Choco Coco Granola

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Chocolate Coconut Granola || To Salt & See. This easy to make granola is the perfect topping to an yogurt parfait, smoothie bowl, or simply on its own. The coconut and chocolate flavorings create a rich yet subtle sweetness. The coconut flakes and s…

I used to make granola all the time in college thanks to acquiring the recipe of my favorite granola made at a local cafe. Strangely, I rarely make it now though, despite eating granola every day with yogurt. I have been wanting to develop a granola recipe for the site for a couple years now, but I always seem to fail whenever I attempt to develop one. I had a difficult time getting the perfect dry to wet ratio, and achieving the flavor and level of sweetness that I desire. I’m wondering if it is because I am being too critical of the recipes I have made, because after all I have sampled A LOT of different kinds of granolas. When I lived in Hawaii after college, my friend and I would frequently visit the local Whole Foods store with the sole intent to sample all of the granolas that they had in the bulk section. We did this nearly every day…

When reviewing my failed attempts, I realized that I was attempting to recreate granolas that I have enjoyed in the past. But I think that was my problem. No matter how good the recipe was, I was never going to be able to exactly recreate the flavors that I was attempting to recreate. So I decided to develop a recipe for a type of granola flavor that I had never had before in order to bypass my hypercritical granola taste buds.

Pulling inspiration from summer and our trip to Asia, I really wanted to incorporate a coconut flavor. After a couple variations, I landed on pairing the coconut with chocolate to create a rich and subtly sweet taste, which balances wonderfully with the creamy tang of a Greek yogurt. The best part about granola recipes are that they are easy to make. And one of the best things about THIS recipe is that while this granola is baking in the oven, your kitchen will smell like a coconut paradise! Seriously!

Choco Coco Granola

Prep time:

Bake time:

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups oats
  • 1 cup sliced almonds
  • 2/3 cup coconut flakes
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup coconut oil, liquid form
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray, set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, sliced almonds, coconut flakes, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the coconut oil, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla. Stir until mostly combined (the oil and honey won't completely combine).
  4. Add the liquids to the dry ingredients. Mix until well coated. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, and spread evenly.
  5. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring halfway. Place a few sheets of paper towels on the counter, and spread the granola on top. Allow to cool completely.
  6. Break apart the granola, and store in an airtight container for up to 1-2 weeks.