This happens every week when I pick up fresh produce: I pass shelves and shelves of granola bars and a variety of oatmeal just staring at my face with a “Make me!” expression. I calmly remind myself to make us a batch of granola, that healthy and delicious snack that should replace the junk food you resort to every evening.
I’m all for homemade granola, the last recipe I tried was with coconut and dried fruit. It quickly became a household favorite. This time I had my mind set on a recipe that contained hazelnuts and Cocoa Hazelnut Granola was exactly what I was look for. It took me all of ten minutes to put the whole thing together, apart from the baking and cooling time of course.
I chopped up the hazelnuts into smaller pieces. No. Wait. This was my favorite part, I took a rolling pin and beat them down. It makes for such a healthy and delicious snack (and it gives your biceps a work out too). You could switch the hazelnuts for almonds or walnuts and add chocolate shavings if you want to indulge a little, but do this only after it has cooled down. It tastes great with a couple of scoops of yogurt or when soaked in milk.
Over to the recipe: Toasted nuts, the sharpness of cocoa tossed with healthy oats loosely held together with maple making for the perfect go to snack!
- 1 cup hazelnuts
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup canola or sunflower oil
- ½ cup maple syrup ( you can use cane syrup too)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the hazelnuts in a zip lock bag and give it a couple of whacks using a rolling pin. (You could leave them whole too)
- Line the coarsely chopped nuts on a baking sheet and roast for 10 to 12 minutes or until they are slightly brown and fragrant. [See note 1]
- In a large mixing bowl, combine hazelnuts, cocoa, oats and sea salt. Toss it all together with your fingers or a spoon, just to help the cocoa powder coat everything else.
- Measure the oil out into a graduated 1-cup measure and swirl it around a little bit before pouring it into the mixing bowl. Then measure the maple syrup into the same, unwashed measuring cup. This will help you get a accurate measure while still getting the bulk of the sweetener into the granola.
- Toss everything together with a silicone spatula or a wooden spoon or even a fork would work until the oil and syrup are evenly distributed.
- Spread the cereal out onto an ungreased baking sheet evenly using your spatula.
- Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so, to ensure even baking.
- When it well roasted, remove the baking sheet from the pan. Using a spatula, scoot the cereal together into the center of the baking sheet and press it down. Let it remain like this, undisturbed, until fully cool. This would ensure crunchy clusters.
- When the granola is totally cool, store in an airtight jar or container, to protect the crunch. In case its stuck, use a sturdy metal spatula to break up the granola and scrape it off the baking sheet.
Happy Baking!
Love the addition of cocoa. Thanks!
Oh I love the sound of this granola! Cocoa with hazelnut is my idea of granola heaven :).
That sounds awesome. I would let it sit in Almond Milk for 5 minutes and just drink the milk. Ha!
Heh. That does sound like a fantastic idea!
I love homemade granola! And your cocoa version looks simply irresistible :)
Hugs <3
Granola has never looked so delicious and appealing my friend :D
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
YUM! I love hazelnuts! And cocoa! And granola!
I love granola and am needing to make some new homemade. I just happen to have hazelnuts, too!
i love granola and yoghurt…best 4 pm snack!!! i like the simplicity of this one.. without too many additions!! so after all the wickedness of the past few posts… something healthy for the diet conscience!! :))
This looks wonderful and I love that you used maple syrup!
Your granola looks fabolous! I just love granola and i never thought of using hazelnuts! Great recipe!
The only granola I eat is the homemade. This one sounds great with hazelnuts.
hazelnuts are one of my favorites, perfect pairing with cocoa!
I have granola nearly every morning with some greek yogurt and will definitely have to add this one to the rotation. The flavor combination looks and sounds incredible and like it would make for the prefect start to just about any day!
So yummy. I think this is a granola I can eat every day.
Never had hazelnuts in granola, great idea!
What a coincidence I’m eating homemade granola right now, and would trade mine for yours. Hazelnuts are at the top of my favorite nut list, great recipe.
I adore granola. I eat it every morning for breakfast. This recipe looks delicious, and I love that you added cocoa. Any recipe that requires beating something with a rolling pin is my kind of fun.
This looks great. I love the idea of adding cocoa powder.
Fantastic looking granola!! I bet it makes a great snack. :)
Terribly addictive and perfect with yogurt! I love homemade granola.
cheers,
Rosa
Sounds delicious and great for breakfast or a treat!
This granola sounds delicious! I love the hazelnuts in there! I can imagine this is quite addictive, when I make granola I can’t stop munching on it!
I am just opposite, I don’t even look at granola bars because I know I just like mine with the right amount of sugar.
I am loving the addition of cocoa in it.
This granola look delicious!
Yummy, yummy, yummy! Hazelnuts and cocoa powder! What a great granola recipe! Now I need to go check out your last one. Homemade granola is so much better than the store bought and cheaper as well! Love this!
I have been thinking of making granola since so long., i remember ur earlier recipe, told myself will do it but…
Well this time I will do it… This looks really good…
I love hazelnuts so this is already a winner.
Hehe it’s funny that you mention granola in the evening because that’s when I best like to eat it!! :D Yours looks great!
granola looks wonderful
I love homemade granola and this is gorgeous!
oh gosh, this is such a great granola combination! yum!
Cocoa Hazelnut Granola? That sounds freakin amazing! I love that it’s quick to make too. It sounds like the delicious flavors of Nutella in granola form.
I eat granola by the handful, so can only make it so often! Yours looks amazing…and I love the new chopping technique :)
This granola sounds incredible! I love the addition of the hazelnuts! :)
Nice reminder! I should totally make some granola. Yours looks fantastic. Hope you have a great weekend!
~Kate
oh why oh why did i not use cocoa in my granola i made last month! That is a spectacular idea and I love the added hazelnut flavor
My mom used to make us granola all the time when I was a kid, and I think that is the last time I had it fresh like this. Looks amazing!
Beyond fabulous!!! I’ve not tried a cocoa version, but I’m lately addicted to granola. LOVE this one!!
You’ve done it again. Maple syrup and cocoa — I look forward to trying this.
Mmmm, hazelnuts in granola. I have to make a version of this!
I love homemade granola! Your granola sounds delicious with the cocoa, and that delicious nutty flavor of hazelnuts:-) Love love your jar! Hugs, Terra
Ah, the old ‘rolling pin beat down’ technique. One of my favorites :)
Brilliant granola! Healthy and delicious
I need to make this recipe this weekend. I spend too much on granola that can’t be quite as good as something homemade. looks perfect for breakfast or a snack:)
Hazelnuts are so great and not used often enough in my opinion. Together with cocoa it´s such an amazing combination. Love this granola
Mmm.. I’m all about granola! Eat it on my yogurt every morning :) Love the cocoa hazelnut combo, I have to eat soy yogurt so I need a strong flavor to mask the strong yogurt taste… this would be perfect!
I’m no fan of granola for breakfast, but love the stuff as a snack. And I always keep meaning to make it – but of course I never do (laziness). So I should seriously do this – it’s easy! Nice post – thanks.
i’ve never made homemade granola. this looks so good and easy. looking forward to your muffin monday. :)
Homemade granola is definitely one of my favorite snacks. I love the chocolate in this batch!
that is the most simple granola but that looks delicious, I love any kind of nuts, can I subtitute canola oil with olive oil and maple syrup with honey?
cheers
Canola oil would be okay but I wouldn’t recommend honey, try using cane syrup instead. :)
This is absolutely marvelous..so easy, healthy and yum!
This is such a fantastic granola! Love it!
Very nice recipe. I just bought oats for the first time. =P I have to make bars and coconut sounds really good…and of course coconut and all kinds of nuts. Making me hungry thinking about it. :D
I love granola but have not made a nutella/hazelnut version yet.
homemade granola looks great….yummy combination ! thanks for the cookie ;-)
Can I just say how wonderful this looks? A terrific inspiration for me to make some fresh granola this weekend…I love it with plain yogurt.
Oh, yum! I can’t tell you how long I’ve been meaning to make my own granola too. Maybe this time, thanks to your inspiration! And, I always love making omething that gives my arms a good workout too :-)