Chocolate Granola

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Homemade chocolate granola is crunchy, nutty, and of course, chocolatey! This make-ahead breakfast will make your mornings so much easier.

This recipe has been retested and updated since first publishing July 2017.

Granola is so great for snacking as well as breakfasts, but it can be expensive in stores. Fortunately, it’s easy to make it yourself!

I’ve been making homemade granola for years, ever since I learned how easy it was back when my kids were small. I like to change up the ingredients depending on my mood and what I’m craving, but one version I return to a lot is this chocolate granola.

While it’s replete with chocolate chips (plus some cocoa powder), this granola isn’t overly sweet. With the nuts and whole grain oats, it’s a more balanced version of some of those packaged varieties.

If you’ve never made granola at home before, it’s actually quite easy! You’ll soon be a granola-making pro.

Ingredients for chocolate granola

Full list of ingredients including quantities is located in the recipe card.

You’ll need:

• Rolled oats – These are also sometimes labeled as old-fashioned oats.
• Chopped walnuts
• Slivered almonds
• Coconut oil – If you don’t want to use coconut oil, you can swap in an equal amount of unsalted butter.
• Honey
• Unsweetened cocoa powder
• Instant espresso powder – Coffee enhances the chocolate flavor. This recipe uses just a small amount, but you can leave it out if you prefer.
• Mini chocolate chips

How to make this recipe

Preheat your oven to 300°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet or two with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix together the oats, nuts, and salt.

Combine the coconut oil and honey in a small saucepan. Set it over medium heat and warm, whisking, until the coconut oil is completely melted.

Remove from the heat and whisk in cocoa powder and espresso powder until smooth. 

Pour over the oat mixture and stir well to coat. You want to make sure there are no dry parts remaining, or it won’t bake up properly in the oven or cluster when cooling.

Once fully mixed, spread out onto the prepared baking sheet. It will cover the entire pan. If you want a very crisp granola, use two baking sheets and spread into thinner layers.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. If using two pans, rotate at 10 minutes, and check at 20 minutes for doneness.

Remove from the oven and use a spatula to press down gently on the granola. This will encourage it to form clusters as it cools.

Scatter on half of the mini chocolate chips.

Let the granola cool completely. Add the remaining chocolate chips, break up into small pieces, and store in an airtight container.

Recipe tips

Make sure you use rolled oats, not the “quick” oats, or you’ll end up with a big mess. You can easily switch up ingredients, like using your favorite nuts and seeds. Peanuts or pecans are great options!

Swap the semi-sweet chocolate chips for dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or a mixture.

If adding dried fruit, be sure to do so after baking your granola, otherwise it will burn in the oven. Dried strawberries or raspberries are a great addition to chocolate granola!

Instead of using honey, try this recipe with maple syrup for a bit of fall flavor.

Want a stronger coffee flavor? Increase the amount of instant espresso to 1 tablespoon.

This recipe does make a lot of granola, so if you prefer you can halve the recipe. I recommend storing it in glass containers, such as mason jars, to help keep it fresh and the clusters intact.

Enjoy chocolate granola as a snack on its own, or sprinkle over a bowl of homemade Instant Pot yogurt! It’s the perfect easy breakfast.

Looking for more granola recipes? Try my lemon blueberry granola or peanut butter granola!