By now, you probably know I have a thing for granola. But what you probably don’t know is that I also have a thing for chocolate.
Wait. You already knew that, too (obviously). Hmph.
Well, then you won’t be surprised that I’m sharing a recipe for chocolate granola! Besides, who doesn’t want a (healthier) version of Cocoa Puffs in their life?
This chocolate granola is inspired by one I tried recently by Purely Elizabeth. I demolished the whole bag in a matter of days and knew I wanted to create a version for the blog.
This recipe is simple, requiring just 9 ingredients and roughly 30 minutes to make!
The base is nuts, oats, chia seeds, and coconut. To keep things on the healthier side, I went with maple syrup and coconut sugar for natural sweetness. And the chocolate flavor comes from both cocoa powder and vegan dark chocolate! Yessss, come to Mama.
I hope you all LOVE this chocolate granola! It’s:
Crunchy
Nutty
Chocolate-infused
Perfectly sweet
Protein- + Fiber-rich
Quick + easy to make
& Delicious!
This would make the perfect quick breakfast or on-the-go snack. I love adding this granola to some coconut yogurt and berries for an easy summertime breakfast or snack when I don’t feel like cooking.
For more granola recipes, be sure to check out our 7-Ingredient Quinoa Granola, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola, Banana Bread Granola, Nut ‘n’ Honey Coconut Granola, Chunky Coconut Granola, Strawberry Coconut Granola, Grain-Free Granola, and Gingerbread Granola!
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram! We’d love to see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!
Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Granola
Ingredients
- 3 cups gluten-free rolled oats
- 1 cup chopped raw nuts (almonds, pecans, and/or walnuts are best)
- 1/4 cup desiccated or shredded coconut (unsweetened)
- 2 Tbsp chia seeds
- 3 Tbsp coconut or organic cane sugar (or other dry sweetener of choice)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup coconut (or avocado) oil
- 1/2 cup maple syrup (plus more to taste // or other liquid sweetener of choice)
- 1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips or chunks (optional // sweeter chocolate is best – I like Trader Joe’s 72% dark chocolate bar)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 340 degrees F (171 C).
- To a food processor (or mixing bowl), add the oats, nuts, coconut, chia seeds, coconut sugar, salt, and cocoa powder. Pulse a few times (or stir) to combine.
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the coconut oil and maple syrup until melted and combined. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix or stir well. If using a food processor, this breaks down the oats and nuts a bit more so it’s a finer texture, but this is optional.
- Spread the mixture evenly onto a baking sheet (or more baking sheets if making a larger batch) and bake for 17-24 minutes (or until fragrant and deep golden brown), stirring a bit near the halfway point to ensure even baking.
- Let cool completely. Then add chocolate (optional). Place in a container that has an air-tight seal, and it should keep for a few weeks. Or store in the freezer up to 1 month or longer.
Video
Notes
*Recipe makes ~4 ½ cups granola.
Cecille says
I love this recipe! I make it frequently and love to share it with my gluten free friends in cute jars as gifts! Everyone that I make it for always raves about it and asks for the recipe. I follow the recipe exactly, however I do not chop the oats.
You are such a sweet friend, Cecille! Thank you for sharing your experience! xoxo
ann says
This recipe is so delicious but i used about 1/4 of the sugar! It is so so sweet with recommended sugar, almost tastes like a dessert!
Thank you for sharing, Ann! Sorry you didn’t love the sweetness. This is a sweeter/more decadent granola, but we find the sweetness is nicely balanced with the richness of the chocolate. Confirming you were using real maple syrup not an imitation syrup (that would be sweeter)? And dark chocolate not semi-sweet?
Lee says
This is a great recipe! The only thing I changed was adding the cocoa and sugar into the saucepan with the coconut oil and maple syrup and you get this amazing deep chocolate drizzle that you then pour over the oat mixture.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Lee. Thank you for sharing! xo
PriPri says
This looks great can’t wait to try!
Any chance I could use olive oil rather than coconut?
Thanks :)
That should be okay as long as it’s not one with a super strong flavor!
Steph says
I absolutely love this recipe. I have been uing it for a few years now and it is a regular staple in my pantry. It really helps put my chocolate cravings to rest and it goes so great with cereal or yoghurt (or simply on it’s own).
Yay! We’re so glad you love this recipe and have been making it for years. Thank you for sharing, Steph! xo
Sidney says
I have made this recipe twice and every time I make it my creativity has me trying new things. Both times I made this I melted and mixed the chocolate chips or chocolate along with the oil and liquid sweetener and mixed it in with the dry ingredients before baking and the results have been great I also used Monk fruit sweetener granules in place of coconut sugar. Next I plan to add in some hemp seeds and peanut butter to give it that extra flavour as well as using liquid honey in place of maple syrup to cut calories back further. Last two times I made this I had used liquid brown rice syrup and hazelnut agave syrup in place of the maple syrup. The last batch tasted better with the agave however I also used homemade chocolate in that one too. I use Himalayan pink salt in place of sea salt too.
We’re so glad you’ve been enjoying it! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Sidney! xo
Karen says
DANGER…be prepared to be addicted.
This stuff is AWESOME!!! Absolutely delicious.
Easy to make and highly addictive so be forewarned. No need to buy any Elizabeth’s granola when I can make it at home and it tastes even better. 😋😋😋
So grateful @minimalistbaker for another incredible recipe. Thank You Thank You
I wound up adding a scoop of chocolate protein powder before baking as well to give it a little more protein boost.
Also pressed it down 3/4 way through baking (after flipping) to make it all stick together tightly. Then when completely cooled broke it up carefully into BIG chunks. So delicious.
Highly highly recommend you try it.
Whoop! We love that you love the recipe, Karen. Thank you for sharing! xoxo
Jinger S says
Delicious—I have some on my yogurt everyday. This is my favorite granola recipe.
Yay! We’re so glad it’s your favorite, Jinger! xoxo
Marie says
We love all of the granola recipes on this site, but this one has been the favorite by far. My husband loves junky cereal, but will happily substitute this instead. We don’t change anything, except maybe adding a little extra coconut (and I add an extra teaspoon of the seed trilogy just for myself when I eat it). Thank you so much for all of these amazing recipes!
Amazing! We’re so glad you both enjoy the recipe, Marie. Thank you for your kind words and lovely review! xo
Karin says
Loved the recipe! My kids didn’t like nuts and coconut so it was just oatmeal and chia seeds for me. I didn’t blend it and added my own nuts. 5/5!
Amazing! We’re so glad it turned out well. Thank you for sharing, Karin! xo
Mindy says
Yet another amazing granola recipe, thank you MB! I usually make this with a few adjustments: I add a little instant coffee powder, vanilla, and cinnamon. For personal health reasons, I also replace the coconut and chocolate chips with quinoa. The end result still has a rich chocolatey flavor and satisfying texture, and it’s extra good in a bowl of cold almond milk. One of my go-tos! :)
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Mindy! Love your additions. Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Jen says
Amazing recipe!! This will be my new go to granola recipe. Outstanding flavor
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Jen. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Rainsong Grant says
I added in some dried cherries and freeze dried strawberries. I LOVE granola too. I dont love paying more than 5$ for a teeny bag. I REALLY dont love not being able to pronounce half the ingredients. Thanks!
That sounds extra delicious! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Betsy Gee says
Another great recipe! I had fun making this and it was a delight to eat everyday. Great idea to make for Christmas gifts this year. I have always enjoyed making and eating your yummy food! Thank you so much
We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes, Betsy! Thank you for your kind words and lovely review! xo
Rocky says
I was trying to replicate a chocolate granola my husband had while traveling that he loved. I combined your recipe, my usual granola recipe and what he remembered of the one from the hotel….it came out great.
I did not use the food processor or melt any ingredients. I just combined everything in a bowl. Removed the coconut, added a cup of rice cereal, upped the oil to 1/2 C. 350 for 22 mins.
Can’t wait to try your other granolas!
Amazing! We’re so glad it helped to replicate the one he loved. Thank you for sharing, Rocky!
Tamara says
To substitute all things coconut related….would you perhaps use olive oil/sunflower oil/Rapeseed oil? And just skip shredded coconut?
Hi Tamara, we would recommend olive or avocado oil in place of coconut oil. And yes, just omit the shredded coconut! Let us know how it goes!
Melissa says
Wow! Fantastic recipe. I wanted to make granola clusters, so I used a technique from Angela Liddon (Oh She Glows) where you bake it with the chocolate and don’t stir it. I also baked it for longer at 300F. I doubled up the desiccated coconut and used unsweetened chocolate. To counteract the bitterness of the unsweetened chocolate, I added nine drops of liquid stevia. Thanks, will be making this again!
Yum! Thanks so much for the great review and for sharing your modifications, Melissa!
Donna says
Does it really only last 1 month in the freezer? I’m going to be RV living with my husband and two boys for the summer and am desperately trying to find a granola recipe that I can make a HUGE batch of that will keep it for several months.
Hi Donna, you could stretch it longer than one month. One month is our go-to for the best flavor and texture!
Donna says
Thank you! Can’t wait to try this!!
Heidi says
Great Chocolate Granola recipe. Since I tried Pret Chocolate Granola, and now can’t get it😏, I have been wanting to make my own. The only thing I changed, because I use it all the time, especially when I make my ChewChew Brownies, is Cacao instead of cocoa powder. The flavour is just smooth and far superior to cocoa. I may try to get it more “clumpy” so the next time I may add an egg white to bring it into some nice clusters. But well done, a super recipe 👍🏽
Thanks for the great review, Heidi!
Sandra Hansen says
What a great recipe! I typically don’t follow recipes that closely but this one was really easy to stick to! Everyone in the family loved it and agreed that it was better than any store bought. I buy 2.45lb bag of oats from Back Roads Granola which are a bit more expensive that say General Mills but the end product of making this recipe still has to be less expensive than buying ready made packaged choco granola! Would love to try to reduce the sugar but I wouldn’t on this one!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Sandra. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Monique says
Second year making this as christmas gifts! I use all walnuts and its soo decadent without being too sweet.
Yay! Thanks, Monique!