Indulging in a wholesome, homemade breakfast has never been this delightful! This vegan chocolate granola is a mouthwatering symphony of decadence and nutrition.
Picture waking up to the aroma of rich cocoa and the crunch of perfectly baked oats. Say goodbye to store-bought options laden with additives, because we're embarking on a journey to craft our own irresistible blend of crunchy goodness.
Get ready to unleash your inner kitchen maestro as we explore the art of creating a guilt-free, processed-sugar-free, plant-based treat that will have your taste buds dancing with every spoonful. Let’s start!
Ingredients
- rolled oats
- nuts: hazelnuts, almonds
- shredded coconut
- cacao powder
- maple syrup
- coconut oil
- vanilla
- salt
- vegan chocolate (optional)
(see recipe card for quantities)
Rolled oats: I prefer using organic, traditional rolled oats. I wouldn’t use instant or quick oats because they’re quite processed.
Nuts: You can choose any nuts you’d like. I just think almonds and hazelnuts go very well with chocolate. Macadamias are nice as well. See ‘substitutions’ for more options.
Vegan Chocolate: Did anyone say “chocolate for breakfast”? I love adding chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips.
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 175°C/350°F. Line a baking tray with baking paper or a silicone mat.
Step 2: In a large bowl, combine oats, nuts, coconut, cacao powder and salt.
Add maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla and mix until everything sticks together.
Step 3: Spread the granola over the prepared tray. For big clusters, don’t spread the mixture too much. Leave it sticking together as tightly as possible.
Step 4: Bake your vegan chocolate granola for about 20-23 minutes. Then leave it out on the bench to cool down. Don’t break it apart yet, it’ll be very soft but will harden once cool.
Step 5: Once cooled down, you can now break it apart and add some vegan chocolate if you like. Transfer into a big, clean container or glass jar for storage.
Substitutions
Gluten-free: Make sure to use certified gluten-free oats.
Grain-free: To make this vegan chocolate granola grain-free, you can replace the oats with puffed quinoa, rice and or amaranth. Quinoa flakes are also an option.
Nuts/nut-free: Instead of almonds and hazelnuts, you may choose to use walnuts, pecans, macadamias, peanuts or cashews. For nut-free, replace with sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
Cacao: Cacao is simply the raw version of cocoa. Instead of using it, you may opt in for cocoa powder.
Caffeine-free: The cacao powder can be replaced with carob powder as well to make this granola caffeine-free.
Maple Syrup: Feel free to replace the maple syrup with any other syrup you like such as brown rice syrup, or agave syrup.
Coconut oil: You can make this vegan granola with any other oil as well. I just prefer coconut oil.
Variations
Berry Chocolate: you can add some dried blueberries, strawberries or raspberries at the end and stir them through! Or add 1 tablespoons of blueberry powder to the mix.
Spiced Chocolate: Add 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon! This is a nice addition to the flavour mix! Maybe also ½ teaspoon ginger and ¼ teaspoon cardamom for more of a chai taste.
Pear Chocolate: I love the combination of pear and chocolate! If you do to, maybe try adding dried pear at the end. You can sprinkle the pieces over the top when the granola is still warm.
For more ideas on what to put into your chocolate granola, check out my vegan granola recipe where you'll find a whole list of ingredients!
Storage
Keep this homemade vegan chocolate granola in a clean container or tall glass jar in your pantry. It keeps for 3-6 months.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups / 160g rolled oats
- ⅔ cup / 100g hazelnuts roughly chopped
- ⅔ cup / 100g almonds roughly chopped
- 1 cup / 80g shredded coconut
- 3-4 tbsp cacao powder about 20-27g
- pinch of salt
- ¼-⅓ cup / 60-80ml maple syrup to taste, see notes for substitutes
- ¼ cup / 55g coconut oil melted, see notes for substitutes
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 50g / 1.8 oz. vegan chocolate chopped, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 175°C/350°F. Line a baking tray with baking paper or a silicone mat.
- Combine oats, nuts, coconut, cacao powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla until everything sticks together.
- Spread the granola over the prepared tray. For big clusters, don’t spread the mixture too much. Leave it sticking together as tightly as possible.
- Bake your chocolate granola for about 20-23 minutes. Then leave it out on the bench to cool down. Don’t break it apart yet, it’ll be very soft but will harden once cool.
- Once cooled down, you can break it apart and add some vegan chocolate if you like. Transfer into a big, clean container or glass jar for storage.
Notes
- Maple syrup: replace with any syrup you like. Agave or brown rice syrup will work well, too.
- Coconut oil: you can use a different oil if you like. Just make sure it's a high-quality oil and that it's OK for cooking/baking.
