Chocolate Chip Granola

Friends, I’m so excited to bring you the recipe for one of my favorite breakfast and snacks… it’s my Chocolate Chip Granola! This one has made its way onto the menu at Charley St, and is something I love to whip up at the beginning of each week to keep me going when I need a quick snack.

It works as your next-level go-to breakfast combined with your favorite milk or plant-based milk option, yoghurt (Greek is a fantastic option), or just on its own to snack on.

Why is this Chocolate Chip Granola Healthy?

Store-bought granolas are often a bit sugar-heavy and don’t give you all the nutrients you’re after when it comes to a breakfast. But this chocolate chip granola is especially great because it is made completely from scratch — so you can control the sugar content, varying it to your tastes. You can also make substitutions based on your health preferences (for example, more healthy fats if you add more nuts, and more fiber if you add more oats).

I love to start my day with a bit of this granola, a fruit, and some plain yoghurt. Plenty of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Oats contain fiber and iron, and nuts are packed with unsaturated fats that are great for your immune system and heart.

The star of this chocolate chip granola is really the cacao nibs, which are packed with antioxidants and are truly a superfood. They take on a delicious chocolatey flavor when roasted, which is the perfect sweet but sugar-free addition to this granola.

Why is this Chocolate Chip Granola Easy?

Granola is commonly known as one of the easiest things to make in the kitchen, since it is so customizable. If you don’t have oats, you can substitute for quinoa flakes, and if you are allergic to nuts, you can leave them out or substitute for any seeds you like. If you only like almonds, just use those and leave out other nuts! You’re in charge.

This granola is also easy because all of the ingredients come together in one bowl. The prep itself takes less than 5 minutes, and the hard part is just waiting for it to bake!

If you prefer to use a stovetop rather than an oven, you can easily toast off the mixture, stirring constantly, in a large skillet over low to medium heat.

The DC Color Code

The color code for this recipe is…

Brown! Yes, brown foods deserve plenty of love too. They’re often packed with heart-healthy fats, complex carbs (many carbs we are familiar with are brown!)

This recipe is…

  • vegan
  • gluten-free (check the label on your oats)
  • easily made paleo if you sub for the oats and just use nuts + seeds!

For more easy and fun recipes to make on a budget, check out my E-Book: The Healthy Cook on a Budget!

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookie Granola

Ingredients:

3 Cups Oats
1 Cup Coconut shredded
½ Mixed Nuts, chopped
2 tsp Cinnamon
½ Cup Maple Syrup
Pinch of Salt
½ Cup Coconut Oil
⅓ Cup Cacao Nibs

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F
  2. In a bowl combine your oats, shredded coconut, nuts, cinnamon and salt
  3. In a separate bowl combine the maple syrup and coconut oil
  4. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry and spread evenly onto a baking tray
  5. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden being mindful to stir every 5-7 minutes or until evenly golden
  6. Remove from the oven and stir in cacao nibs before serving

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