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By:Ashley
This healthy homemade Chocolate Granola Recipe is deliciously crunchy, perfectly chocolate-y and so easy to make! A healthy way to enjoy chocolate for breakfast. If you love granola clusters, keep reading for my baking tips!
Using BOTH Rolled Oats AND Quick Oats
We’re using Bob’s Red Mill Old Fashioned Rolled Oats AND their Quick Cooking Oats for this chocolate granola recipe.
I like to use both because the quick oats will help hold the rolled oats together along with the other ingredients, making the perfect clusters!
If you only have rolled oats on hand, no worries. Simply pulse down some of the rolled oats to make quick oats and you’re good to go.
Bob’sis my go-to for stocking my pantry and I use so many of their products every day. They’re simply the best. I am so happy we are working together and I get to create some delicious recipes for you!
Chocolate Granola Ingredients
The list of ingredients you need to make homemade granola is pretty basic. It’s a mixture of healthy pantry staples.
If you don’t already have stocked pantry, check out this post for some help and my go-to products.
Here’s what you need:
- old-fashioned rolled oats + quick cooking oats – using a mixture of both.
- unsweetened cocoa powder – make sure it’s unsweetened, and not dutch process.
- sliced almonds or roasted sunflower seeds – either work to add additional texture. Use sunflower seeds to keep this recipe nut free.
- chia seeds (or ground flaxseeds, or hemp hearts) –I love adding chia seeds to granola, but you can substitute an equal amount of flaxseeds or hemp hearts.
- creamy cashew butter (or seed butter to keep nut free) – Cashew butter provides a neutral flavor, or use sunflower seed butter to keep nut free.
- pure maple syrup –The liquid sticky sweetener.
- dark brown sugar – For some extra sweetness to help balance the cocoa flavor.
- oil – You can use melted cooled coconut oil, avocado oil or light olive oil for its neutral flavor.
- vanilla extract –for a hint of flavor.
- mini chocolate chips & regular sized chocolate chips – I like to use both. Mini chips get sprinkled onto the granola after it’s cooled slightly, and regular sized morsels can be added as well.
- flaked sea salt –for sprinkling once cooled. Optional but I love the salty-sweet combo with chocolate.
How To Make Homemade Granola
If you’ve never made granola at home, the process is fairly simple. Everything gets mixed into a bowl, spread into one layer on a baking sheet, and then baked at a lower temperature for about 30 minutes.
Here’s a quick overview of the recipe, with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below.
Step 1
In a large bowl stir together rolled oats, quick oats, cocoa powder, sliced almonds (or sunflower seeds) and chia seeds.
Step 2
In a medium bowl combine cashew butter (or seed butter) with maple syrup, oil, brown sugar and vanilla extract; stir until smooth then pour over dry ingredients.
Make sure the oats are fully covered –you can use your hands at the end if necessary.
Step 3
Pour granola mixture onto baking sheet in one even layer. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip the granola using a flat spatula and bake for another 10-12 minutes.
Allow granola to cool on baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before adding mini chocolate chips (or they’ll melt to the granola) and sprinkling with sea salt.
After the granola is cool, you can add another ½ cup of regular sized chocolate chips if you’d like.
Ways to Enjoy
Serve this chocolate granola in a bowl with cream, yogurt, or enjoy on it’s own as a crunchy snack!
Granola makes a great homemade gift, too.
Storing Granola
Store completely cooled granola in airtight container and enjoy within two weeks.
More Granola Recipes to Try:
- Pumpkin Spice Granola
- Cashew Butter Banana Granola
- Peanut Butter Granola
Let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a comment and rating below! It helps others learn more about the recipe too! Xx Ashley
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Chocolate Granola
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star
5 from 3 reviews
This Homemade Chocolate Granola Recipe is deliciously crunchy, perfectly chocolate-y and so easy to make! A healthy way to enjoy chocolate for breakfast. Vegan and gluten-free friendly.
- Author: Ashley
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: about 4 cups 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
UnitsScale
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2/3 cup quick oats (see notes)
- 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds or roasted sunflower seeds
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds (or ground flaxseeds, or hemp hearts)
- 1/4 cup creamy cashew butter (or seed butter to keep nut free)
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup oil (melted cooled coconut, avocado, olive)
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup regular sized chocolate chips
- flaked sea salt, for sprinkling once cooled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325ºF and set aside a large baking sheet
- Add dry ingredients: In a large bowl stir together rolled oats, quick oats, cocoa powder, sliced almonds (or sunflower seeds) and chia seeds; set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a medium bowl combine cashew butter (or seed butter) with maple syrup, oil, brown sugar and vanilla extract; stir until smooth then pour over dry ingredients. Stir using large wooden spoon or study spatula, making sure all of the oats are coated well (use hands at end if necessary).
- Bake: Pour granola mixture onto baking sheet in one even layer and bake for 15 minutes, then flip the granola using a flat spatula and bake for another 10-12 minutes. Allow granola to cool on baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before adding mini chocolate chips (or they’ll melt to the granola) and sprinkling with sea salt. After the granola is cool, you can add another ½ cup of regular sized chocolate chips if you’d like.
- Serve granola in a bowl with cream, yogurt, or enjoy as snack. Granola makes a great homemade gift too!
- Store granola in airtight container and enjoy within two weeks.
Notes
TO MAKE NUT-FREE: Use sunflower seeds and sunbutter or another nut-free butter as needed.
About Ashley
"Ashley Walterhouse is the founder of Fit Mitten Kitchen, based in the Greater Lansing Area of Michigan, AKA “the Mitten.” Ashley grew up as a picky eater but later discovered that eating healthy was actually easy and fun. She started FMK in 2015 as a way to share her newfound love of developing healthier recipes for all to enjoy."
Reader Interactions
Rate this Recipe
Ashley says
This recipe turned out great. I used pecans and Cashews since that’s what I had on hand and I didn’t add the brown sugar. Tastes great, thanks!
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Ashley says
Amazing! Thanks for leaving your substitutions and review!
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Michelle says
I love this recipe! So easy to make. I added hemp hearts instead of chia seeds and I didn’t have any quick oats so I used rolled oats instead. Also, subbed peanut butter chips instead of the chocolate (didn’t have any on hand).
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Ashley says
Glad to hear you enjoyed it!! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and review 🙂
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Deb says
This recipe is absolutely delicious! I used all rolled oats as it’s what I had on hand, flax meal and followed the recipe with all the other ingredients. It was crunchy with just perfect sweetness definitely will be a recipe I will continue to make. It smelt like a brownie while it was baking.
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Ashley says
So glad you liked it Deb! Thanks so much for leaving a review 🙂
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Justina Spicer says
So easy and so good! Don’t think too long about making this or not- just do it!
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Shawna says
Just tried this recipe and love it. Will definitely be a staple around here
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Ashley says
So glad! Thanks so much for leaving a comment 🙂
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