Is there anything better than an afternoon lazily spent in the kitchen?
Weekends like this are held near and dear to my heart. I am fortunate to have a child who adores spending time in the kitchen creating and cooking as much as I do.
How perfect is that? Well-spent family time that results in amazing treats, like brownie bites, sugar cookies, and pancakes.
Delicious heaven.
This chocolate granola cereal is quickly becoming a new cult favorite around here during our lazy afternoons.
I am more than happy to oblige the request to make it since, unlike pre-packaged cereal, this recipe has no refined sugar or preservatives. Even without any refined ingredients, it will still satisfy your hunger, as well as fix any massive chocolate cravings!
And, not only does this chocolate treat make an excellent cereal for breakfast, it’s the perfect snack to take on the go. So make this recipe now, and enjoy these crunchy bites of naturally sweet decadence throughout the week to come!
The Recipe
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 8 servings | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 15-18 minutes | 5 minutes |
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A fun and delicious homemade granola cereal with clusters of oats, cocoa powder, dried cherries, and pistachios.
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- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup dried cherries
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup roasted and lightly salted pistachios
- 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips optional
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Combine honey, coconut oil, cinnamon, salt, and cocoa powder in a small saucepan. Warm over medium heat and whisk frequently to combine all ingredients thoroughly.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine oats and chocolate mixture.
- Spread the mixture evenly on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Bake for about 15-18 minutes, or until golden. Be sure to give the pan a light toss halfway through baking time.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
- Add the cherries, shredded coconut, pistachios, and optional chocolate chips to the pan.
- Cool completely before serving or transferring to an airtight storage container to store.
Nutritional Info*
Cooking by the Numbers…
Step 1 – Mise en Place
Preheat your oven to 300°F.
Gather the old-fashioned rolled oats, dried cherries, shredded coconut, pistachios, and coconut oil. From your spice rack or cabinet, grab your ground cinnamon, honey, cocoa powder, and sea salt.
Using a dry measuring cup, measure the oats and set aside separately in a large bowl.
Separately measure and set aside the honey, coconut oil, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and sea salt.
Measure out and combine the dried cherries, shredded coconut, and pistachios in another bowl.
Only have raw pistachios? No worries! Simply add them with the raw oats before baking to get that roasted flavor at home.
Step 2 – Make the Liquid Mixture
In a small saucepan, combine the coconut oil, honey, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and sea salt.
Cook over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes, frequently whisking, until the ingredients are fully combined.
Note: If you want a smoother, liquidy glaze on your oats, increase the amount of coconut oil by 1 ounce. This will result in a thinner liquid that will more evenly and easily coat the oats. The result will be a slightly softer cereal.
Step 3 – Combine the Oats and Liquid Mixture
Pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl with the oats. Using a sturdy wooden spoon, stir to combine.
Clumps will start to form. Gently break them apart with the spoon and continue to mix. You can choose to leave some clumps, if you prefer a crunchier cereal.
Gradually, the ingredients will come together. Continue mixing until the oats are evenly coated with the mixture.
Step 4 – Bake
Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat to avoid issues with sticking.
Spread the chocolate oat mixture on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes.
We want a golden-brown color, indicating that the oats have been thoroughly toasted. To help them toast evenly, give the pan a good shake about halfway through the baking time.
When done, remove your pan from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
Step 5 – Add the Cherries, Coconut, and Pistachios
To the cooled pan, add the cherries, coconut, and pistachios. Mix thoroughly to combine.
For a crazily indulgent twist on this recipe (yes, please!) you can add 1/2 cup of your favorite chocolate chips along with the other ingredients in this step.
Step 6 – Serve and Store
I suggest serving this with cold milk for a tasty cereal. Also, adding this to homemade ice cream or yogurt as a topping is divine.
Simple can be the way to go, too. Grab a handful to snack on during a busy day.
When storing, make sure to allow it to cool completely before reaching for an airtight container. Store in a cool, dry place for up to 1 week.
Crunchy, Chocolaty Snacktime
Don’t you just adore this recipe? Homemade granola is such an easy and delicious treat, perfect to make on a lazy weekend to have for the rest of a busy week.
My whole family loves the decadent chocolate flavors of this recipe. The customizations are limitless, too, so bring on the picky eaters!
Need even more chocolate in your life? So do we! Make our brownie roll-out cookies for when you really feel like indulging.
Don’t be scared to experiment with your favorite flavors. Have one combo in particular in mind? Tell us about it in the comments below so we can enjoy it, too.
And don’t forget to try our other granola recipes:
Don’t forget to Pin It!
Photos by Leslie Morrison, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. With additional writing and editing by Nikki Cervone. Originally published by Shanna Mallon on January 19th, 2009. Last updated: September 22, 2019 at 12:02 pm.
*Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Leslie Morrison
Leslie is a food photographer and writer. She enjoys spending time in her kitchen and behind the lens of her camera and working on her food blog, Deliciously Plated (deliciouslyplated.com). When she isn’t working, she is spending time with her son and her husband.
what a lovely way to spend your saturday: eating something hearty and taking in a bball game! 🙂 altho, i hope you did partake in overpriced hot dogs and beer. i agree that booing sounds so juvenile, even tho i was inwardly booing the steelers last night.
mm. i love making homemade granola!! and then using that granola to turn it into granola bars!! yum!!!
i love the middle pic….with the milk and spoons 🙂
Thanks for putting chocolate in your granola! Healthy is good, but if chocolate can be added, then why not?
I just made this, and I keep eating it while it’s still hot! It may never make it to the chocolate chips. Or breakfast, for that matter. 🙂
Just found you through browsing flickr and glad I did. This cereal looks delicious and sounds like a good alternative to my usual granola recipes.
Lan: You better believe I ate some junk food. Wolfed down a hot dog in three bites during halftime. So good.
Thanks, Rae!
I think in any and all cases, DD, chocolate should be added! LOL!
Kate: I am so happy to hear that! Did you use the original amount of honey? I’m going to try that next. Looks so good.
Gemma: You already read my comments on your site by now, I’m sure. But I am very glad you found me. Your site is just lovely—beautiful pictures!
I did use the original amount of honey, but it doesn’t really form clumps. It is nice, crunchy, and golden, though. Also delicious! I might vary this and make trail mix out of it. Add more nuts and some dried fruit, and it would be perfect for it!
OK, cool. Thanks for the feedback, Kate!