I feel like i'm surrounded by a sea of chocolate....

You could say i've had a bit of a chocolate kick this last week, with new recipe trials and a few repeats of old favourites.

So far this week i've been munching on chocolate fudge, chocolate orange smoosh bars, my newest chocolate frosting, some trials for an up and coming healthy chocolate bar, and last but not least....

chocolate granola!

This has become something of an obsession, with three batches made so far (although some of that was then given away to others). This follows my previous two granola recipes and, for me, is a winner by far (although my mum and sister who have tested out all the options preferred my regular granola for breakfast). This is the perfect 'indulgent' (but still super healthy) breakfast treat, the perfect alternative to pop corn or your finger-picky snack of choice, great as a dessert topping...the list goes on.

I do have to admit that a fair amount of the mixture didn't make it into the oven....oops!

I have used cacoa powder and cacoa nibs for a super healthy mix but you could easily substitute cocoa powder and semi-sweet dark chocolate drops if you prefer.  I've found that the bitterness of the cacoa nibs is an amazing compliment to the subtle sweetness of the granola coating and it gives such a depth of flavour. The other bonus is that the cacoa nibs don't melt and in the oven (although melty chocolate could be a good thing?)

Such a simple recipe, so if you haven’t tried making your own granola yet I really advise you gets to it right away. I promise you won’t regret it!

P.S I didn’t eat all that chocolate by myself!!

Recipe: Nutty Chocolate Chia Granola

Makes 3 bowls

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cup oats
• 2 tbs chia seeds
• 1 cup mix of nuts (I used cashew, walnut and hazelnut)
• 2tbs each of sunflower and pumpkin seeds
• 2tbs ground flax
• 3 tbs raw cacoa powder
• 2-3 tbs raw cacao chips
• 3 tbs apple puree
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbs coconut oil- melted
• 2 tbs agave syrup
• 1 tbs rapadura/palm sugar

Method:

Mix together dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Melt the coconut oil into other liquid ingredients then add to the dry.  Spoon onto 2 lightly greased baking sheets making sure you have a thin even layer with some clumpy bits. Bake at 170C for 10-12 minutes until almost beginning to brown- keep a close eye to avoid burning. Allow to cool fully before storing in an airtight container. Stores in the cupboard for a few weeks.