This post may contain affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission when you place orders using our links.
Not every granola is equal. This Chocolate Brazil Nut Granola is my signature, and when I’m on a roll, I make up to 5 pounds at a time and send to friends as gifts (perfect Holiday gift alert!).
Who doesn’t love a homemade, browned, crunchy granola made with the finest whole food ingredients including raw cocoa? It makes the perfect topping for your smoothies and smoothie bowls, morning cereal, and afternoon crunch. But wait… there’s a simple trick to it that provides incredibly satisfying spiced flavor, and I bet you haven’t heard of it before. Give it a try and let me know how it goes in comments!
As one of the co-founders of ethical shopping movement #FairTuesday, I’m always looking for fun and creative fair trade, ethical and sustainable gifts, and this delicious superfood granola, made with love and packed in a cute mason jar, can do no wrong.
Directions:
1) (The Breakfast Criminals secret trick part!) In a pot, warm up on low temperature until it starts boiling:
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- Juice and chopped peel of 1/2 lemon
- 1 inch chopped or grated ginger
- 1 tbs cinnamon
- 1 cup chopped dates
2) Then, take your mixture off heat, let cool off for a bit and blend with:
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1/3 cup raw cocoa (Frontier fair trade cocoa is hands down the best, and cheaper when you buy in bulk)
- Optional: 3 tbs Organic Burst maca (Peruvian superfood energy booster and hormone stabilizer), 3 tbs lucuma (natural superfood sweetener that smells like heaven)
- 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup honey or other sweetener of choice, if you wish to sweeten it a little more
3) Mix the blended paste with the following:
- 4 cups oats (I use gluten-free oats)
- 1 cup buckwheat groats
- 1 cup chopped Brazil nuts
- 1 cup pumpkin and sunflower seeds
Feel free to get cozy and use your hands to make sure everything gets very well mixed.
4) Add coconut oil to a baking tray, and spread granola evenly (you might have to use a couple of trays or do a few runs).
5) Pre-heat your oven to 350F/180C. Bake for 15 minutes, mix with a spatula, then bake for 15 more minutes or until the granola is browned. Add 1/3 cup coconut flakes for last 5 mins of baking, and 1/3 cup goji berries when granola is ready, if you wish. Mix well.
6) Let the granola cool. Enjoy with love.
