Chocolate Coconut Granola
A decadent chocolate coconut granola with cashews, dried cranberries, apricots, almonds, coconut flakes, and chocolate chips.
We are nearing the home stretch! There's only a few weeks left of school and I am trying to find quick and easy breakfasts that require little to no effort in the morning. I start off so strong in August but by May, I am exhausted. 🙂 I love making this Chocolate Chip Granola ahead of time so my kids can sprinkle it on top of their yogurt and they have a filling breakfast in no time at all.
Whenever I make homemade granola, pack it into jars and store it in my pantry to pull out at breakfast time, I feel very domestic. It is one of my favorite things to grab when I need a quick snack or to add some crunch to my creamy Greek yogurt. I wanted to add two of my favorite ingredients of all time -- coconut and chocolate to up the granola game.
This Chocolate Coconut Granola is not your average run-of-the-mill granola. It is special. It reminds me of a Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie made into granola. So if I am craving cookies and don't want to spend the time to make them, I just grab a handful of this chocolate chip granola and it satisfies my cravings!
This Coconut Chocolate Chip Granola is made with rolled oats covered in a brown sugar butter mixture to give it a sweet and nutty flavor. It is baked with unsweetened coconut flakes which become nice and toasted, which brings out the flavor of the coconut. It is topped with cashews, almonds, dried cranberries, dried apricots, dark chocolate chips, and coconut flakes. It is heavenly granola!
When I make homemade granola, I always use old-fashioned rolled oats. You can also use gluten-free rolled oats and I use Bob's Red Mill or Trader Joe's GF oats.
I always melt the butter with the brown sugar and maple syrup (or honey) to dissolve the sugar and to give the butter and toasted flavor before pouring over the oats. I prefer to use brown sugar instead of sugar as it adds more depth of flavor thanks to the molasses!
This can be stored for weeks and put on top of greek yogurt or just eaten plain straight out of the jar as a snack. I add extra chocolate chips for extra decadence. It's our little secret!
How to make Homemade Chocolate Coconut Granola:
- Start with Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats. This isn't the time to use the 5-minute quick oats...you need to use the real thing. You can use gluten-free rolled oats as well.
- Melt the butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup in a saucepan until completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour over rolled oats and toss to coat.
- Bake with the oats, cashews, almonds, coconut, and a touch of salt. Bake until desired crunchiness. If you like your granola softer, reduce the baking time. If you like it crunchy, bake it for the allotted baking time.
- Let the granola cool completely before tossing in the chocolate chips, dried cranberries, and dried apricots.
- Pack the granola into mason jars or Ziploc bags. Keep in the refrigerator or pantry. It will keep longer in the refrigerator!
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Chocolate Coconut Granola
Ingredients
- 3 cups Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats
- 1 cup Cashews
- ¾ cup Almonds (sliced, slivered, or chopped)
- 1 cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup Salted Butter
- ¾ cup Brown Sugar
- ¼ cup 100% Real Maple Syrup (or honey)
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Dark Chocolate Chips (or more depending on taste)
- ½ cup Dried Cranberries
- ½ cup Dried Apricots (chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, cashews, almonds, coconut, and salt.
- In a small saucepan, melt butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup over medium-low heat until completely melted, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour the mixture over the oats and toss to coat.
- Spread the granola mixture onto baking sheet, evenly spreading it out. Bake for 15 minutes and then open the oven and flip the granola around. Bake for an additional 15 minutes, depending on desired crunchiness.
- Remove from oven and let cool. Once the granola has cooled, toss the chocolate chips, cranberries, and apricots in the granola. Pack the granola in mason jars or Ziploc bags and store in the refrigerator or pantry. The granola will last longer in the refrigerator.
Lachelle
Yummy granola! Thanks!