Healthy & Easy Chocolate Granola Recipe • Fit Mitten Kitchen (2024)

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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!

Table of Contents

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

Healthy & Easy Chocolate Granola Recipe • Fit Mitten Kitchen (9)

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★★★★★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

  1. Preheat oven to 325ºF and set aside a large baking sheet
  2. 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.
  3. 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).
  4. 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.
  5. Serve granola in a bowl with cream, yogurt, or enjoy as snack. Granola makes a great homemade gift too!
  6. 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.

Keywords: healthy granola recipe, chocolate granola, how to make granola

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."

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Reader Interactions

Rate this Recipe

  1. 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!

    Reply

    • Ashley says

      Amazing! Thanks for leaving your substitutions and review!

      Reply

  2. 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).

    Reply

    • Ashley says

      Glad to hear you enjoyed it!! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and review 🙂

      Reply

  3. 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.

    Reply

    • Ashley says

      So glad you liked it Deb! Thanks so much for leaving a review 🙂

      Reply

  4. Justina Spicer says

    So easy and so good! Don’t think too long about making this or not- just do it!

    Reply

  5. Shawna says

    Just tried this recipe and love it. Will definitely be a staple around here

    Reply

    • Ashley says

      So glad! Thanks so much for leaving a comment 🙂

      Reply

Healthy & Easy Chocolate Granola Recipe • Fit Mitten Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in simply nature dark chocolate granola? ›

Whole grain blend (gluten free oats, amaranth, millet), cane sugar, chocolate chips (cane sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter), honey, brown rice, coconut oil, cornmeal, almonds, cocoa powder, brown rice syrup, chia seeds, natural flavors, coconut, sea salt, sesame seeds, soluble corn fiber, corn starch, rice ...

What makes granola clump together? ›

Add an egg white.

The whites act as a kind of glue that binds the ingredients together. To ensure that the egg whites coat all the ingredients, I beat them with a whisk until foamy and increased in volume, which makes it much easier to fold into the granola.

Why is homemade granola better? ›

Advantage homemade. Both granolas have whole oats as their main ingredient, but the Kellogg's is high in refined sugar and contains palm oil. The homemade version contains protein-rich pecans and uses only a small amount of honey, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. It took me an hour to make granola from scratch.

Why is my homemade granola not crunchy? ›

Higher temperatures can cause ingredients like nuts, seeds, and coconut to burn before the batch has a chance to properly dry out and crisp up, Perry says. Stick with a low temperature, keep an eye on your mixture, and stir it from time to time to help it brown evenly.

What is the binding agent for homemade granola? ›

Chia seeds are often praised for their binding powers. In fact, they secure ingredients so well that they can even be used as an egg replacer. Adding just a spoonful of chia seeds to your favorite granola bar recipe will make a huge difference in its texture.

Is granola dark chocolate healthy? ›

It's an indulgent fusion of dark chocolate, healthy oats, seeds, berries & nuts, making it a wholesome & fulfilling morning meal. It's sweet but it isn't bad, because it's been sweetened with natural sweeteners such as jaggery powder & raw honey.

What is chocolate granola made of? ›

This recipe is simple, requiring just 9 ingredients and roughly 30 minutes to make! The base is nuts, oats, chia seeds, and coconut. To keep things on the healthier side, I went with maple syrup and coconut sugar for natural sweetness. And the chocolate flavor comes from both cocoa powder and vegan dark chocolate!

How many calories are in dark chocolate granola? ›

Nutrition Facts
Amount Per ServingAs Packaged
Calories260
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 8g10%
Saturated Fat 1.5g8%
11 more rows

What to avoid in granola? ›

Because ingredients vary widely by brand, it's important to read nutrition labels carefully when shopping for granola. Check the ingredient list, avoiding products that list sugar or sweeteners —including natural sweeteners like honey — within the first few ingredients.

Why does granola go bad? ›

It depends on conditions like humidity, insects, atmospheric impurities, and the ingredients used to make granola. If granola can be protected from all the above mentioned conditions and if the ingredients used to make granola are not easily oxidized, you can store it safely for months.

How do you make granola less chewy? ›

Not only can you transform that soggy, chewy granola back to being blissfully crunchy, but it's easier than you might think. All it takes is spreading the granola in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and heating it in a 400 degree oven for five minutes — essentially re-baking it.

Can I eat homemade granola everyday? ›

Yes, granola can be eaten daily. As part of a balanced diet and if the portions are checked. Go for healthier options with less added sugars and saturated fats to get the most out of it.

What was the downside to granola as a food? ›

Too much unhealthy fat

Some granolas appear healthy because they seem low in added sugars, but they might contain a high level of added fats. Nut-rich granolas may have more than 10 grams of fat, which is a healthy, unsaturated, low-cholesterol type of fat.

What is healthier than granola? ›

Without anything added to it, muesli is healthier than granola in the sense that it has less fat and sugar. However, if it's prepared with juice or contains a lot of dried fruit, muesli gains the sugar, calories, and carbohydrates that already exist in granola.

Is granola just cooked oats? ›

Oatmeal vs. Granola. The primary difference between oatmeal and granola is that oatmeal is made from whole oat grains that have been cooked at a higher temperature than usual to gelatinize the starch. Granola contains rolled oats, fruits, honey, raisins, almonds, and other components.

Do you just add milk to granola? ›

Cereal. One of the simplest ways to eat granola is on its own with a little bit of milk! Having some good, wholesome granola on hand in the pantry is always a good idea for busy mornings. Bring out your granola, pour it into a bowl, then mix it with the milk of your choosing!

Should granola be cooked before eating? ›

Yes! Granola can be delicious raw. There are a ton of ways you can eat granola on its own, too. Try grabbing a handful of granola as a snack, and throw in a few other hearty ingredients like nuts and dried, chopped fruit to make it even more satisfying.

How is commercial granola made? ›

Straightforward process

Crunchy granola is made by baking a loosely compacted sheet of ingredients before cooling, breaking and then kibbling into small clusters.

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