This yummy Cocoa Coconut Rustic Banana Granola is brought to you thanks to Scharffen Berger’s Baking Chocolate.
Ever since I tried Nutrition Stripped’s Banana Maple Granola I have dreamed of recreating a chocolate or cocoa-infused version. Of course, you all know how I like my chocolate! (i.e. Creamy Peanut Butter Chocolate Crisp Bars and Chocolate Cinnamon Breakfast Shake) Typically, store-bought granola uses a lot of oil or a lot of liquid sweetener. In this case, banana serves to coat the granola and add some flavor while keeping the granola low in added oils and sugar!
For this granola, I used the Scharffen Berger’s 100% Unsweetened Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder. The quality cocoa powder is 100% cacao and therefore adds a great depth of flavor. As well, I added Scharffen Berger’s 100% Unsweetened Cacao Nibs to up the smoky depth and create a crunchy texture in the granola.
I’m curious, how do you all enjoy granola? At breakfast time, I love adding granola to the top of my smoothies or parfaits for a delicious crunch. Also, if you haven’t tried using homemade granola as a cereal then you must! Store it in a container in the freezer for when the granola craving hits! Then, simply pour it into a bowl with milk and enjoy! It makes for quite a filling meal!
Disclaimer: I call this granola cocoa granola and not chocolate granola for a reason.
Personally, I like the light cocoa flavor without the sugar. Instead of sugar I use caramelized bananas to provided sweetness. If desired, you can still make the granola a bit sweeter like chocolate with the addition of some coconut sugar. See the recipe for amounts. Lastly, I know the recipe calls for many ingredients but granola is flexible. For a variation, you could swap in more oats, nuts, seeds, or quinoa for any ingredient you may not have enough of. Plus, the recipe can be cut in half and still bake up in the same amount of time. 👊
I’VE GOT YOU COVERED 😉
- 2 medium-large ripe bananas*
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder
- 1-2 tbsp coconut sugar, optional**
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cacao nibs
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut chips
- 1 cup nuts/seeds of choice (cashews. almonds, or pepitas would be great!)
- First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread out banana halves onto a lined baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes. I know, it’s an extra step, but this helps caramelize the bananas to bring out sweetness. From here, you may proceed with the recipe.
- Remove the bananas from the oven after they appear to be soft and caramelized. Then, turn the temperature down to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. (Tip: keep the oven door open to let out some of the heat)
- In a bowl, mash up the bananas until no clumps remain (I had about 3/4 cup worth of mashed banana). Next, add in the oil, vanilla, cinnamon, cocoa powder, salt, and sugar, if using.
- Now, dump in all of the oats, nuts, coconut, and cacao nibs. Mix well.
- Spread mixture out on a lined baking sheet or a lightly greased baking sheet.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until no soft pieces of granola remain. If desired, stir the granola halfway through baking to break apart clumps.
Additional notes: The photos show a half batch of the granola because I went through several baking trials and ran low on some ingredients x)
My recipe is adapted from Nutrition Stripped’s Banana Maple Granola.
A final thank you goes out to Scharffen Berger for allowing me to create a recipe using their fabulous baking chocolate products!
This looks superb! I always have bananas on hand but I didn’t know they could sweeten granola.