I love holidays and as we are coming up on Valentine’s Day, this chocolate granola was on my mind. I first shared this recipe in 2017 on my blog and it’s time to give it new life!!

With three kids, making homemade granola isn’t always easy to fit in. Which is no excuse because it’s SO easy to make. But I don’t find myself making it as much anymore. And it used to be my obsession - in my early blogging days, I swear every recipe was granola and it was always what I ordered at brunch, coffee shops, etc!

I am slowly coming back to that obsession. My kids are getting older and I feel like I am starting to find myself again, so to speak. And that makes me really happy.

So, cheers to making homemade granola. Cheers to finding joy in what you love. Cheers to being here together in this space. I never take this community for granted!!!!

This decadent chocolate granola is good on just about everything and delicious all on it's own.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Granola

1 cup gluten-free, old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped
1/2 cup raw pecans, roughly chopped
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
3 Tablespoons raw honey
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
pinch of sea salt
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
3/4 - 1 cup chopped dark chocolate (60% or higher)
1/2 cup chopped dried cherries (optional!)

Directions:

In a bowl, mix the oats, almonds, pecans, coconut, brown sugar, honey and salt. Mix until well combined and coated. Spread out on a baking sheet and bake for about 13-15 minutes at 350 degrees, until golden.
While the granola mixture is baking, in a saucepan melt the butter and cocoa powder over medium-low heat until melted. Take off heat and stir until smooth.
When the granola mixture is done baking in the oven, take it out and pour into a bowl. Add the chopped dark chocolate and mix. Pour in the melted butter mixture and toss to coat (it's okay if the dark chocolate chunks melt a little). Add in dried cherries at this time, if desired.
Spread the mixture back out on a cookie sheet and let cool completely. Then, store in an air-tight container.