Big-Cluster Chocolaty Granola

By Ali Slagle

Updated February 10, 2022

  • David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 2
Total Time
1 hour
Rating
5(744)
Comments
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This granola pairs the bittersweetness of a good chocolate bar with the crunch and nuttiness of classic granola. By not stirring and by letting it cool in the oven, the granola will break apart in big clusters — perfect for snacking on. Eat this granola with berries and yogurt for breakfast, by the handful for an afternoon pick-me-up, or with peanut butter ice cream after dinner. (And yes, if you eat it with milk like cereal, it makes chocolate milk!) If you like your granola on the sweet side, stir in milk chocolate chips or a chocolate cereal like Cocoa Puffs once the granola is cool. Alternatively, lean into its bitterness by adding cacao nibs or chocolate-covered espresso beans.

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Ingredients

Yield:5 cups

  • ½ cup maple syrup

  • ⅓ cup olive oil or melted coconut oil

  • ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)

  • 3 cups rolled, old-fashioned oats

  • 1 ½ cups raw or roasted unsalted nuts, such as pecans, almonds, hazelnuts or a mix, roughly chopped

  • ½ cup raw seeds, such as pumpkin, sesame, millet, quinoa, sunflower, flax, chia or a mix

  • 1 cup dried fruit, such as cherries, figs, dates or apricots, roughly chopped (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

44 grams carbs; 322 calories; 8 grams monosaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 15 grams fat; 9 grams fiber; 218 milligrams sodium; 7 grams protein; 15 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, use a fork to stir together the maple syrup, oil, cocoa powder and salt until smooth. Add the oats, nuts and seeds, and stir until combined.

  2. Step 2

    Spread the mixture out on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake, without stirring, until fragrant and dry to the touch, 35 to 40 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Sprinkle the dried fruit over the granola (if using), then turn off the oven. Leave the granola in the oven to cool completely, 30 minutes to an hour, then break into clumps. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
744 user ratings
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Comments

Ellie

Add an egg white before baking. Makes the best big clusters, plus protein!

KScott

Weight measurements: 1/3 cup olive oil = 66 g 1/2 cup maple syrup = 156 g 3 cups rolled oats = 270 g 1/3 cocoa = 28 g 1 1/2 cups nuts (can mix & match based on following): 1/2 cup pecans = 57 g 1/2 cup almonds = 71 g 1/2 cup seeds (can mix & match based on following): 1/4 cup sunflower seeds = 35 g 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds = 64 g

Serena

I find that baking granola at a lower temperature for longer makes a better batch. So 250 for 75 minutes always makes a perfectly crispy granola while avoiding the sometimes burnt taste I find when recipes suggest a higher temp but shorter time.

Donna C.

Great snack that’s not too sweet and lends itself to all kinds of add-ins as long as you stay within the quantities listed in the recipe. I did add a beaten egg white to the mix, based on previous suggestions, which yielded much larger clusters. I also chopped up about a cup of dark chocolate and sprinkled it on top of the granola immediately after it came out of the oven. Once the heat of the granola melted it, I spread the chocolate thinly to make a double-chocolate granola bark. I keep chunks of this in a large mason jar next to the TV, and it goes fast!

maddie

This was delicious, especially as a late night snack. I added fresh cherries to mine and ate it with milk. Yum!

Emily

This recipe is DELICIOUS. I’m curious to try the other commenters’ suggestions just for fun, but it really is terrific as-is (I made it with pumpkin seeds and walnuts, no fruit). I’ve almost blown all the way through a double batch… in less than a week… all by myself.

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