Sweetened with honey and coconut sugar, this naturally gluten-free and dairy-free chocolate coconut granola is a much tastier and healthier alternative than the store bought variety!
So like I said in my raspberry coconut smoothie post, I love my cracked open coconut. I made tons of coconut recipes that I intended on spacing throughout the year, but since I didn’t have time to make anything else – there’s more coconut today. Woohoo! Right? :D
I have to admit that I LOVE store bought granola. Probably because it’s loaded with sugar and when I make it at home, I never add enough. But this time I added some coconut sugar (in addition to honey) and chocolate and that solved everything. This chocolate coconut granola tastes even better than the stuff from the store, and unlike that stuff, it only has a few ingredients rather than a list full of ingredients I can’t pronounce. It’s also much cheaper and relatively healthy!
This recipe uses coconut oil, shredded coconut and coconut extract. If you use unrefined coconut oil, it’ll add even more to the coconut taste. I used refined (which is flavorless) and this granola was still coconut-y enough! And if you want the granola to be ultra coconut-y, add more extract.
The final step of this recipe is to add chopped chocolate into the baked granola and stir it around so that the granola is coated in chocolate. But it’s a very light coating. It’s definitely heading into the dessert granola category with the chocolate. If that sounds too much for you, taste the granola after it comes out of the oven and if it’s sweet enough for you, skip the chocolate! But honestly… it’s not that much chocolate and it adds SO much to the granola.
This is naturally gluten-free AND whole grain and dairy-free (if you use Enjoy Life chocolate chips). And if you’re gluten-free, make sure to buy gluten-free oats!
And just in case you’ve never made homemade granola – experimenting doesn’t work out so well. Changing the type or amount of sweetener or fat always ends in failure. At least in my experience! So stick to the recipe unless you’re an experienced granola maker. :)
So now that I have chocolate coconut granola down, what should I try next? I’d love some ideas!
Here are some other chocolate and coconut goodies! And they happen to both have peanut butter. :D
Chocolate Coconut Granola (gluten-free, whole grain, dairy-free)
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (112 grams) coconut oil
- 3/4 cup (240 grams) honey
- 1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder or Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 4 1/2 cups (440 grams) rolled oats (non-contaminated oats for gluten-free)
- 1 cup (92 grams) shredded coconut (I used unsweetened)
- 1/2 cup (90 grams) chocolate chips, chopped, optional (Enjoy Life chocolate chips for dairy-free)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with a Silpat or piece of parchment paper.
- In a large pan, melt the coconut oil.
- Stir in the honey, cocoa powder, coconut sugar and salt and bring this mixture to a simmer.
- Remove from the heat and add in the vanilla and coconut extract.
- Working quickly, add in the oats and make sure they're evenly coated with the mixture.
- Spread this evenly over the parchment lined baking tray.
- Bake for 15 minutes, stirring after every 5 minutes.
- Remove the granola from the oven and stir in the shredded coconut. You only want to bake it shortly so that the coconut doesn't burn!
- Return to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes.
- Remove the granola from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes. It should harden a little. Stir in the chocolate chips and make sure that the granola is well coated.
- Let the granola cool completely (it'll harden even more during this time) and if using chocolate, let it sit for 2 hours to allow the chocolate to harden.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
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35 comments on “Chocolate Coconut Granola (gluten-free, whole grain, dairy-free)” — Add one!
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I made this and it’s delicious! Can anyone help me out with the nutritional information, please?
So happy you liked it! Thanks for your comment. :) I don’t have that info but you can copy and paste the recipe here for the nutritional profile, if you’d like.
Thank you!
I went to the grocery store and saw chocolate granola for $5 a small bag. I knew instantly I would be making it and soon… I found your recipe on my first search and this stuff is amazing… I added sunflower seeds and flax seeds to add a bit more “healthy crunch”!!
As a test run I only made a 1/2 batch.. but I will be making more!! Thank you for posting!!
Meg
I love your addition of sunflower and flax seeds! Sounds great. I’m so happy you enjoyed the granola! I haven’t made this in so long just because it’s so, so hard to stop eating. I hope you had better luck with that. ;) Thanks for your feedback!
Oooh, this looks so good! We love just eating granola as a snack and it’s been so long since I made any! Going to try this out when my taste buds return :D
Yay! I hope you’ll love it. Let me know how it turns out! And good luck with the taste buds (cold?)
This totally reminds me of the Bounty candy bar and I’d like some of this Granola right now, pretty please!
I guess the US version is called Almond Joy but you are probably familiar with both :)
Actually, I didn’t know what Bounty Bars were until now! Thanks for enlightening me. :)
I’m definitely a lover of granola! It’s one of my favorite snacks and it’s so easy to make! Chocolate and coconut is such a wonderful combo! Looks delicious!
Thank you, Holly! :) And I agree. Whenever I have granola around, it gets eaten quickly. Normally in snack form!
I am so jealous of your coconut skills :) If I had a fresh coconut I think I would be afraid of it lol
Haha. I’m only using it as a prop. ;)
So yummy! Almost reminds me of a much better almond joy!
I like that comparison. Thank you! :D
Yes please to a little chocolate for breakfast! ;)
Exactly! How could breakfast be any better?! :)
Lovely granola recipe! Chocolate and coconut go so so well together.
Agreed! And to think I only started eating coconut a few years ago. So silly!
Chocolate granola sounds so yummy! I will have to give this recipe a go! Lovely recipe :)
Thank you! I hope you’ll love it. :)
I love that this granola is basically in the dessert category. That means dessert for breakfast and that is always a winner ;) I love homemade granola. I need to try this one asap!
Exactly! That non-sweet granola or museli or whatever is not for me. Gotta have the sweetness! :D
Wow this looks really good! I tried making granola once and it was a disaster… :/ But this looks lovely! And granola in some milk is just heaven!
By the way there is just a small typo in your post when you are talking about refined vs. unrefined. You said unrefined twice. Once that it adds coconut flavor and once you said it doesn’t have coconut flavor. Just thought you should know.
Yeah, most of my other granola attempts were failures, too. I think because I messed with the recipes and tried making them healthier! And thank you SO much for the heads up on the typo. Fixed! :)
From a coconut lover, I think it would be perfectly acceptable to post all coconut recipes from here on out! ;) I am loving this granola…it has both cocoa powder and chocolate chips? Count me in! Throw a few almonds in there and It’s kinda like a almond joy granola. Pinned! :)
Haha. I could be the coconut + chocolate + peanut butter blog. I could totally do it! :)
SO excited to try this recipe! I love love love chocolate granola in the morning for breakfast!
I hope you’ll love it! :)
I am addicted to chocolate granola. Even when I write it I have a bit left in a jar. I think that the next portion I’ll make in Berlin and am happy to use your recipe :)
Yay! I hope you’ll try it. :) Can’t wait for your return!
I pretty much have to add chocolate to granola whenever I make it; it’s just not the same without it! Love the flavours in this, you can’t go wrong with that chocolate and coconut combination.
Haha. Hooray for chocolatey granola then! And agreed. Chocolate + coconut = yum.
You’re right, homemade granola kicks the store granola’s butt. This recipe looks scrumptious and decadent. Pinned.
As always, thanks for pinning! :)