Cocoa Granola

We have been all about the granola lately. Eating it up for snacks, cereal, or for a taste of something sweet after a meal. We have our standard recipe that we really like, but occasionally like to mix it up by adding cocoa powder. This gives the granola a depth that is a nice change, and chocolate is always a welcome flavor in my book

Cocoa Granola

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups oats
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup cacao nibs
1/4 cup hemp seed hearts
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup maple syrup

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Put the oats, coconut, sunflower seeds, cacao nibs, hemp seeds, cocoa powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix it all together and combine well.

Melt the coconut oil, and mix it with the maple syrup. Pour this over the oat mixture and stir well to coat everything with the syrup and oil.  Put in in a grease baking dish (a large rectangle glass baking dish works well) and put it in the oven.

It will bake for 25 minutes total, and needs to be stirred every 10 minutes or so. Take it out and let it cool, enjoy plain, with soy milk, or over coconut milk yogurt.

For 8 servings. Nutritional information from caloriecount.about.com

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 72 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  297 Calories from Fat  146

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  16.2g 25%

Saturated Fat  9.5g 48%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  0mg 0%

Sodium  80mg 3%

Potassium  237mg 7%

Total Carbohydrates  35.0g 12%

Dietary Fiber  5.2g 21%

Sugars  12.6g

Protein  6.8g

Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 1% Calcium 4% • Iron 22%

Nutrition Grade B-

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet