Chocolate-Olive Oil Granola

I loveeee to make granola as a treat or gift for friends but was getting a little bored of my standard maple-olive oil one (it’s delicious though you should definitely make it).

This salty, rich and not-to-sweet chocolate version definitely hit the spot. It really straddles the line between sweet and salty which is exactly what I like in baked goods- a nice balance.

My secrets to great granola:

Bake it low and slow. Bake at 325 F and check on it often, because things can turn quickly. Burning $20 worth of nuts and seeds sucks- take it from me!
Don’t disturb it. The trick to getting those nice bark-like clusters is to spread the granola in a nice even layer and then breaking it into pieces once it’s cooled.
Add salt. A nice dose of salt (preferably kosher), really changes the whole vibe, turning something that’s often too sweet into a true delight.

This recipe is your perfect excuse to have chocolate for breakfast. I’ve held back on the sugar here so that it hasn’t crossed over into a full-blown dessert, and it’s ideal for sprinkling on to yoghurt, oatmeal, smoothie bowls, or simply for snacking. If you can get your hands on dutch-processed cocoa powder I highly suggest you use it here. It has a really velvety-rich taste and dark chocolate-y brown colour that makes this granola that much more luxurious.

3 cups of rolled oats

1/4 cup cocoa powder, preferable dutch-processed

1/2 cup of chopped raw almonds

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup maple syrup*

1 tsp vanilla extract

*You can up this to 2/3 cup if you want a sweeter granola

Preheat oven to 325 F and line a large bakign sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl combine the oats, cocoa powder, chopped almonds and salt, and stir well to evenly distribute the cocoa powder.
whisk together the olive oil, maple syrup and vanilla and add to dry ingredients. Mix well with a spatula until oats are evenly moistened. Spread mixture in an even layer onto parchment-lined baking sheet.bake in centre rack of oven for 20-25 minutes. It’s ok if it still seems a bit soft when you take it out of the oven, it’ll firm up as it cools. Once granola is cooled, break into smaller pieces and store in an air-tight container for up to 1 month.