Sweet and nutty toasted hazelnuts and dark chocolate granola: Breakfast? Dessert? Delicious Snack? Say Goodbye bags of overpriced, overly sweet, store-bought granola, too.
Hey friends! This hazelnut, dark chocolate granola came to life through my never-ending granola experiment. I love homemade granola because is one of the simplest, tastiest – not to mention HEALTHY too – things that can come out of your kitchen in half an hour or less. And all it takes is a handful of ingredients dumped in a bowl, spread on a baking sheet, then thrown in the oven for a few minutes, and Voilà.
The combination of dark chocolate and toasted hazelnuts in this granola is (Really!) what steals the show. It tastes rich and even a bit naughty – basically, you can have dessert for breakfast, so don’t feel bad about it.
Now, in order to get it right – oh, believe me, it’s easier than you think to make it too sweet, too dry, or having way too many flavors at once – I recommend you benefit from my vast experience and take my 3 tips into consideration.
#1 Keep it simple. Don’t add too many things to your granola, especially if you’re new to granola making. Once you get familiar with the basics, you can slowly add more touch to it – for example, spices like cinnamon, ginger or chili flakes.
#2 Low and slow. Granola doesn’t take long to bake, but if your oven has hot spots or is not working properly (I recommend an oven thermometer to check this) it can be easy to burn the granola. Therefore, in order to be safe, I always bake my granola at a slightly lower temperature, this way it gets evenly golden brown without getting too dark.
#3 Add dried fruit at the end. If you like dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, and so on) leave them out until your granola is finished baking. Otherwise the sugars in the fruit can burn, giving them a bitter flavor, and the fruit can dry out in the oven making it extra chewy.
So far, this toasted hazelnut and dark chocolate granola has been my favorite to come out of my kitchen. It’s ingredients are exceptionally simple, yet allowing the flavor of the hazelnuts, dark chocolate and even the oats themselves, to really shine through.
It reminds you that every day can be a lovely day!
- INGREDIENTS
- 3 cups/255 g/9 oz rolled oats
- 1 cup/85 g/3 oz hazelnuts
- 1 cup/85 g/3 oz almond flakes
- 1 cup/85 g/3 oz sunflower seeds
- 1 cup/85 g/3 oz unsweetened dried cranberries
- 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted (or extra virgin olive oil)
- 100g dark chocolate (81% cacao content)
- 200 ml milk of your choice
- Preheat the oven to 356°F/180°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Spread rolled oats and hazelnuts onto baking sheet and bake (to toast) for 10 minutes.
- Then transfer the toasted mixture (rolled oats and hazelnuts) into a large mixing bowl. Add in the rest of the ingredients – almond flakes, sunflower seeds, milk and coconut oil and whisk together until fully combined. It should have a thick consistency.
- Spread the granola in an even layer on the baking tray. Place it in the over and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until the oats are lightly golden in color. After ten minutes, give the granola a stir, then press it firmly into an even layer again before returning to the oven. How long the granola takes to bake will depend a lot on your oven, so keep a close eye on it!
- Meanwhile, melt 100 grams of chocolate with 81% cocoa content in the microwave. You could also place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt over pan of simmering water until melted. Stir well.
- Remove it from the oven and let cool completely, without stirring. Once cool, add the dried cranberries and melted dark chocolate and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month.
Ah, before I forget, I should also mention that if you don’t like dark chocolate, feel free to use your favorite one.
Now go ahead, make your own granola and let me know in the comments how it turned out for you too!
Stay healthy & be happy!
Xoxo Cris
This looks great! I love the combination of flavors and textures. YUM!