Big-Cluster Chocolaty Granola

Name: Big-Cluster Chocolaty Granola
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 5 cups
Ingredients: 1/2 cup maple syrup; 1/3 cup olive oil or melted coconut oil; 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder; 1 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal); 3 cups rolled, old-fashioned oats; 1 1/2 cups raw or roasted unsalted nuts, such as pecans, almonds, hazelnuts or a mix, roughly chopped; 1/2 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)

By Ali Slagle

Updated Feb. 10, 2022

Big-Cluster Chocolaty Granola — David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 1 hour
Rating: 5(693)
Comments: Read comments

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

½cup maple syrup
⅓cup olive oil or melted coconut oil
⅓cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
3cups rolled, old-fashioned oats
1½cups raw or roasted unsalted nuts, such as pecans, almonds, hazelnuts or a mix, roughly chopped
½cup raw seeds, such as pumpkin, sesame, millet, quinoa, sunflower, flax, chia or a mix
1cup dried fruit, such as cherries, figs, dates or apricots, roughly chopped (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

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.
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.
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

693 user ratings

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Comments

Ellie4 years ago

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

KScott2 years ago

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

laurelle2 years ago

No need (or benefit) to cook dried fruit, people. Just add it when granola is cool.

Imelle1 week ago

Truly clustery. I subbed some runny honey for some of the maple syrup and added freeze dried berries at the end.

binny3 weeks ago

in case it's helpful, I used almond butter instead of oil and one beaten egg white to the wet. baked 275 for 50m and did not stir during baking. pressed everything down onto my pan with wet fingers and the whole thing was basically granola bark. cheers!

Andrew Garfield4 weeks ago

For the seeds I went with flax. That, along with the rolled oats, helps promote healthy bowel movements.

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