dessert granola featuring Olive and Sinclair chocolate

oats coated with a selection of Olive and Sinclair chocolate

mixing in the afternoon sunlight

look closely at all the rich goodness

Recipe adapted from Citrus and Candy here.

Chocolate Granola

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix well in large bowl:

250 g oats (approximately 2 3/4c)

50 g dried cranberries

25 g raisins

25 g pumpkin seeds

25 g unsweetened coconut

1 1/2 T cocoa powder

1/4 t cinnamon

pinch of salt

Chop and sit aside:

75 g chocolate

( I used a mixture of Olive and Sinclair cacao nib, 67%, coffee bean, and salt and pepper)

Heat in pan until sugar dissolves and butter melts:

63 g brown sugar

50 ml water

15 g butter

Remove from heat and add:

63 ml honey

1 t vanilla

Stir to mix wet ingredients well

Add the 75 g chopped chocolate and stir until chocolate is melted

Pour the wet mixture over the oat mixture; stir until oats are well coated with chocolate mixture.

Spread granola mixture on parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.

Allow to cool, and store in the freezer.

dessert granola!

chocolate granola featuring Olive and Sinclair chocolate

This is my dessert granola.  I feel healthier eating oats and almonds with my chocolate.  

Seriously, this granola, baked from a recipe adapted from Orangette, is flavorful and filling.  You can find her original recipe here.

Here's my adaptation of Molly's recipe.

Chocolate Granola

preheat oven to 300 degrees

Mix:
3 c oats
1/2 c of KY Kernel pecans and-or almonds (or nuts of your choice)
4 T milled flax
pinch of salt
1/4 c cacao nibs

In a small saucepan, warm:
6 T honey
2 T coconut oil
1 t espresso powder

Pour the warm liquid over the oat mixture; stir well.
Bake on parchment lined baking sheet 10 minutes; stir well and bake 10 more minutes.

Turn oven off
Leave granola in oven for 10 more minutes (total time 30 minutes).

Remove pan from oven.

Add:

1/2 c dried currents

1 bar chopped Coffee Bean Olive and Sinclair chocolate

Allow to cool completely.

Store in tightly sealed container in freezer.

granola with nibs

My healthy breakfast granola has been - reinvented for February (maybe forever!).

You may think there are raisins in the image above.  In reality, they are tiny currents.  But the majority of the little black blobs are cocoa nibs and chunks of 60% Ghirardelli chocolate.

The addition of chocolate does not automatically signify the addition of sugar.  This granola is for chocolate lovers - those who love the rich taste of chocolate.  This is not a sweet granola; however, the chocolate flavor is primary.

The darker the chocolate, the more health benefits therein contained.  "Chocolate is made from plants, which means it contains many of the health benefits of dark vegetables." (link to more healthy chocolate facts here)

Into the next batch of chocolate granola, I think I'll add a pinch of cinnamon or maybe some espresso powder.

Heart healthy February.  You can find the recipe here.