Chocolate Almond Granola
No matter the time of day, this Chocolate Almond Granola is one tasty treat!
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I’ve got a question for y’all. Chocolate in the morning?
I’m not talking about chocolate cake at 12:01am…even though that is technically in the morning. I’m talking about chocolate for breakfast.
I’m not talking about mocha coffee…even though that is technically chocolate. I’m talking about eating chocolate for breakfast. I have a rather large sweet tooth, but I just can’t do it. Chocolate before noon just doesn’t fly with me.
Right after college, I worked at a small bank in North Carolina for a year or so. Every so often (especially around the holidays), one of our regular customers would drop by with a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Oh, Krispy Kreme…how I miss thee! (Actually, on second thought, it’s probably good that there aren’t any Krispy Kreme locations near us in upstate New York. That ‘hot now’ light would get me into way too much trouble!)
But back to the assorted box of doughnuts at the bank. I’d always go straight for the blueberry cake doughnuts. Those things were my weakness by far! If I lost the battle for the blueberry cake doughnut, then I’d resort back to regular glazed. But never the chocolate glazed. I just couldn’t do it…unless the doughnuts happened to show up in the middle of the afternoon. At that point, chocolate is acceptable. But not before noon!
So now that I have ranted and raved about no chocolate before noon, you’re probably wondering why I made Chocolate Almond Granola. Well, Laura loves chocolate granola, so I decided to make her a batch. She likes to stir a small spoonful into her morning coconut Greek yogurt. (I personally always go with Cabot’s vanilla bean Greek yogurt in the morning.) I went out on a limb and tried adding a spoonful of this Chocolate Almond Granola in with my yogurt. It was good…but not for breakfast. So instead I’ve just taken to eating this as a snack or dessert after dinner.
But how about you? Do you do chocolate for breakfast?
Chocolate Almond Granola
Ingredients
- 3 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 cup sliced almonds coarsely chopped
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup flax seeds optional
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅔ cup olive oil
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ¾ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- In a large bowl, add all ingredients except for chocolate chips (oats, coconut, almonds, cocoa powder, flax seeds, brown sugar, olive oil and maple syrup); stir until well combined.
- Spread mixture onto a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 300° for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Place back in oven for 3-5 minutes, or until chocolate chips are very soft. Remove from oven and stir until well combined.
- Let granola cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
I have a hard time with sweets first thing in the morning, whether they’re chocolate or not. (I know. Who am I?) But granola is one of my favorite snacks ever. I mean EVER! To the point that I don’t bring it into the house because that’s all I’ll eat until it’s gone. I’m so going to make this and eat it for dinner tonight! Have a great week, David!
Ok, see…I’m not crazy! I thought I was the only one with a crazy sweet tooth who couldn’t handle sweets in the morning. But if you can’t handle ’em (and you’re surrounded by amazing treats pretty much all the time!), then that makes me think I might be a little bit normal. 🙂 Now granola for dinner? I think I can get on board that train! Thanks, Kelsie!
Hi David! I’m in the opposite camp. I’ll eat chocolate any time of day or night! I know I’ve mentioned my middle of the night trips to the kitchen. This would be great for gift giving. I just picked up a bag of unsweetened coconut the other day and I always have oats, nuts and chocolate chips. Those are considered staples aren’t they?
You know, this really would be a good recipe for gift giving. Pack up some homemade granola in jars or bags with decorative ribbon, and you’re good to go! And granola makes for a great snack or breakfast with yogurt (although I know Gary isn’t a yogurt guy!). Thanks so much for the comment, my friend…sounds like you have everything you need to get started on this one! 🙂
I do love chocolate any time of day. I’d eat it for breakfast, but I’m bound and determined to have it only once a day, so I usually opt for dessert chocolate as opposed to breakfast. But this granola is so tempting, I may have to change my chocolate policy a bit. Thanks for the recipe!
Good for you, Laura! While I’m not on board with the chocolate in the morning train, I do still enjoy chocolate as a sweet treat for dessert. I try to do the same thing and limit it to once a day…but that doesn’t always work. I mean there’s lunch and dinner, and both need a little something sweet! 🙂 Thanks for the comment, my friend!
I totally know what you mean – I have a huge sweet tooth, but any time I travel internationally to a place where they eat croissants and sweet stuff for breakfast, I’ll eat it the first day and then be like, “NO MORE!” I’m good with nature’s candy for breakfast, but no artificial sugar bombs are necessary that early 🙂
Oh my gosh, traveling is the best and worst at the same, isn’t it, Nicole? I’m right there with ya. Decadent sweets that I would never eat at home for breakfast totally call to me when I’m traveling. I try to still be good and just do toast, but the croissants and cinnamon rolls (and everything else) calls my name! And yes to nature’s candy! My normal granola is a maple oat version that I absolutely love with my cup of coffee. 🙂
No chocolate in the morning while the other sweet things being acceptable? Wow, that’s interesting, David! I don’t normally have chocolate in the mornings either, but I can sprinkle some chopped chocolate over my oatmeal or peanut butter toast on weekends (Yes, I do like the combo of chocolate and peanut butter) once in a while. David, are you sure you cannot handle chocolate for breakfast? Cause I sent you just yesterday a huge box of breakfast food with chocolate (like rolls, babka, pancakes, etc) and let me emphasize that these things MUST be consumed in the mornings. Otherwise, please send this package back not opening it;)
You know, I do like the peanut butter and chocolate combination. But just not for breakfast. I’ll still do sweets for breakfast (especially on a special occasion like the holidays), but I want them to be cinnamon or maple…not chocolate. Later in the day? Chocolate is totally fair game again! Wait, you sent me a package of chocolate breakfast foods? Ok, fine. I’ll make an exception this time!! Hah! 🙂
I am a big fan of granola. Love this chocolate almond granola. I can eat chocolate at any time of the day. We have a bakery in our town that makes the best cake donuts topped with a thick layer of chocolate frosting – these are my favorite.
See, I just can’t do those chocolate donuts, Dawn. Blueberry cake donuts, though? Watch out! But that actually means that we would be great donut friends as I won’t fight ya for the chocolate ones. 🙂 Granola is one of my favorite snacks, too, and this chocolate one is mighty tasty…just not for breakfast. Haha!
chocolate for breakfast is the best! this sounds so good David!
Haha! You can have all the chocolate you want for breakfast, Manali. Actually, check that…make sure to save me some for the afternoon/evening, ok? 🙂
Yep, I cannot agree more David. No matter what time of day I’d be very happy to get stuck right into this chocolate almond granola! I’ve got a right sweet tooth too and a bowl of this would definitely satisfy that urge! Krispy Kreme’s are here in Scotland too, but I just can’t get into them or see what the fuss is about. Give me a good old fashioned bowl of granola with a nice dose of chocolate in it instead please!
Oh man, I didn’t realize Krispy Kreme had made it’s way over to Scotland. I do love a good Krispy Kreme donut, and fortunately they don’t have any stores here in upstate New York. (I wonder if the Scotland version is different that the US version?) Either way, I’m right there with ya on the sweet tooth that never goes away! I love this chocolate granola, but for me it’s gotta be an afternoon or evening treat. I just can’t do chocolate in the morning. If my life were a book, then this would be a major character flaw…I admit it. 🙂 Hope you’re doing well, my friend!
Yum, this looks really good! I love chocolate and almond – what a perfect granola.
Thank you so much, Balvinder! Chocolate + almond really is a great combination. In fact, one of my favorite candy bars is just that…chocolate and almonds! 🙂
yes, chocolate for breakfast! getting up and going about my day is hard enough, so chocolate is a very nice thing before noon (:
Haha! I hear ya, Heather…and I might have had a different opinion about chocolate back in college. Of course, my days also started later back in college, too. Now I’m all about chocolate…but only in the afternoon and evening. It’s a serious character flaw, I know. 🙂 Hope you’re doing well, my friend!
I am a chocolate person all the way! I would love this granola for breakfast :). Infact, I have never tried making granola before..And I definitely need to try this one!!
Oh my gosh, Deepika…you totally need to try making your own granola! This chocolate version is pretty darned tasty, although I’m one of those weird people that doesn’t like chocolate until the afternoon or evening. My go-to morning granola is this Maple Pecan version: https://spicedblog.com/maple-pecan-granola.html. Homemade granola is actually surprisingly easy to make…and really, really good, too! 🙂
I was pretty sure “chocolate for breakfast” was a rhetorical question until I finished reading your post. I’m shocked, sir! No Coco Puffs? Count Chocula? Chocolate doughnuts? Chocolate glaze on a chocolate doughnut? Chocolate cake? Peanut butter chocolate oatmeal? No bakes? A Snickers bar? These are all my best breakfasts!
Seriously, Jeff! I can’t do it. All of those chocolate cereals in the store sound so fun, but then I remember that I just don’t like chocolate in the morning. Even a mocha coffee. That’s an afternoon or evening treat instead of something to wake me up. I’ll let you have all the chocolates in the morning if you’ll let me have them in the evening. Deal? 🙂
So…I’m a bit of a chocoholic and could do chocolate for breakfast or lunch or dinner ..heck – even dessert! So…when I read you’ve not a fan of it before noon…GAH…Duuuuude – I was flabbergasted!!! But then I read of your love for blueberry cake doughnuts and all was right with our foodie-friendship! KK’s blueberry cake doughnuts are my fav doughnuts – though I cannot say the same for their chocolate glazed no matter what time of the day it is! However, hand me a bag of this chocolate almond granola anytime of the day and I’ll be down for some serious snacking!
Yeah, I dunno what it is…but chocolate and I do not mesh well together before about noon o’clock. I can’t even do a mocha coffee in the morning! I have one heck of a sweet tooth, but in the morning I just want cinnamon and maple…in the form of a donut or coffee cake! 🙂 Thanks, Shashi!
Keith and I are both savory breakfast people, but I LOVE granola for a trail snack and then I’m all about that sweetness – especially chocolate!
So I still like both sweet and savory breakfasts (depends on the day), but I just can’t do chocolate in the morning. Granola (esp chocolate granola) makes a great snack later in the day, though! Thanks so much, Marissa! 🙂
I got so busy I didn’t have time to pop into your blog for a bit, and then I come back and here you go posting a delicious healthy granola, how did you know I’m trying to slim down before my birthday. I’ve never indulged in chocolate in the morning, but I’m totally down to give it a try.
Homemade granola is where the party’s at, Mary! It’s seriously SO easy, and it’s such a tasty snack. 🙂 Some folks can do this in the morning, but that’s just not my cup of tea…or coffee…or latte…or whatever. Haha! Thanks so much for swinging by, my friend!
this almond granola with coffee and tahini yogurt tastes amazing, try it and enjoy it
Thank you so much!
I was looking for the right recipe, and your seemed closest to what I wanted, so I followed your recipe with a few major substitutions:
– replaced coconut with pumpkin seeds
– whole, not sliced, almonds
– replaced coconut oil with almond butter
This is a slightly muddier flavor than the granola I was trying to copy (blue stripes) – but i really cant get enough of it. I eat it for breakfast with fresh fruit and yoghurt, i sneak chunks for snack, and i’ve even had it for dessert with ice cream.
I promised we’d try a non-chocolate granola next because half the family doesnt much like chocolate, but we’ll definitely make (my version of) this again!
also – the granola I was trying to replace, the chips were whole, but the chips really melted here and my adult kid had made it late, so I needed to put it away before it was totally cool. The chips smooshed and made chunks of chocolatey granola . . . so scrumptious! but still plenty loose bits too so its like you can pick what you want!
Hey Cara! I’m so glad this recipe worked well for you. Your substitutions sound good, too. (Sometimes substitutions are so crazy that the recipe isn’t even close to the original version anymore!) If you’re looking for a non-chocolate granola, this one is my go-to: https://spicedblog.com/maple-pecan-granola/ Like you mentioned with this version, I just keep walking by nibbling on that maple pecan version. SO good!! I appreciate you leaving a comment. 🙂