too low a temperature and was not cooked long enough to crisp up.
Use honey, increase the amount to ⅔ cup, press the granola down, and cool fully on the pan before breaking up.
Storage
Store the granola in a sealed container at room temperature for up to three weeks.
Freeze the granola in a sealed container for up to two months. Remove portions and thaw at room temperature for 20 minutes before enjoying.
Note that any moisture that can get in, freeze, and potentially thaw will make the granola very chewy.
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📖Recipe
Dark Chocolate Granola
Equipment
- large cookie sheet
Ingredients
- ¼ cup almond butter
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ⅓ cup dutch processed cocoa powder
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3 cups rolled oats
- ½ cup almonds roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup dried cherries roughly chopped (optional)
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips or chunks optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, microwave the almond butter and coconut oil for about 30 seconds and stir until melted and thin.¼ cup almond butter, ¼ cup coconut oil
- Add the dutch processed cocoa, maple syrup and water and stir to combine.⅓ cup dutch processed cocoa powder, ½ cup maple syrup, 2 tablespoons water
- Add in the rolled oats, chopped almonds, cherries, and coarse sea salt and mix to combine.3 cups rolled oats, ½ cup almonds, ⅓ cup dried cherries, ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- Add to the baking sheet and spread evenly to combine. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove the parchment paper and discard, then add the coconut and give everything a good mix. Even it out and press it down all over to flatten.½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- Bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely on the pan.
- Add the chocolate chips (if using) and stir to combine.½ cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
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