Chocolate Hazelnut Granola with Raspberries

Name: Chocolate Hazelnut Granola
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 cups whole rolled oats*; 1/2 cup chopped pecans (raw & unsalted); 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts (raw & unsalted); 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes; 1/4 cup hemp seeds (optional); 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted; 1/3 cup maple syrup; 1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut butter*; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 1/4 cups freeze dried raspberries (1 1.3 oz bag)

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This homemade chocolate hazelnut raspberry granola is delicious on its own or with yogurt, smoothie bowls or oatmeal. It's easy to make and 100% vegan and gluten free!

overhead view of chocolate hazelnut granola with freeze-dried raspberries on sheet pan.

Why we love this recipe

Alright, we have to give this post a disclaimer: This chocolate hazelnut granola is addictive. You may not ever be able to stop making/eating it. Here's why we're so obsessed:

Chocolatey, rich and flavorful: vegan chocolate hazelnut spread takes this granola to the next level! With a few types of nuts, maple syrup to sweeten + sweet, crunchy freeze dried raspberries, this granola is way better than any store-bought option.
Packed with nutritious ingredients like nuts, rolled oats, coconut, hemp seeds and freeze dried raspberries.
Allergy friendly: this granola is vegan and can easily be made gluten free.
Versatile: great on smoothie bowls, with yogurt or nut milk, on oatmeal, or just by the handful. It's also great as a topping for ice cream!
Perfect for meal prep: make a big batch on Sunday afternoon and enjoy in breakfasts all week! If you have more self control than I do, you can probably make a batch last for two weeks.

overhead view of chocolate hazelnut raspberry granola over yogurt with fresh strawberries.

Ingredients

Here are the key ingredients you'll need to make this vegan chocolate hazelnut granola:

Ingredient Notes

Oats: it's best to use old fashioned whole rolled oats in this recipe. Don't use quick cooking oats or steel cut oats, which will not work in this recipe. Oats are naturally gluten free but can have cross contamination with wheat products. If you have celiac disease or a gluten allergy, be sure to use certified gluten free oats. We highly suggest these from Bob's Red Mill!
Chocolate hazelnut spread: there are several vegan chocolate hazelnut spreads on the market that taste just as good as Nutella! This one from Nutiva is our favorite and the one we used in this recipe.
Nuts: we use raw, unsalted and un-roasted pecans and hazelnuts in this recipe for crunch and flavor. You can either use one or the other, both, or sub with another nut like cashews or almonds.
Hemp seeds: these are optional, but a great addition both for flavor and nutrition. Hemp seeds are a complete protein, so they're excellent for vegans. You can also sub with chia seeds.
Coconut: you'll want to use large unsweetened coconut flakes in this recipe. If using toasted, wait to add with the freeze-dried raspberries, otherwise they will burn.
Coconut oil: feel free to sub with another oil of choice, but we prefer the flavor of coconut in this recipe.
Maple syrup: you can also sub with agave or another liquid sweetener.
Freeze-dried raspberries: we love the sweetness and tartness from crunchy freeze-dried raspberries. You could also sub with freeze-dried strawberries.

Step-by-step instructions

Preheat oven to 325˚F. For easy cleanup, you can line a sheet pan with parchment paper but it's not necessary.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together oats, pecans, hazelnuts, coconut and hemp seeds.

before and after stirring together dry ingredients for chocolate hazelnut granola.

Melt coconut oil in microwave or over stovetop. Add to a medium-size mixing bowl with maple syrup, chocolate hazelnut butter, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla. Whisk well until smooth.

before and after stirring together wet ingredients for chocolate hazelnut granola.

Pour wet mixture over dry ingredients and stir with spatula until evenly coated.

before and after stirring together wet and dry ingredients for chocolate hazelnut granola.

Spread the granola into an even layer on one or two baking sheets and bake for 23-25 minutes, stirring once halfway through cook time. Remove from oven and let cool. Don't stir while it's still hot, otherwise you won't end up with nice big clumps of granola.

Once cool, add freeze dried raspberries to the granola and toss to combine.

before and after adding freeze-dried raspberries to chocolate hazelnut granola.

Expert Tips and FAQs

Be sure to use un-roasted and unsalted nuts and coconut. If they're pre-roasted, they will burn while baking.
Storage: store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Alternatively, you can store in the freezer for up to a few months.

Can you make homemade vegan chocolate hazelnut spread?

Absolutely! We love this recipe from Choosing Chia. It would be perfect in this granola, on toast, oatmeal or by the spoonful.

Why is my homemade granola not crunchy?

This is a common FAQ. The most common issue is not letting your granola dry out long enough and sit untouched to cool. If you stir your granola right after bringing it out of the oven, you won't get big, crunchy clumps. Let it cool fully before breaking apart.

Why did my granola burn?

There are a few reasons this could happen. One, you didn't stir halfway through cook time. It's important not to skip this as it helps the granola cook evenly. If you don't stir, it may be dry and burnt on the top and still wet on the bottom.

Second, it's important to bake granola low and slow so it has time to dry out and get crispy without burning. 325˚F is perfect for this granola and we don't suggest going any higher.

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