Would you believe that this chocolate coconut granola recipe tastes like Almond Joys? Of course, it’s a healthier breakfast option or yogurt topping!
One of my favorite things to eat for breakfast is yogurt with granola. I’ll add spoonfuls of yummy granola to my nondairy yogurt, while popping bites into my mouth before stirring it all together. It’s full of fiber and deliciousness.
Granola is also a great topping to add to any lunch box parfait. Of course, you know that adding variety into the lunch box is what we do. So if you need more lunch ideas, click here.
Starting your day with heart-healthy grains is a great way to fuel you and your family.
Tell your kids you have granola for breakfast, and they may just shrug their shoulders. But tell them you have chocolate granola for breakfast, and they will come running and screeching to the table!
A better option than typical cereals, serve it up in a bowl with fresh fruit and cold milk, or grab a few handfuls as a snack.
Granola is also great for baking into muffins and breakfast cookies, topped over oatmeal, or served inside MOMables Apple Sandwiches for lunch.
Store it in an airtight container, and keep it handy in your cupboards at home and/or at your desk at work.
Allergy-Friendly Tips: Use certified gluten-free oats and allergy-free chocolate chips to keep this recipe safe for your family. This is just one of the many ideas you can get by joining us here at MOMables!
Chocolate Coconut Granola
- Yield: Yields 7 Cups 1x
Ingredients
- 4 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup flaxseeds
- 1 cup chopped nuts or shelled seeds (optional)
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F. Grease a large baking sheet with a little coconut oil.
- In a large bowl, stir together the oats, coconut, flaxseeds, and nuts (if using).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa, oil, vanilla, maple syrup, and brown sugar until smooth. Pour the chocolate mixture over the oat mixture in the large bowl, and stir until all the oats are coated.
- Distribute the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes, checking often to ensure no burning.
- Remove from the oven, then stir, and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven again, and allow the granola to cool completely in the pan without stirring.
- Once it’s cooled completely, add in the mini chocolate chips. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
- To avoid burning, make sure to check and stir the granola every 5-10 minutes as it bakes.
This chocolate granola recipe is so tasty and very easy to make. I am trying to eat healthier and this is just the perfect chocolate snack I needed. I sprinkle it on my smoothie bowl and its incredibly yummy. I used cocoa nibs in place of the chocolate chip because I didn’t have any on hand. Thank you for sharing,
I made this recipe in the past and I LOVED it!!!! The problem is that my kids liked the chocolate, but did not like the coconut flakes. If I leave those out, do I need to adjust the measurements of the other ingredients in the recipe? Thank you!
You can omit the flakes and just add the same amount in oats. Enjoy!
In the oven now. It’s cold today, and since my maple syrup was in the fridge, the chocolate mixture turned thick. I just did as someone else said and microwaved it until it was runny enough to pour. It took awhile, but I got all of the oat mixture coated. I was a little skimpy on the oats to be safe. I will rate when it comes out of the oven. So far, so good.
Enjoy Terry!
Hi! Just tried this recipe and had the same problem with the liquid ingredients clumping together – I just put the whole bowl full into the microwave for 20 seconds and then it mixed together easily! Thanks for a yummy recipe :-)
★★★★★
I don’t want to add brown sugar or any sugar ? Are there any alternatives without compromising the taste?
You could omit but it won’t be sweet at all.
I followed recipe and directions exactly (aside from using honey in place of maple syrup and throwing in some pumpkin seeds because… Why not?) and it turned out better than I expected! Not too sweet, very chocolatey, perfect little clusters.
Five star recipe for sure!!!
Half the amount of oats you use if you want to see any sort of clusters. 4 cups is way too much and makes it extremely dry! I wouldn’t use this recipe again.
★
I made this recipe today for the family I work for who are gf. I doubled up on the recipe so I could make twice as much so it would last longer. I did everything x 2 but the chocolate wasn’t something I could pour into the oat mixture, it was thick like brownie batter. And even though I doubled everything, it wasn’t enough to cover the oat mixture so I made another serving of the chocolate which this time came out like a liquid. And then when I put the pans in the oven, almost immediately everything started to burn! I followed everything as you said! Once I cut off the burnt stuff, what was left was tasty, but where did I go wrong?
Korey, did you make any substitutions? did you line or over-crowd your pan? I am not sure what might have gone wrong, I make this often and this doesn’t happen. tell me more about the process.
Someone else mentioned their mixture burned very quickly. This happened to mine as well- it didn’t even make it the first 15 minute stretch! I would suggest checking the oven often so it doesn’t burn.
Hi Aubrey, sorry this happened! Some ovens do run more hot compared to others, but checking more frequently is always a good idea! I’ll update the recipe. Thanks for letting me know.
Kory,
I had the same issue in the 1st batch. The second time around I mixed the cocoa powder directly into the coconut oil. The first time, I put the cocoa and maple syrup in the bowl while I melted the coconut oil seperately. The fat content in the Cocoa makes it hard to mix with water based liquuds. Once the cocoa was dissolved in the oil, the other ingredients mixed right in and it remained pourable. Hopefully this helps.
Do you use a certain kind of cocoa powder and coconut?
Thanks,
Misti
Misti, check out some of my pantry favorites in the Store.
Thank you!!
Very tasty. I used almonds and only had ground flax. Thanks for a great snack!
★★★★★
glad you liked it Michele!
Now, it’s all done and lovely, but not quite like yours! I used ground flax instead of the seeds, so mine didn’t mix quite as thoroughly, it was a bit drier. Next time I would up the wet or decrease the amount of flax. That said, it did form these delightful little crunchy chocolate nuggets, so no complaints. And I’d bet I’ll be making it again soon.
I’m making this right now. It’s not even baking yet and it already smells amazing. Thank you so much for another super fantastic recipe!
Laura,
How long does it keep and should it be refrigerated or can it be stored at room temperature? It’s in the oven as I write this.
Best,
Judi
Hi Judi! I’d say a month or two in an airtight container? –if it lasts that long in your pantry :)
Laura,
It’s delicious! Everyone that tastes it loves it. I’ve shared the link to the recipe with a half dozen people. Thanks!
I made this this morning. My four year old and I love it! I had never used coconut oil and it gives this great flavor. I can hardly taste the natural coconut in my usual granola recipe. I added roasted pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds(has to be tree nut free). Now I have to go buy another granola container because the kids are going to want this regularly too. I’ll let my older kids try it after school. I know they’ll love it.
★★★★★
I saw this on facebook and immediately made it! My son (2 1/2 years old) and I are granola junkies (: Plus anything with chocolate and coconut and I’m all in!
We made the recipe as it was (minus the nuts…didnt’ have any) and it’s delicious! Although I didn’t quite wait until it was completely cool before I dug in! The Chocolate is not overly sweet. I had some plain then I decided to have some with milk as cereal too and it was sooo good.
My son loved it too. He scarfed some down before he went down for his nap! YAY! I’m going to have my 10 yr old daughter try it afterschool!
I’ll be passing this recipe on to my family members too! And next time I’m going to add almonds and perhaps switch the vanilla for almond extract because I love an Almond Joy from time to time! Thank you for this recipe!
★★★★★
So glad this recipe was a success Crysta! thank you for sharing that it was a hit!
Do you think I could sub honey for the maple syrup? I usually have way more of that on hand. :)
you definitely could.
When do you put in the nuts or shelled seeds–before or after baking ?
Thanks!
add nuts to the baking pan.