If you are a chocolate fan and love granola in all of its crunchy, sweet glory, but don’t love all of the added sugar… this naturally sweetened chocolate coconut granola is the recipe for you. This granola is made with only a handful of ingredients and in under half an hour. Sweetened with date syrup, this granola is naturally sweetened with no added sugar. Packed with old fashioned oats and sliced almonds, and flavored with cocoa powder, cinnamon and vanilla, this recipe is one you can feel great about eating. Finished with coconut flakes and no sugar added chocolate chips, this granola is a chocolate lovers dream. Why buy it at the store when it’s so easy to make with a handful of pantry staples?
What can I do with granola?
Granola is one of those things that I have always absolutely loved, but had no self control over. I would sit and eat dry granola from a bag all day long if I could! In reality, granola is a great, healthy food option eaten on its own, or on top of yogurt in a parfait, or alongside your favorite breakfast, or fruit. Honestly, the options are endless.
When I started my health journey I was always discouraged at how high in calories, sugar, and WW points granola could be. Most of that was because of the added sugar in the ingredients. Aside from added sugar, some granola can also have other hidden ingredients that really, are unnecessary if you make it at home. I pretty much stopped eating granola because I didn’t think it was “worth it” to me.
Granola is perfect on its own, or served with fruit and yogurt in a delicious parfait. I love snacking on it for a sweet and healthy treat!
How to make granola sweet without using added sugars
I never thought to make it at home because I didn’t know where to begin. As I was cleaning out my pantry one day, I found a bottle of Date syrup that was sent to me. I had never used it, because I wasn’t sure what to use it for. But then it clicked: this is the perfect way to sweeten granola! It works especially well with chocolate granola, because it is deep in flavor like chocolate, and compliments the flavors of cocoa.
This granola has no added sugar, and is naturally lower calorie as a result, without the use of any artificial sweeteners or sugar replacements. It uses only a handful of pantry staples as ingredients, and is super versatile; if you don’t have almonds, you can use whatever nut you prefer or have on hand.
What is date syrup? Where can I find it?
Date syrup is such an amazing product, and this was my first time using it. It is used as an alternative sweetener and is popular in Israel and the Middle East. It is deep and dark in color, and has the consistency of a syrup. The only ingredients in date syrup is actual dates; they are boiled in water, and then pressed through a strain to filter out the pits and other parts. The end result is a naturally sweet syrup made with all real ingredients.
This is the date syrup I used for this recipe. When purchasing date syrup, make sure to find one where the only ingredients are dates, with no added sugars. You can typically find date syrup in the organic section of the supermarket.
What else will I need to make naturally sweetened chocolate coconut granola?
- old fashioned oats
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- cinnamon
- vanilla extract
- kosher salt
- date syrup
- no sugar added chocolate chips
- My favorite chocolate chips are the no sugar added chocolate chips from HuKitchen. Hu no sugar added chocolate chips are naturally sweetened with the use of dates, as well! They work perfectly with the other ingredients of this recipe.
- shredded coconut
How to make homemade naturally sweetened chocolate coconut granola
I never knew how easy it was to make granola at home, but all it requires is some mixing and a quick bake in the oven. The key to making granola is lining your sheet pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking, but otherwise this recipe is basically effortless. Preheat the oven to 325F. Add the almonds to a bowl with the oats, cinnamon, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, half of the coconut, the chocolate chips, a pinch of kosher salt, and stir to combine. Next, add the date syrup and toss to coat. Make sure to evenly incorporate the date syrup throughout the other ingredients to ensure an even flavor throughout the granola.
Next, pour the mixture onto the parchment-lined baking sheet and spread it into a thin layer, using a spatula. Make sure there are no large gaps between the ingredients so that they bake together and hold their shape. Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the sheet pan from the oven, but let the granola sit for a while before touching it. At least half an hour to 1 hour, until the granola has a chance to cool and set. Then, break it into chunks. Sprinkle in the remaining shredded coconut. Store in an air tight container, like a large mason jar.
Naturally Sweetened Chocolate Coconut Granola
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- sheet pan
- parchmant paper
Ingredients
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 oz coconut flakes
- 1 oz no sugar added chocolate chips, I use the Hu No Sugar Added Chips
- pinch kosher salt
- 1/2 cup date syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F.
- Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, add the oats, almonds, cinnamon, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, salt, chocolate chips, half of the shredded coconut, and stir to combine.
- Add the date syrup, and stir to incorporate.
- Make sure the date syrup is evenly incorporated throughout the other ingredients to ensure an even coating and flavor distribution.
- Spread the granola on the sheet pan in a flat, even layer. Make sure there are no gaps in the ingredients, so that it bakes together.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, and let the granola cool (do not touch it!)
- Let the granola cool for 30-60 minutes before breaking it into pieces. Add the remaining shredded coconut to the granola clusters.
Notes
Nutrition
Check out this other granola recipe:
Naturally Sweetened Maple Cinnamon Walnut Granola
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Love this granola. I use it on yogurt with strawberries and bananas. So easy to make. Thank you for another great recipe!
So delicious I’m obsessed! Thank you Steph!
Will using honey change the point value for this?- it seems it’s almost the same amount of calories for a tsp of date syrup compared to honey.
Made this today! The taste is amazing!! This will be a new staple in my house! I also can’t believe how much it made!!
I just made this. The whole house smells sooooooooo amazing!! I substituted sunflower seeds for the almonds because of a nut allergy. Thank you for another easy and incredible recipe!