Coconut Almond Granola with Dark Chocolate Chunks
This coconut almond granola with dark chocolate chunks is the BEST granola recipe for snacking! Or, enjoy it with milk for a sweet and satisfying breakfast. Naturally sweetened with mashed banana and a bit of maple syrup. With chunks of dark chocolate, roughly chopped almonds, quinoa and big clusters, it’s perfect for those crunchy granola lovers!
I go through this love/hate thing with granola. Either I have three different types of granola in my pantry, and basically subsist on mixtures of granola, yogurt, honey and fruit for breakfast and snacks. Or, the idea of granola does nothing for me, and little bags of it go stale in the pantry.
Currently, I’m in love.
This coconut almond granola with dark chocolate chunks reignited my love when I stumbled across the recipe in my archives. I mean, how can you not like something that involves dark chocolate, coconut and crunchy almonds for breakfast?
I’ve been eating this coconut almond granola for breakfast every morning along with my newest obsession - Oatly milk. Not sponsored, I just love it. It’s so creamy, and I’m not gonna lie, the packaging gets me too.
Coconut Almond Granola Ingredient Notes:
Oats
Oats form the base of this coconut almond granola. I like to use rolled oats or quick oats. The latter is better for creating clusters.
Almonds
Roughly chopped almonds give this granola plenty of crunch! I like them very roughly chopped in bigger pieces for this recipe.
Shredded Coconut
Look for unsweetened shredded coconut, which are dried out bits of coconut meat. I’ve also made this with coconut chips mixed in at the end after baking.
Quinoa
Quinoa is a fun ingredient I like to add to granola to give it extra crunch. There’s no need for cooking! Mix it in raw and it will toast up in the oven. I think the quinoa also just looks really pretty in the granola, giving it little speckles.
Bananas
For this coconut almond granola recipe, I used mashed ripe bananas as one of the sweeteners. Look for bananas that are extra ripe, even with some black spots on it. Riper bananas are sweeter and softer than bananas that are still green. This is also a great place to use frozen bananas, which is where I usually keep those bananas that are about to go bad - perfect for smoothies or baking bread!
Maple Syrup
The other sweetener I use in this recipe is pure maple syrup. It simultaneously adds liquid to mix the granola together and help it stick, as well as yummy toasty flavor.
Coconut Oil
Using coconut oil in this recipe helps to up the coconut flavor in this recipe! If you don’t have it, melted butter or a neutral flavored oil like canola will work just fine.
Dark Chocolate
Feel free to use dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips to make this coconut almond granola, but to make this coconut almond granola really special, I like to break out a good quality dark chocolate bar.
How to Sweeten this Coconut Almond Granola Recipe with Fruit
To sweeten this coconut almond granola recipe, I used a mixture of maple syrup and mashed banana. The mashed banana is a fun way to add sweetness, nutrients, and a mild banana-y flavor. I love the flavor with the coconut, as it gives it a bit of a tropical feel. Using banana also adds liquid to the recipe, helping the granola stick together. As previously mentioned, make sure you’re using a really ripe banana so it is extra sweet (versus a starchy green banana). All you have to do is mash it up with the back of a fork to create a banana “paste” and mix it well with the rest of the wet ingredients.
Now, here’s where I want to talk a bit about using fruit as a sweetener. Diet culture does quite a bit of fear mongering about sugar. In reality, there’s no research to suggest eating moderate amounts of sugar is harmful. When sugar and sweets are just one food of many in your day, you’ll self moderate around it - as opposed to being stuck in a chaotic restrict-binge cycle.
When I first developed this recipe years ago, I definitely had some anxieties about sugar, hence using banana to “cut back.” Perhaps unsurprisingly, I also ate sugar and sweets in a way that didn’t always feel so great! Even though when I made this coconut almond granola initially, I used banana in a way I probably wouldn’t today, when I made the recipe again, I loved it just the way it was. Anyway, I share this as a reminder that foods/recipes that might be associated with diet culture don’t necessarily have to be “off-limits” with intuitive eating. Buuuut, le't’s take that extra moment to question your intentions in eating it, and if you actually enjoy the taste or are telling yourself that you do.
Personally, I like to use a variety of sweeteners in my cooking - table sugar, honey, maple syrup, and yes, sometimes fruit. When choosing what sweetener I want to use, I think of culinary characteristics first. For example, I love how the floral flavors of honey (and olive oil!) give these honey pistachio pear muffins an almost Mediterranean vibe, or how regular ‘ole table sugar makes these fudgy coconut brownies super moist and gooey. If I think about nutrition, I think about that second, which might involve reducing the added sugars slightly, using fruit, or adding other ingredients to boost flavor. If making a change to boost nutrition feels like NBD, that’s cool, but if it triggers a feeling of restriction or deprivation, then it’s probably not the healthiest choice for you.
Coconut Almond Granola Recipe Adaptions
This coconut almond granola recipe is also delish made with a mix of cashews and macadamia nuts instead of almonds for more tropical-ish flavor.
Instead of quinoa, using hemp hearts gives it a similar appearance and texture. They don’t get quite as crunchy as the quinoa does, but still really tasty!
If you don’t have coconut oil, melted butter or a neutral flavored oil like canola works very well.
Feel free to swap honey for the maple syrup. The key is that you’re using a liquid sweetener, so agave, rice syrup, etc would all work too.
This recipe for coconut almond granola with dark chocolate chunks was originally posted February 2015. Recipe, text and images have been updated to give you the best possible content.
Coconut Almond Granola with Dark Chocolate Chunks
Makes about 5 cups
Ingredients
2 large very ripe bananas (should have some black spots)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup almonds, roughly chopped
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
5 ounces dark chocolate, roughly chopped
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mash the banana, maple syrup, oil, vanilla and salt together in a medium bowl until well combined.
In a large bowl, mix oats, almonds, quinoa, and coconut. Stir in the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
Spread granola evenly on a large parchment paper lined baking sheet. Place in the preheated oven and bake 15 minutes. Stir gently to move edges towards the center while keeping clusters intact. Place back in oven and bake 15 minutes longer. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
Once room temperature, stir in dark chocolate. Store granola at room temperature in a lidded container.
If you like this coconut almond granola with dark chocolate chunks recipe, you might also like:
Savory Curry Coconut Granola with Chili Mango
Salty Cashew Coconut Energy Balls
Whole Grain Chex Mix
