The Kids’ Chocolate Granola

My last chocolate granola recipe dates back to over a year ago – and though it was a hit with the adults, my kiddos weren’t sold because it “didn’t taste like chocolate”. Eye roll…fair enough. So recently, I went back to the drawing board to create one that would be more appealing to a child’s palate.

Luckily, I just had to look at the breakfast pantry for inspiration. After all, hazelnuts and chocolate maketh Nutella right? So here is the verdict: not only does the aroma of this wonderful granola baking in the oven make the entire house smell like a chocolate factory, but the kids can’t take their little hands off it. Nor can I to be honest…despite the fact that it’s gluten and processed sugar free, it falls in the “bring-to-office-and-avoid-an overdose” category…

Note: If you want to inject a bit of extra flavor to this recipe, replace the 4 cups of oats with 3 cups of oats and 1 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes or of buckwheat groats. This does steer away from the Nutella feeling however, so just be aware of that if you’re trying to win over a fussy kid.

Ingredients

• 4 cups gluten-free oats (see Note above)
• 1 1/2 cup hazelnuts, halved
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 3 tbsp coconut sugar
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/3 cup raw cacao powder
• 40 g of dark chocolate (70%), broken into little pieces

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 175C
2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, buckwheat, hazelnuts, coconut flakes and chia seeds
3. In a small pot, combine maple syrup, coconut sugar, coconut oil, vanilla, salt, and cacao powder and place over medium heat, mixing well until it is smooth
4. Pour the chocolate liquid over the dry ingredients and stir in, making sure to coat all the dry ingredients
5. Pour the granola out evenly onto a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper
6. Sprinkle dark chocolate pieces all over the granola and place in the oven for 25 minutes, tossing it lightly every 5 minutes, making sure it does not burn. Keep a close eye on it, granola that has nuts can smell perfect one minute and burn the next!
7. Take out of the oven and let cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
8. Allow the granola to cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy!