Easy Homemade Chocolate Granola
Granola is one of the easiest, healthiest, homemade breakfasts out there. Spice up your granola selection with this deliciously easy homemade chocolate granola recipe with highlights of peanut butter, orange, and coconut.
Chocolate–almost any way that it is served–is one of the best flavors. (Am I right?)
And it makes cereal even more magical.
Sadly (or not so sadly), I did not discover this truth about chocolate cereal until my adult years. Chocolate pebbles and KoKo Crunch were not present in my house as a kid because of health reasons. It was only later that I discovered the delight of chocolate milk left in the bowl from chocolate cereal.
But as good as it is, store-bought chocolate cereals pale in comparison to homemade chocolate granola. How so? Because of the variety of flavors possible.
How can you Dress Up Chocolate Granola? – by Adding Flavor
When I am nursing a baby, I like to eat a daily bowl of granola. Because this is a daily practice, eating the same flavor of granola every day is not a very attractive option (as good as granola is). Even chocolate cereal can eventually fade in glory, given enough repetition.
About 10 months into breastfeeding my second baby, the idea struck me to add a few extra ingredients into my homemade granola to “spice” it up.
Some flavors naturally pair with chocolate:
Peanut butter (think Reese’s peanut butter cups.)
Coconut (mmmm…tropical tones)
Orange (Lindt dark chocolate bars, anyone?)
These are just a few of the multitude of spices and fruits that mix flavors well with chocolate.
When I tried adding these flavors to my normal chocolate recipe, it took on new life. I began to look forward to my daily bowl of granola again–so much so that I took the daily “quota” up to a breakfast bowl and an afternoon snack serving.
What ways can you eat granola?
Granola is wonderful for its various uses. You can eat it plain as an on-the-go snack. It tastes wonderful splashed with cold milk. You can add it as topping for a parfait or yogurt-based dessert. And it mixes well with ice cream (especially sorbets and acai).
I like to serve granola to my two-year-old, who loves to taste-test everything on my plate for me. 😉 It is a great way to sneak in some oatmeal to his diet.
How can you store granola?
Keep granola in an airtight container in a cool place away from direct sunlight.
Check out these great airtight containers for storing granola:
Final Thoughts
Easy Homemade Chocolate Granola is a great and filling way to start the day.
If you are tired of hot oats and porridge, give granola a try for a change. If you are breastfeeding, granola can aid your milk production. (See my post about Lactation Granola for more on this point.) And it is an easy, healthful snack to bag and take with you on-the-go. (Try bagging it in a reusable silicone bag.)
What other flavors have you mixed with chocolate? Any you want to share? Join me in the comments!
Chat with you soon,
Easy Homemade Chocolate Granola
Ingredients
- 4 cup old-fashioned or quick oats (I prefer quick oats)
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (optional)
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1/2 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- zest of one orange
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C).
- Measure the oats and shredded coconut into a 13×9-inch baking pan. Mix well.
- In a small saucepan, warm together the canola oil, brown sugar, peanut butter, and honey. Remove from the heat.
- Add in vanilla, salt, orange zest, and cocoa powder. Mix well.
- Pour the sauce over the oats and stir until completely combined and the oats are evenly coated with the sauce.
- Bake for 15 minutes, stirring once. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Mix in the chia seeds. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
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