Chocolate Granola

Add a little chocolate to your breakfast or simply snack on this homemade granola. With Halloween approaching, this is also a healthier treat to enjoy throughout the day. Sweetened with pure maple syrup, the combination of oats and mix-ins in this chocolate granola recipe become even more delicious when tossed with cocoa powder and baked until toasty.  As a final touch, I add some chopped chocolate toward the end of baking. Sprinkle on more or less depending on just how chocolatey you like things.

On the weekend I may flip some ricotta pancakes or make a more extensive breakfast, but granola is my preference midweek, and I make lots of variations. They double as snacks as they satisfy the need for something a touch sweet but also toasty. With the transition to autumn, I love pumpkin seeds and pecans in the mix, though you can substitute with your preferred combination of raw nuts and/or seeds.

Ingredients

3 cups old-fashioned oats
½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
½ cup pecans
½ cup hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
⅔ cup pure maple syrup
⅓ cup grapeseed or neutral oil
2 ounces (or more) chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (or about ⅓ cup chips)

Begin by preheating the oven to 250 degrees and lining a large baking sheet with parchment.

Next prepare the oats. While they can simply be stirred into the recipe, I recommend pulsing them briefly in a food processor as this helps them to stick together and form clusters once the granola has baked. They should remain mostly whole but with some small pieces.

Measure the cocoa powder using the same scoop and level method as for flour. Fluff up the cocoa powder in the container, spoon some into the measuring cup and then level with a knife. This granola will have a rich chocolate flavor, but for a lighter flavor, ¼ cup can be used.

Combine the oats, coconut, pecans, pepitas (pumpkin seeds without the shell), cocoa powder, and salt in a bowl until the cocoa powder is well distributed.

Separately whisk the maple syrup and oil until well combined.

Stir the wet ingredients into the oat mixture until everything is coated and even in color, which means the cocoa powder has been well distributed. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

The granola will bake for an hour, but requires stirring and the addition of chocolate, if desired, partway through the cook time. Bake for 30 minutes, then give the ingredients a stir to make sure the granola on the bottom of the pan isn’t getting toastier than the top.  Redistribute on the baking sheet and return to the oven for another 15 minutes before topping with chocolate. Return the oven for the final 15 minutes of baking.

Allow the granola to cool completely before breaking into clusters. I like to use a spatula to spread the chocolate a bit across the granola, but this is optional.

If you love granola, you may also enjoy this maple pecan version.