Dark chocolate granola

Dark chocolate granola – nutty, crunchy, and full of addictive hazelnut and dark chocolate flavors (gluten free and vegan too).

I am not a big breakfast person.  I’m rarely hungry when I wake up, and don’t need food. What I need right away after I open my eyes, is my two cups of espresso, and I’ve gotten into the bad habit of needing something sweet, preferably chocolaty to go with my coffee.  If I have dark chocolate around, I will have a few small pieces and call it breakfast.  More often though I would grab a handful of nuts and dried fruit – just enough so I have something in my stomach.  It has to be small and concentrated so I don’t feel heavy right at the start of my day.

There’s always this dilemma – shall I make myself a proper breakfast, and be done with it at one sitting, or shall I just nibble a bit here and there if and when I feel a little hungry.  My doubts are that these small nibbles add up to more food than a one-serving at one-sitting type of breakfast, but nevertheless I continue to do it.  It also has to do with the fact that I don’t particularly have time to spend preparing my breakfast in the morning.

Then there is the other side of the dilemma – those small bites are almost always sweet.  No matter how many times I vow that I would eat a boiled egg for breakfast instead, somehow a naked boiled egg with a cup of coffee never sounds tempting to me.  Secondly, any savory breakfast seems to me like too heavy of a meal to start the day.  So on and on it goes, and I can’t settle down on a permanent breakfast solution for myself.

This dark chocolate granola hits the spot for me – it’s all nuts and seeds and bits of raw cacao nibs.  It delivers in many ways – it has great flavor and crunch, and it’s available right away.  It’s my type of breakfast – nutty, chocolaty and light in my stomach (if I can portion it correctly, that is).  It also happens to be gluten free, and vegan for those that are interested.

For this dark chocolate version, I use mostly hazelnuts because no other nut can compete with hazelnuts when it comes to chocolate pairing.  I also add lots of raw cacao nibs – I like the bitter, chocolate aroma they give.   I make it less sweet so that the chocolate flavors can come through more pronounced.  You can always drizzle some more honey on top if you need to.  But because it’s not too sweet, chances are you will be reaching for more and more, especially if you don’t have the common sense to fix yourself a small portion, and hide the rest in the upper-most shelf of your pantry.

I’ve stopped buying granola and cereals long ago – ever since I realized how easy and satisfying it is to make your own.   It’s not only quick (I usually spare 10 minutes late at night to make a batch and have breakfast ready for next morning and the rest of the week), but it also presents endless possibilities to experiment with different flavors.  You can control the amount of sweetness and use any combination of nuts and seeds, and spices.

Just be mindful not to eat half of it before you put it in the oven, and once you take it out, hide it somewhere hard to reach while it cools down.  Then if you are really disciplined you will portion it into 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup servings and have it readily available for a week or two.

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Dark chocolate granola

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

40 mins

 

Dark Chocolate Granola - nutty, crunchy, and full of addictive hazelnut-chocolate flavors, gluten free and vegan too.

Course: Breakfast

Servings: 16

Calories: 200 kcal

Author: Viktoria

Ingredients

• 2 cups hazelnuts
• 1 cup pecans or walnuts
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut chips
• 1/4 cup raw cacao nibs
• 3 tbs chia seeds
• 3 tbs sesame seeds
• 3 tbs cacao powder
• 3 tbs coconut oil
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Roughly chop the nuts, and mix with the sesame and chia seeds, and coconut chips.
2. Melt the coconut oil, and add the honey, cacao powder, and vanilla extract. Mix well.
3. Pour the chocolate mix over the nuts and mix well. Add a pinch of salt.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and spread the nut and seeds mixture on a thin layer.
5. Position the baking sheet on the middle oven rack, and bake at 300 for 15-20 minutes, stir once or twice.*
6. Let the granola cool completely for a few hours. As it cools, it will crisp up.

Recipe Notes

* Baking time will vary according to your oven. Position the baking sheet in the middle rack, and start tasting around the 15-minute mark. You cannot judge by the color, as it's all dark brown from the chocolate, and if you judge by smell, it might be too late already, so start tasting the nuts after 15 minutes. If the nuts are toasted, it's ready.

** Portions are based on 1/4 cup serving size.