Healthy Chocolate Granola (Oil-free)

Step 1

Preheat an oven to 325°F and Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2

In a large bowl, combine the oats, cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt and stir well. Stir in the seeds and nuts.

Step 3

In a small bowl, combine the syrup, almond butter (water if using) and vanilla). Whisk well. Pour over the dry and stir until evenly coated. This will take a couple of minutes.

Step 4

Spread the granola out evenly onto the lined pan and press down with the back of the spoon to make the granola stick. It should be about 1/2 inch high for nice size chunks.

Step 5

Bake on the LOW rack for 15 minutes. Remove and stir the granola around well, then return back to the oven on the MIDDLE rack and bake another 10 minutes.

Step 6

The granola will be soft upon removal but will harden as it cools over the next 15 minutes or so.

Step 7

Store in a ziplock bag or sealed container.

Step 8

Tip:  As a sweeter/dessert option you can throw in some chocolate chips. Do this as soon as you remove the granola from the oven by just dropping them over the cooked granola. It will slightly melt into the granola.