When it comes to breakfast, I have this slight problem in the way that my taste buds just aren't ready for anything savory until mid-afternoon (at best). I'm a scone-muffin-sweet roll kind of girl at heart which is part of the reason why I love baking so much. And sometimes I just crave some chocolate in my breakfast (which, on a good days, turns into a crazy-good recipe if not a questionable breakfast choice). I would love to be an ultra-healthy breakfast eater, but sometimes I feels like I have to trick myself into eating something healthy, kinda like how parents trick their kids into eating veggies.
This granola is one of my favorite tricks. :) It's double-chocolate AND it's healthy: gluten-free, packed with fiber-filled oats and nutrient-dense almonds, and studded with chunks of antioxidant-rich dark chocolate. Coconut oil lends natural, healthy fats to the mix and flakes of unsweetened coconut make it all the more, well, coconutty. ← See, I'm selling this to myself.
If ever there was a healthy way to eat chocolate for breakfast, I'd say this is it.
The best part of it all is that it's totally fulfilling for your stomach and your taste buds. I'm really, really against eating anything that doesn't actually taste good, healthy or not, but this granola makes it easy for me to take a break from bread and muffins for a couple of days.
It's chocolate-y, perfectly crunchy, and chock-full of all those granola clumps and clusters that I had to hoard when I used to buy granola from the store. Plus, the bits and chunks of deep, rich dark chocolate tossed in at the end are like little gold nuggets of flavor in ever bite.
I like to call this my "Almond Joy Granola", because apparently, even though I always hated Almond Joys as a kid, I now want to make granola that tastes like a healthified version of them. Life is weird like that.
Double Chocolate, Almond, and Coconut Granola
A crunchy granola filled with chocolate-y clumps of oats, almonds, and coconut flakes. A generous sprinkling of chopped dark chocolate makes each bite even more heavenly.
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: about 8 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 11 ½ ounces (3 ½ cups) rolled oats*
- 3 ½ ounces (1 cup) slivered almonds
- 2 ⅛ ounces (1 cup) unsweetened coconut flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 egg whites
- 6 ounces (½ cup) honey
- 1 ¾ ounces (½ cup) dutch-process cocoa powder**
- 2 ounces (¼ cup) coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6 ounces dark chocolate (I like 70%), chopped*** (for dairy-free and sugar-free, I recommend Lily’s Sweets baking bar)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300ºF with oven racks set in the top and bottom-third positions. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, slivered almonds, coconut flakes, and salt and whisk or toss together well.
- In a small bowl, beat egg whites until foamy.
- In a separate, microwave-safe bowl, combine the honey, cocoa powder, and coconut oil and microwave for about 15 seconds, until the honey is thin and the coconut oil has mostly melted. Whisk together until smooth. Whisk in vanilla.
- Add cocoa mixture and egg whites to the dry ingredients and stir everything together until evenly combined, with all of the dry ingredients evenly coated.
- Divide granola mixture evenly between prepared baking sheets and spread into an "O" shape on each tray, pressing down firmly with a spatula to compact and leaving an open space in the center. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, flipping and rotating the baking sheets halfway through the time. Once done, turn off oven and gently break granola into clumps. Return to oven for 10 minutes with the door propped open. Leave granola on baking sheets at room temperature to cool and crisp up.
- Once granola has cooled completely, toss with chopped chocolate. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
*This recipe is gluten-free if made with gluten-free oats.
**Regular cocoa powder may also be substituted, but the granola might not taste quite as chocolate-y.
***Feel free to add more or less chocolate to the granola to suit your tastes. You can also just add a bit to your bowl when serving.
Somebody please tell me that I'm not the only one with these morning chocolate cravings. Also, if you have any healthy chocolate-for-breakfast ideas, I'm all ears. :)
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Crystal says
I just made these! Except I did cut the honey to 1/3 cup and the salt by a pinch (just to decrease the overall saltiniess). My bottom tray of granola actually burntin the oven :( Not sure how that happened lol... but my top tray came out wonderfully crispy and delicious :D
It's so addictingly good... I wouldn't be surprised if I ate it all before breakfast tomorow morning :/
alexandra says
Chocolate granola is finicky and can burn easily if you aren't careful. I guess you know for next time to only bake on the middle rack in your oven! Glad some of it came out well lol. :)
Helen @ Scrummy Lane says
I've got into the habit of adding a few squares of good quality chocolate, either milk or dark depending on what I have, to my oatmeal with almond milk in the morning and I enjoy it sooo much more like that. It feels like I'm having a naughty dessert!
I like the sound of this granola for the same reason - chocolatey, but not too bad health-wise! And anyway, they say that if you're going to eat bad things, then you should eat them in the morning so that you can use up all the extra calories during the day!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
I love the idea of a little chocolate as part of my breakfast!
Mary Frances says
I have to have chocolate in my breakfast, too! I've wanted to make chocolate granola at home for a really long time now. Will have to try this! Your chocolate/date/nut bars turned out fabulous; I can't wait to try this, too!
alexandra says
Let me know if you try the granola! It's a lifesaver for chocolate cravings that don't lead to guilty mornings. :)
Ashley says
Double chocolate granola is an excellent excellent idea! haha I've always just added some chopped chocolate to mine but to actually make the granola chocolate too - I love this!
alexandra says
Haha double excellent - YES! Adding chopped chocolate to granola or yogurt or whatever is always a good quick fix, but when you think ahead and actually make chocolate granola, it's twice as good. :D
Jess says
Your granola looks delicious! It's looks so chocolatey and yummy..:)I must give this recipe a go!
alexandra says
Thanks! You really should, and if you've yet to put chocolate in your granola, you're in for a treat. :)
Katy says
This granola looks so yummy! This is on my list of recipes to try out for the new year! Thanks!
alexandra says
Good! It is so yummy; my favorite granola for sure!
Heather @ Curly Girl Kitchen says
I am a healthy breakfast eater, too, usually just unsweetened oatmeal with almond milk and raisins. But this morning I had a bowl of granola with a few bittersweet chocolate chips, and I thought to myself, how come I don't always have chocolate with breakfast?
:)
alexandra says
I envy you for being able to eat that for breakfast. I've tried to like oatmeal AND almond milk but it just doesn't seem to jive with my taste buds.
But YES, sometimes you just need chocolate in the mornings. :)
Rebecca @ Dorm Room Baker says
I totally feel the same way about breakfast! I don't care what time it is when I wake up (sometimes it isn't until 11:30), but I refuse to eat something that isn't sweet and breakfasty until later in my day. Granola is definitely one of my go-tos for breakfast when I'm not feeling like plain old cereal and heck if it tastes like a candy bar that's even better! In terms of chocolate for breakfast ideas here's one of my favorites: make a bowl of oatmeal and right after it's done cooking stir in a liberal amount of chocolate chips. They melt right into the oatmeal and create a bowl of chocolaty goodness.
alexandra says
Yes, exactly!! The day just doesn't start right without something breakfast-y and on the sweet side.
I've never been a cereal eater so I guess granola is the closest thing I'll get to that. I'm usually not an oatmeal eater either (as much as I'd love to be), but adding a handful of chocolate chips sounds pretty tempting. :D