Dessert Granola
Dessert Granola…Have you ever tried it? Well, if not, then you will definitely want to try this recipe. If you like granola and chocolate then I have no doubt that you will enjoy both making and trying this one! This dessert granola is healthy, delicious and full of rich chocolate bits. Just how I like it.
Knowing that I was having a hearty dinner one evening, (a ribeye steak, roasted potatoes and broccoli) I knew that I wanted a simple and light dessert that also was able to satisfy my chocolate craving. After enjoying my steak meal, I decided to see what I had on hand to make a delicious dessert. I had some oats, honey, dried fruit, mixed nuts and some assorted chocolate. That’s how my Dessert Granola recipe was born! It was easy to make, but also took just the right amount of time to make while I let my food digest. If you are looking for a healthier dessert to cap off your dinner, then this is the one for you.
Dessert Granola
6
servings10
minutes20
minutesIngredients
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup mixed nuts, chopped (I used cashews, almonds and walnuts)
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dried fruit (I used cranberries)
1 cup dark chocolate, chopped
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F/165°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, stir together the oats, nuts, honey, cinnamon and salt until well combined.
- Spread out the mixture onto the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and add the dried fruit and chopped dark chocolate. Enjoy!
Notes
- For clumpy granola, press down on the granola with a spatula as soon as it comes out of the oven.
- Storage: Cool the granola completely before storing in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
The granola mixture is extremely easy to make. When I say extremely easy, I mean that you can almost do it with your eyes closed. For this recipe, you will need to use a big bowl and mix together oats, honey (I recommend that you use warm honey) and mixed nuts of your choosing. The dried fruit (I used cranberries) and the chocolate is to be added after the other components of the granola bake. If you bake the dried fruit, then it will dry out even more and it will also burn. If you bake the chocolate, it will melt and that is not what we are going for in this recipe at least. I find that using a rubber spatula is the easiest tool to mix everything up well. Also, if you don’t want to use honey, then maple syrup is a wonderful substitute. I actually prefer using maple syrup in the fall months and honey in the spring and summer months. That is certainly a personal opinion and is entirely up to your taste buds.
Be sure to bake the granola on a parchment lined baking sheet at 325°F/165°C for 20 minutes. I found this to be the perfect temperature and time combination to ensure that the granola does not burn. In the past, I made the unfortunate mistake of burning my granola when I baked it at 350°F/180°C for 20 minutes. Be sure to keep your eye on it as it bakes.
After making the granola mixture and popping it into the oven to bake. It is time to chop up the chocolate. You will want to use dark chocolate. It is the real deal and is so delicious! I chopped my dark chocolate up in different sizes. I made some bite sized chunks and some into small little bits. This gave each piece of chocolate a different texture. It also changed just how loaded in chocolate each bite of granola was. I highly recommend you do it this way. After adding the dried fruit and chocolate bits, it is time to enjoy your dessert!
To store this dessert granola, allow it to cool completely and then store it in an airtight container for up to one month. I hope you find this fun, easy to fix and get as creative as possible with this recipe. Happy Baking!
