This maple and cocoa-infused chocolate granola is studded with sweet raisins and crunchy almonds. Perfect for breakfast or snacking straight from the jar!
I usually think of myself as a cold weather girl. Despite my thorough enjoyment of yoga in a 90+ degree heated room, as well as my constant need to run a space heater in my office, even when the thermostat claims that the temperature is well over 72 degrees, I'm just not into those warm weather months. Maybe it's not the heat, but the humidity, the bugs, the pollen. I just can't say.
To balance things out, I gotta give myself some stuff to look forward to as the temperature begins to climb every spring. Home baked granola is one of those things. Better yet, chocolate granola. Although I adore pancakes, waffles, hot oatmeal, etc., they just don't taste nearly as good when eaten away from a crackling fire, brightly lit Christmas tree, or at least a warm radiator. Warm spring and summer mornings require a bowl of cool vanilla yogurt, topped with granola, fresh berries, and dare I say, maybe even a few dribblings of peanut butter. All of this is to be eaten on my front porch, assuming it's not too sticky out.
This granola is just perfect for that scenario. I used to make it with just cinnamon as the seasoning. It was delicious just like that. Then one day I got inspired and threw in the chocolate, and oh man, it was so much better.
America's Test Kitchen suggests pressing granola firmly into the baking sheet, in order to get a nice clumpiness. You could do this, though I actually prefer my flaky bits of granola. Your choice. Either way, I promise it will taste amazing.
Chocolate Almond Granola
Ingredients
- 3 cups oats
- ⅓ cup oil
- 1 ½ cups almonds sliced or slivered
- ¾ cup shredded coconut
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup raisins
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 275.
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Grease two cookie sheets.
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Mix everything except raisins in a large bowl, until nice and uniform and oats are well coated.
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Spread in an even layer on both cookie sheets.
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Bake 45-50 minutes, tossing with a spatula every five or ten minutes, and keeping a close eye on it to avoid burning.
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Remove from oven and add in raisins.
It looks yummy. I love the healthiness of the granola along with the chocolate too.
Thank you! Yeah, it's kind of funny - I was actually eating this for breakfast this morning and thinking about how this is like a healthier (and way better) grown up version of one of the chocolate breakfast cereals I would have eaten as a little kid :)
I think I will make this and, instead of raisins, add dried cherries, sweet and sour. Cherries + almond + chocolate = heaven