Recipes: Nutty Cacao & Cranberry Granola

An easy homemade chocolate granola recipe that has become one of our favourite breakfast options! This granola is full of aaaall the good stuff; oats, hazelnuts and pecans with a little bit of cacao powder and of course some luuush dried cranberries and desiccated coconut for the added natural sweetness and chewiness! This recipe is Vegan & Gluten Free and the fun part - it’s customisable! Choose from a myriad of mix-ins; you can use any type of nuts, add goji berries or maybe some dried cherries.. (yum!) you can also make it a little more indulgent with some dark chocolate pieces!

We’ve made this granola on the healthier side with a lower sugar content which makes it perfect for breakfast, dessert, or even snacking! We’ve used coconut sugar and maple syrup to sweeten it up, but this recipe isn’t overly sweet. If you do prefer your granola on the sweeter side; we suggest adding an extra 2 tbsp of coconut sugar. This granola is great to use with a dollop of yogurt and some fresh berries, it can be enjoyed with any type of milk or sprinkle this chocolatey goodness over a scoop of ice cream (for those sweet craving evenings..). Surely any day that starts with a bit of chocolate is going to be a great one!?

Ingredients:

2 cups gluten free rolled oats

1/2 cup roughly chopped hazelnuts

1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans

2 tbsp cacao powder

1/3 cup desiccated coconut

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp coconut sugar

2 tbsp maple syrup

1/3 cup rapeseed oil

2 tbsp vegan butter

2 tsp moroccan almond extract (or vanilla extract)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 170c Line 2 roasting tins with baking paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, add oats, hazelnuts, pecans, ground cinnamon, cacao powder, desiccated coconut and salt. Mix well and set aside.

In a small/medium saucepan combine coconut sugar, maple syrup, rapeseed oil and the vegan butter. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and mixture is well incorporated. It should start bubbling, once this step happens remove from heat and stir in the moroccan extract (or you can use vanilla).

Pour the mixture over the oat/nut mix and toss with a wooden spoon. Keep mixing until all of the oats and nutty bits are at least moistened by the sugar mixture. Spoon mixture onto the prepared roasting tins and place in the oven.

Bake granola for roughly 20-25 minutes, removing from the oven to toss and stir 2 to 3 times during baking. Granola is done when you can see it has been toasted around the edges and you get a nice fragrant smell.

Remove from the oven and make sure to cool completely. Add in the dried cranberries and give the whole mixture one last toss.

Store in an airtight container (we used a Kilner jar) at room temperature, for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy!

We hope you enjoy this recipe! Let us know if you’ve tried it… Tag us on Instagram using #sodbakery

HAPPY BAKING! 🥨