Healthy Chocolate Granola Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What makes granola healthy? ›

Granola is calorie-dense, as well as rich in protein, fiber, and micronutrients. In particular, it may provide iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, selenium, B vitamins, and vitamin E.

Serve it with either dairy milk or dairy-free milk like almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk. Yogurt: make yourself a yogurt bowls with some fruit and granola for crunch. Since going vegan, I like to serve it with a non-dairy yogurt. Reduce your added sugar intake by serving with an unsweetened yogurt.

Let it cool before diving in. Your homemade granola will continue to crisp up as it cools. It's tempting to start eating it as soon as it comes out of the oven, but if you let it rest for 15 minutes on the sheet pan, it'll be extra crisp and toasty – totally worth the wait!

Whole grain blend (gluten free oats, amaranth, millet), cane sugar, chocolate chips (cane sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter), honey, brown rice, coconut oil, cornmeal, almonds, cocoa powder, brown rice syrup, chia seeds, natural flavors, coconut, sea salt, sesame seeds, soluble corn fiber, corn starch, rice ...

The Bottom Line

Granola is healthy in small amounts, especially because oats, nuts, seeds and dried fruit in granola provide some fiber that's good for heart and gut health. However, granola can also be a rich source of calories, saturated fat and sugar, depending on the brand you buy.

Smoothie with Granola

Try adding it to your favorite smoothie to give it an extra boost of fiber from the whole grains, healthy fats and added flavor. It's also an easy way to increase calories in a smoothie. Personally, I think it would be a delicious addition to my Strawberry Peanut Butter Smoothie!

Which One Is Better for Breakfast? Both oatmeal and granola make for a healthy, nutritious breakfast, but the winner for us is granola—the added nuts, seeds, and dried fruits give you a source of fiber and healthy fats that oatmeal can't quite compete with.

Boosts Gut Health

Certain grains in granola contain prebiotic fiber, which may increase the levels of healthy gut bacteria compared to cereals made with refined grains.

Often touted as health food, many packaged granolas contain so much fat, sugar, and calories that you might as well eat a candy bar. On the other hand, when enjoyed in moderation, healthy homemade granola is an excellent source of fiber, iron, healthy fat, and protein.

Here are downsides and potential risks of consuming granola:

High consumption of sugar raises the risk for health issues like weight gain, obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. High in calories, with about 200 to 240 calories per half-cup serving (which isn't very big!).

What was the downside to granola as a food? ›

On the downside, granola can be high in added sugars, hidden calories, and saturated fat, making some options less healthy.

Clumpy Granola Method: Add Egg White

About this method: According to Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen, “Nothing glues like protein.” While there are many granola recipes that include an egg white, I got this tip from the Big Cluster Maple Granola recipe in The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.

Nature Valley's Oats 'N Dark Chocolate Crunchy Granola Bars (12g sugar, 12g added sugar) These crunchy granola bars from Nature Valley include healthy ingredients like whole-grain oats and dark chocolate, but they're loaded with added sugar.

Granola clusters are perfectly oven-baked combination of wheat, rice, oats and corn, to bring you a multigrain breakfast that is a source of fibre. It is generously loaded with 24% real almonds & yummy cranberries. Get the multi-grain goodness and energy to kick-start your active day.

With no refined sugars or artificial colours added, Dark Chocolate and Orange Granola can satisfy your sugar craving and is the perfect healthy option for any day with chocolate in mind.

Which One Is Better for Breakfast? Both oatmeal and granola make for a healthy, nutritious breakfast, but the winner for us is granola—the added nuts, seeds, and dried fruits give you a source of fiber and healthy fats that oatmeal can't quite compete with.

Granola is also calorie dense – some contain a little more than 300 calories per cup, but others can pack up to 600 calories per cup, from added oils, coconut, chocolate and added sugars including evaporated cane juice, honey, maple syrup, molasses, cane sugar and brown rice syrup.

While both granola and cereal may seem similar, there are significant differences between the two. Granola is a healthier, more nutrient-dense, and joyfully versatile option that will not only make your taste buds dance but also keep your body happy and healthy.

Technically, all granola is processed to some degree because it's a food made out of ingredients which you have combined and cooked. However, there are huge variations in the amount of processing used across different brands.