Name: Chocolate Cherry Granola
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: PT-468166H55M17S
Ingredients: 4 Cups Rolled Oats; 2/3 Cups Dried Cherries; 1/2 Cup raw Honey/Maple Syrup; 1 Cup chopped Nuts; 1 1/2Tsp Vanilla Extract; 1 1/2Tsp Cinnamon; 1Tsp Salt; 1/2 Cup Coconut Oil

This super-easy, healthy granola is free from refined sugars, being naturally sweetened by honey (or maple syrup). Perfect for breakfast, desserts or snacking!

I’m a sucker for chocolate cereal (mild chocoholic) but am fed up trying to find a store-bought brand that is GF, refined-sugar free and doesn’t also break the bank. Knowing how easy homemade granola is to make, I thought I’d take a jab at formulating my very own chocolate granola. Taking inspiration from a recent Black Forest gateau slice I had, I got to work in the kitchen with cherries and chocolate in hand.

After 30 minutes of fun in the kitchen, you’ll be left with a warm batch of chocolate cherry granola. Yum! Whether you like your granola with yoghurt, milk or simply shovelling it straight from the jar (my go-to), this is the recipe for you.

If you haven’t yet attempted to make homemade granola, you’re truly missing out. It is beyond simple to make, needing only one bowl and a couple of ingredients to mix together a yummy combination.

Healthy Chocolate Granola Ingredients

Rolled-Oat (old-fashioned oats). Rolled oats are great for granola, being chunkier and more nutritious when compared to instant oats. Steel cut oats also work well, but add a couple extra minutes on the cooking time as these oats are even less refined. Also, if making this recipe GF make sure to check that your oats are certified gluten-free

Nuts. I used a mixture of hazelnuts, cashews, almonds and walnuts. But feel free to use whatever nuts you like. Nuts are a great source of healthy fat, fibre and protein, as well as being jam packed full of vitamins and minerals.

Melted Coconut Oil. Oil makes the granola irresistibly crispy. I always reach for unrefined (extra-virgin) coconut oil when baking, as it is higher in nutrients and way better for your health than refined oils. However, feel free to use whatever oil you have on hand. Extra virgin olive oil also works well.

Natural Sweetener. I love to use either honey or maple syrup, adding just the perfect amount of sweetness to the granola. Also, its stickiness is key to getting those big chunks pieces were after!

Cacao Powder. Cacao powder benefits from having a richer chocolaty flavour then cocoa powder, whilst also having a host of health benefits. If you haven’t got any in house then unsweetened cocoa powder also works well.

Salt and Cinamon. Salt is great at enhancing all the flavours, balancing the sweetness of the honey. I tend to use corse sea salt but table salt is also fine, just use a little less than 1 tsp. I love the flavour of cinnamon but feel free to add spices of your choice (i.e. nutmeg or ginger)

Dried Cherries. If you don’t have any dried cherries, substitute with raisins, sultanas or currants.

How to make healthy chocolate cherry granola

This granola recipe is super easy to make, requiring around 25 minutes from start to finish. Simply:

Preheat oven to 180˚C & line a tray with baking paper

2. Mix most dry ingredients together In a bowl, combine the oats, cacao, salt, cinnamon and raw nuts. Leave the cherries for later, we’ll mix those in after the granola’s out the oven.

3. Time to add in the wet ingredients. Pour the honey, coconut oil and vanilla extract into the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly until each oat is coated in honey and oil. This will ensure that all your granola is super crunchy and sweet

4. Transfer the mixture to a baking sheet. Simply pour the mixture onto a baking sheet and evenly distribute. You want the mixture to be quite tightly compacted on the tray so that you end up with clumpy granola at the end. If you’re really after big chunks of granola push the granola down on the tray with a spatula.

5. Cook for around 20 minutes or until mixture is crispy After around 10 minutes I remove the mixture from the oven and give it a mix. To ensure that the granola remains chunky I use the back of a spatula to push everything together again before I put it back in the oven.

6. Cool completely & add the cherries. When it’s cooled, add the cherries and give them a good stir to evenly distribute. If you wanted to add some chocolate chips, now’s the time to do so!

Customisation

The great thing about this granola recipe is that you can throw in whatever you want to make this recipe your own. Go crazy! If you want it more chocolaty, throw in some semi-sweet, dairy-free chocolate chips when the mixture has cooled. Maybe you’re a coconut fan; why not add some shredded coconut flakes?