Chocolate Granola

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5 from 8 votes
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This chocolate granola is healthy, chocolaty, and crunchy- not just your regular breakfast-next-bowl! It uses simple ingredients and makes a wholesome breakfast!

chocolate granola.

Why you’ll love this chocolate granola recipe

  • No complicated ingredients. Don’t you love when you don’t need to run to the store when trying out a new recipe? You need only five simple ingredients to make this homemade chocolate granola. And there’s a good chance you already have most of the required elements.
  • Crunchy and delicious. The most satisfying thing about any cereal is its crunch- especially granola. And when you make it with nuts, peanut butter, and chocolate chips, it is like having dessert for breakfast.
  • Plant-based. Like protein granola, this recipe has no dairy or eggs, so it’s suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
  • Versatile. Another thing that I love about this recipe is that you can enjoy it with milk or use it as a topping for your ice cream, overnight oats, porridge, or smoothie bowls.

Ingredients (and substitutions)

While oats form the base of this recipe, what makes the recipe work is the ratio of oats to peanut butter to maple syrup. Let’s see what you need:

  • Oats. Granola is all about nailing the texture, and one way to achieve that is by using two different kinds of oats. I have used a combination of rolled and quick oats.
  • Salt. It helps enhance the sweet flavors. Don’t omit it! 
  • Nuts. This is where you can get creative. Mix your favorite chopped nuts in the recipe—almonds, pistachios, peanuts, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, etc.
  • Chocolate peanut butter. A simple mix of peanut butter and cocoa powder. If you can’t find this in stores, standard peanut butter will work. Not a fan of peanuts? No worries! You can try using chocolate almond butter instead. Or try my healthy Nutella for a Nutella-flavored granola!
  • Maple syrup. Not only does this add some sweetness to the granola, but it also helps form clusters too. You can use honey or agave nectar if you’d prefer.
  • Chocolate chips. What makes this chocolate granola recipe truly stand out is that instead of using cocoa powder, we mix real chocolate into the hot granola. I like to use semi-sweet chocolate chips, but dark, milk, or even white work.

How to make chocolate granola 

This recipe’s trickiest part is getting the perfect crunch. Like crunchy biscotti and peanut butter cookies, you want the crispy bits with every bite. And while the oven takes care of baking everything perfectly, follow the steps carefully to get the perfect granola every single time!

  1. Mix the dry ingredients. Mix oats, salt, and nuts in a large mixing bowl.
  2. Mix the wet ingredients. Melt peanut butter with maple syrup in a microwave until it bubbles.
  3. Make the granola mix. Combine the dry and wet mixes until fully incorporated, and layer on a baking tray.
  4. Bake the granola. Bake the granola mix at 180°C/350°F in a preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Mix in the chocolate chips, and bake until golden brown.
  5. Store until later use. Remove the baked granola, allow it to cool down to room temperature, break the large chunks, and store them in an airtight container until further use.

Flavor variations

  • Add seeds. Omega-3 fatty acids are so good for you! Mix ground flax seeds in your granola mix to add them to your diet. Alternatively, you could add pumpkin, sunflower, or chia seeds (we often do this in our peanut butter granola recipe).
  • Make it gluten-free. Even if you’re allergic to gluten, you can still enjoy these decadent chocolate granola! Just use certified gluten-free oats instead.
  • Make it coconutty. The coconut-chocolate combination is a forever classic! All you need to do is add unsweetened shredded coconut or coconut flakes to the granola mix.  Add vanilla extract. Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the granola mix. If you love the choco-vanilla combo, I’m sure you’ll like this variation. 
  • Add dried fruits. I love raisins, goji berries, or dried cranberries in this granola. It makes a delicious addition!

What to serve with chocolate granola

I love my day a little better when it begins and ends with chocolate! To enjoy it better, use the following serving recommendations.

  • Yogurt. Mix this granola with your favorite neutral or vanilla yogurt for a healthy, wholesome breakfast. Finish with antioxidant-rich berries, and enjoy!
  • Milk. Stir in the chocolate granola with your preferred dairy or plant-based milk for a quick breakfast, and enjoy it cold or warm. I love to top it with fresh fruits, berries, and seeds.
  • Smoothie bowl. Whether it’s a coconut chia pudding, or a yummy smoothie, in my opinion, it is incomplete without a generous sprinkle of granola.

Storage instructions

To store. Granola keeps well at room temperature in a sealed container for one month.

To freeze. I suggest storing it in the freezer for more extended storage for three months.

  • Mixing bowls. These large and medium-sized mixing bowls always come in handy when making recipes like this.
  • Baking tray. This baking sheet will be your best friend when making granola, cookies, or macarons!
  • Spatula. Just like you would fold the cookie dough, mix the dry and mix ingredients using a spatula. It makes life so easy!
recipe for chocolate granola.

Recipe tips and tricks

  • Melt the nut butter with maple syrup. This step ensures you get nice chunks of granola to bake. It brings the mixture to a perfect workable consistency.
  • Use sea salt. While regular table salt works just fine, I encourage you to use flaky sea salt in the recipe. It really enhances the overall flavor of the cereal.
  • Don’t skip the nut butter. Many healthy recipes online use mashed banana or applesauce instead of nut butter or coconut oil. Let me tell you a little secret! If you want crispy and crunchy granola, you need a fat component! Olive oil or butter works, but a nut/seed butter will add an extra layer of flavor.
  • Let the granola cool. You may want to try the granola fresh out of the oven. But hold your horses! The natural sugars in granola will harden as it cools down, and the granola will form the quintessential chunks. 

Frequently asked questions

Can I use honey to sweeten my granola?

Well, I have yet to try this recipe with honey. But because honey tends to retain moisture, I am a little wary about using it to make granola.  

What can you use instead of nut butter?

If you’re allergic to nuts, you can use tahini or sunflower seed butter instead.

Can I prepare granola mix in a food processor?

You can pulse the wet and dry ingredients in a food processor to quickly mix them. Don’t blend at high speed to avoid making granola butter.

chocolate granola recipe.

Chocolate Granola

5 from 8 votes
This chocolate granola is healthy, chocolaty, and crunchy- not just your regular breakfast-next-bowl! It uses simple ingredients and makes a wholesome breakfast!
Servings: 8 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 25 minutes

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, quick oats, salt and nuts of choice.
  • In a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, heat the peanut butter with the maple syrup until it just begins to bubble. Add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture and combine until fully incorporated.
  • Spread out the granola mixture evenly on the lined oven tray and bake for 10-12 minutes (depending on the oven) until the edges start to go slightly golden. Remove from the oven and stir through the chocolate chips. Place back in the oven and continue to bake until golden brown.
  • Remove from the oven and stir through remaining chocolate and allow to cool completely. Once cooked, break up the granola and store in an airtight container.

Notes

TO STORE. Granola keeps well at room temperature in a sealed container for one month.
TO FREEZE. I suggest storing it in the freezer for more extended storage for three months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 150kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 8gFat: 7gPotassium: 3mgFiber: 4gVitamin A: 150IUVitamin C: 2.5mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 0.5mgNET CARBS: 14g
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

More ways to have chocolate for breakfast

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, photographer, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

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Comments

  1. Okay why am I just now catching up on blog reading? I made granola last night (but it turned out beautifully so I just have to photograph for the blog :)) but would have LOVED the best dark chocolate granola because let’s get real, how can anything without chocolate not be good? Also, love the idea of mixing rolled & quick oats for texture!!

    1. YES!! definitely consider mixing them to give an amazing texture- perfect to crumble in yogurt or cottage cheese!

  2. You are becoming a granola making master, and I love it. Next up on my list (once I perfect the Coconut Lime Pineapple) is a savory granola.
    I don’t know if I was known for always having a food on hand, but I do remember my one friend always had Spaghetti-O’s and I would associate her with them. I loved them and wanted to eat at her house all the time as a result.

    1. SAVOURY granola? No bloody way. Actually, that sounds delicious- OMG I have a genius idea you need to include in it- messaging you now.

  3. What a great time to start that fuckin whole30! This will be one of the first things to make next month!
    Btw I was that granola bar girl among my friends 😉 I loved the chewy ones with chocolate on it!

    1. I’m totally toying with you, Juli- although my recipe tomorrow has a paleo option 😉

      Now you’d be a tit bowl cake bake girl.

  4. I’ve never been a huge fan of granola bars… but I LOVE granola!!! And dark chocolate granola sounds amazing! Can you just send me a batch please 🙂 is it sad that I have no idea what my favorite snack was…. I do really love the Honey Mustard and Onion pretzel pieces! NOM NOM

  5. You just made my day. YUM! I love me some granola. I think granola is my favorite thing everrrr. I always had granola bars with me when I was in school.

  6. I was always SO envious of the kids who had Dunkaroos (little animal cracker things that came with a bit of frosting to dip) or Fruit by the Foot snacks in school. My mom packed me healthy snacks. >:( Just kidding, I’m actually thankful for that now.

    1. DUNKAROOS are in America? I thought it was an Australian thing- they were like crack, and I may or may not have gone through a box of them as a kid…throwing away the stupid kangaroos to just eat the frosting.

      1. Haha yup, typical kid thing to do – we all did that! I haven’t seen them around in awhile, though I haven’t necessarily looked. Next time I hit the store…

  7. Meghan brought me granola to Blend. You should probably send me this so I can do a side-by-side comparison.