Hazelnut and Cocoa Nib Granola

 

I still have a lot of cocoa nibs left over from making this almond-cashew butter, so I ended up making hazelnut and cocoa nib granola from Megan Gordon’s Whole Grain Mornings. It was the last recipe with a vertical post-it tab on it in the book, meaning the last one I had earmarked to make – once I’ve made them, I move the post-it tab to a horizontal position. I think that having a cookbook with entirely horizontal post-it tabs is an achievement for me! 

I made a few changes. First, I lowered the temperature from 325 °F to 300 °F because I’ve sworn to myself I wouldn’t go over that for granola anymore – I changed it below as well. Second, I used pecans instead of walnuts because I prefer them. Finally, I put in the hazelnuts with everything else at the beginning because I wasn’t paying attention, and honestly nothing bad happened to them, so it’s probably fine if you do the same. 

Bonus way to use up cocoa nibs in the morning: topping this daily smoothie by the Hormone Dietician! I’ve made it a few times and, while I don’t always tailor it to my menstrual cycle, I enjoy it. I’d consider using coconut milk beverage instead of canned coconut milk, and I’d add a bit more fruit. 

3 cups / 300 g rolled oats 

½ cup / 60 g raw sesame seeds 

½ cup / 50 g raw walnuts, coarsely chopped (I used pecans) 

1 tsp. kosher salt 

¼ tsp. ground cinnamon 

½ tsp. ground cardamom 

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 

½ cup maple syrup 

½ cup coconut oil, melted 

¾ cup / 35 g unsweetened coconut flakes 

½ cup / 60 g raw hazelnuts, coarsely chopped 

¼ cup / 25 g cacao nibs 

Preheat the oven to 300 °F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat (I lightly sprayed the inside of my roasting pan with oil). 

In a large bowl, stir together the oats, sesame seeds, walnuts, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom (I accidently added the hazelnuts here as well). 

Add the vanilla, maple syrup, and coconut oil and stir to combine. Turn the mixture out onto the prepared baking sheet and spread in an even layer. 

Bake for 15 minutes (20 minutes for me). Remove the baking sheet from the oven and stir in the coconut and hazelnuts. Return to the oven and bake until the granola is fragrant and golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through to ensure that it bakes evenly. Let cool completely. If the granola doesn’t seem as toasty as you’d like, much like cookies when they come out of the oven, it will firm up considerably as it cools. Stir in the cacao nibs. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 weeks or in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks. The granola also freezes beautifully for up to 3 months.