This grain free cacao hazelnut granola is super dense and perfectly sweetened with maple syrup. Made with a blend of buckwheat, coconut, seeds and nuts, it’s gluten free, dairy free and vegan friendly.
There’s something really special about roasted hazelnuts…the smell of them roasting in the oven…and then when you mix them with chocolate. Wow. Nutella is super popular for a reason, guys! Now, it’s not quite a thick sugary chocolate spread, but roasted hazelnuts do make this granola taste fantastic too. I love mixing up heaps of different batches of granola and I’m always making up new versions, but this one is really lovely and worth keeping the recipe for.
I also think that making your own granola is totally worth it because my goodness, some of the fancy store-bought granola brands can be so expensive! Even though it can be a little bit pricey to purchase some nuts, you only need to get a small amount to bake a batch. In this cacao hazelnut granola, there are also lots of cheaper items like seeds and buckwheat groats, which are totally nutritious and delicious.
This cacao hazelnut granola is quite a dense granola as it’s mainly nuts and seeds, so I like to use it pretty sparingly as a topping on:
- smoothies
- chia pudding
- porridge
- yoghurt and fruit.
I think it actually works pretty well as a dessert cup when mixed with yoghurt, especially if you sprinkle a little grated chocolate on top, too!
The recipe is pretty flexible and if you do like oats in your granola, just swap some in instead of the buckwheat groats. You can also swap the maple syrup for honey or another liquid sweetener, if you prefer. Now, just keep an eye on the granola while it’s baking in the oven, to make sure it doesn’t burn. Ovens are all a bit special and a bit different, aren’t they 🙂
Cacao and Hazelnut Granola (gluten free)
Ingredients
- 1 cups coconut flakes (measured packed into the cup)
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 1/2 cup buckwheat groats
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 3 tbsp coconut oil (scoop out and measure before melting)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160 C and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
- Roughly chop the almonds and hazelnuts. Then, combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Melt together the coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla over a gentle heat on the stove top, so it becomes really runny and is easier to mix in with the dry ingredients. Pour the liquid mixture over the dry ingredients and combine thoroughly.
- Spread the mixture out over the baking tray. Bake the mixture for approximately 20 minutes, using a spatula to flip the mixture around once or twice so the edges do not burn.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, it should harden up as it cools. Store in an airtight container; the granola should keep for 2-3 weeks or even longer, if stored well.
Notes
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