If you're a fan of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies but also love granola, then this chocolate chip granola recipe is what you've been waiting for. Yes it's even slightly soft and chewy like an oatmeal cookie!
The idea actually came from Half Baked Harvest - I know shocker right? I can't help it that her recipes are awesome! The good thing is while it may taste like a cookie, it's much healthier than an average cookie as it's loaded with almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts and chia seeds.
And yes dark chocolate chips, not milk chocolate chips. If you aren't a dark chocolate fan, then I guess you can use milk chocolate but I highly recommend giving it a try.
One thing that I need to make clear with this granola even though I mentioned it earlier - it should be slightly chewy and not hard. Every homemade granola recipe I had made up to this point is hard so I questioned it before trying but after one bite you'll realize why this is meant to be a soft granola recipe.
So if you're looking for something healthy for breakfast or a snack, this chocolate chip granola might be right up your alley. Hope you enjoy!
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Recipe Ingredients
- Old-fashioned oats - don't use quick oats!
- Quinoa - adds extra nutrients.
- Almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds - the combination gives flavor and nutrients.
- Butter - helps bind everything.
- Honey - adds sweetness to the homemade granola.
- Vanilla extract - adds flavor.
- Salt - enhances the flavor.
- Maple syrup - can just use honey if you want.
- Dark chocolate chips - use your favorite chocolate chips.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to package instructions and set aside.
- Melt butter and mix with honey, vanilla extract and salt.
- Mix the oats, nuts and seeds with the butter/honey mixture and bake on a parchment-lined sheet at 275°F for 35-40 minutes, drizzling maple syrup over it and mixing halfway through.
- Allow to cool for 20 minutes before stirring in chocolate chips.
Benefits of Quinoa
Quinoa has become super popular and there is good reason for it. Some of the health benefits of quinoa include
- Contains all nine essential amino acids.
- Has twice as much fiber as other grains which lowers cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose levels.
- Contains iron which keeps our red blood cells healthy.
- Has lysine which is essential for tissue growth and repair.
- Is rich in magnesium which relaxes blood vessels.
- High in riboflavin which improves energy metabolism.
- Contains a high content of manganese which is an antioxidant.
FAQs
No. With a granola recipe like this, you can mix and match and just use what you have in the pantry.
I realize it uses quite a few different nuts and seeds but if you have already have pecans as an example, you can just use that in replacement of the almonds. Or if you love cashews, there is no issue with adding those in. Be as creative as you want to be.
The great thing about granola is you can use it in some many other dishes, whether it is the start or complementing it. Some options include:
• Baked goods like pumpkin oatmeal muffins
• Puddings like chocolate chia seed pudding
• Gratins
• Fruit crisps
• Cookies
• Bars
• Trail mix
Although I doubt you'll be able to keep the granola around this long as you'll probably eat it all, you can keep granola in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to a month.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Fat is important for granola. If you don’t use it, you will just have dry oats. This recipe uses butter but feel free to use vegetable or canola oil.
- Do not substitute quick cooking oats for the old-fashioned oats which this recipe calls for. If you use quick cooking oats, the cook time will be different and the texture won’t be the same. Old-fashioned oats are the best for granola.
- You can replace honey with maple syrup.
- Do not wait until the granola is really browned when pulling out of the oven. It should just be starting to brown when you pull it out. Always err on the underdone side as the granola will continue to cook and harden slightly as it cools.
- Add chocolate chips after the granola is done cooking and cooled. If you add too early, the chocolate chips will melt.
Other Granola Recipes
If you’ve tried this chocolate chip granola recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Chocolate Chip Granola
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups old-fashioned oats
- ½ cup cooked quinoa
- 1 cup raw almonds, chopped
- ½ cup raw sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup raw sesame seeds
- ¼ cup raw walnuts, chopped
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup honey
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Cook quinoa according to package directions.
- In a large bowl, mix together oats, cooked quinoa, almonds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts, and chia seeds.
- Microwave ½ cup honey and 4 tablespoon butter in a bowl in 15 second increments until melted. Mix in vanilla extract and salt. Pour over dry ingredients
- Lay out on prepared cookie sheet in an even layer. Cook 20 minutes. Remove and mix. Drizzle over maple syrup. Put back in oven and cook another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 15-20 minutes. Mix in chocolate chips and let cool completely. *Note, this granola will be soft.
Notes
- Fat is important for granola. If you don’t use it, you will just have dry oats. This recipe uses butter but feel free to use vegetable or canola oil.
- Do not substitute quick cooking oats for the old-fashioned oats which this recipe calls for. If you use quick cooking oats, the cook time will be different and the texture won’t be the same. Old-fashioned oats are the best for granola.
- You can replace honey with maple syrup.
- Do not wait until the granola is really browned when pulling out of the oven. It should just be starting to brown when you pull it out. Always err on the underdone side as the granola will continue to cook and harden slightly as it cools.
- Add chocolate chips after the granola is done cooking and cooled. If you add too early, the chocolate chips will melt.
Chris says
Love me some granola!
Karly says
Love making homemade granola! The options are endless!