Chocolate Coconut Granola (gluten-free, refined sugar-free, vegan)

Simple, classic Chocolate Coconut Granola is one of my favorite snacks. Homemade granola is easy to make, and this granola is filled with big chunky clusters and made gluten-free, refined sugar-free (naturally sweetened with maple syrup), dairy-free and vegan!

Stay with me while I veer away from granola entirely: When I was pregnant with my son I craved cheeseburgers and ice cream. Like, weekly.

But, things were totally different with my daughter. After the morning sickness stopped, I craved nothing. So I ate really simple food.

Around that time my obsession with granola bars, oats and homemade granola started. It was the best way to get some healthy carbs in my body that were simple and good. Nothing too crazy or overpowering, just simple, good food. I started making my own granola, and I never looked back.

This Chocolate Coconut Granola is just that – simple, easy to make, good food.

This recipe in particular is my favorite granola recipe. Filled with large chunky and crunchy clusters, sweetened lightly with maple syrup and cocoa powder, with oats, nuts and shredded coconut throughout, you can eat this granola as a snack or on top of yogurt or ice cream as a dessert!

Granola is really easy to make too!

Let me walk you through it! First, you’ll combine your dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and stir them together (oats, nuts, coconut, cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt).

Then, you’ll add your coconut oil to a small microwave bowl (like a pyrex measuring cup) and microwave it till it’s entirely melted. Then add your maple syrup and microwave again briefly, till the whole mixture is hot. Finally, add your vanilla and stir it in.

Now, you’ll pour your wet ingredients over your dry ingredients and stir them around till your dry ingredients are evenly covered.

Next, is maybe the most important part. Spread your granola out in one thin even layer, on a parchment paper-lined pan. Bake in the oven at 300 for about 25 minutes.

Be sure not to bake it longer than that, or the granola can burn and you won’t be able to tell because it’s already dark! When you take your granola out of the oven it will not be crunchy yet, but will harden as it cools.

After it cools entirely you can break it up into however big or little pieces you prefer! I love large chunks.

A few more notes…

If you need to be gluten-free, be sure to use certified gluten-free oats in this recipe.

If you don’t like walnuts, you can use almonds instead, or even cashews. I think walnuts provide the best texture for granola. You can also take out the nuts entirely and add in more shredded coconut instead, if you like a lot of coconut flavor.

Speaking of shredded coconut, you can use both sweetened or unsweetened. I think regular shredded coconut does best though in this recipe, rather than finely shredded or large coconut chips.

If you really want to take this granola to the next level, don’t forget that you can add ingredients to it AFTER it bakes!

For more of a coconut flavor (since this granola is only lightly flavored with coconut) I’d recommend adding more shredded coconut (about a cup or so) to the granola mixture.

I’d also recommend throwing some chocolate chips in there if you’re looking for some EXTRA chocolate flavor!

And if you want more granola flavors, check these out: gluten-free Maple Nut Granola, Orange Turmeric Granola and Lemon Honey Granola.

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Chocolate Coconut Granola (gluten-free, refined sugar-free, vegan)

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

35 mins

 

Servings: 16 servings

Calories: 155 kcal

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 2 cups oats, certified gluten-free
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped (or almonds)
• 1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients

• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup maple syrup (or honey, if preferred)
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 300 and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add all of your dry ingredients and stir until well incorporated (oats, walnuts, coconut, cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt).

3. In a separate microwaveable bowl, melt your coconut oil in your microwave in small intervals (20-30 seconds) stirring in between until it is a liquid.

4. Add your maple syrup to your coconut oil and lightly heat in the microwave till the mixture is warm. Add in your vanilla and stir till everything is well combined.

5. Pour your wet ingredients over your dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated and all of your dry ingredients are covered. Spread onto your sheet pan in one thin, even layer.

6. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Let the granola sit on the counter till it has cooled entirely (it will harden as it cools). After, you can break up your granola till it's your desired texture.

7. Devour!

Recipe Notes

Stored in an airtight container this granola can last about a month or so.