Question;

Do you have certain gifts or treats and eats that you really look forward to each and every Christmas?!

We do.

We have a few actually.

But one of my faves has got to be the homemade granola.

Every year I make some kind of granola and/or trail mix to go into our Christmas stockings and I just absolutely love it!

Not only is it all kinds of delicious but, it’s the perfect way to fuel the frenzied morning that follows.

And come on now, who doesn’t love a cheeky handful (or two) of a good granola every now and again?

Especially one that has a few decadent and rich dark chocolate chips thrown in for good measure?!

Chocolate for breakfast?! Sign me up!!!

I know there are literally hundreds of different kinds of granola’s out there on the market but there is something so satisfying about making it yourself.

Not only does it taste a millions times better but, it also ends up being a lot healthier and much better for you than any that you will find on your supermarket shelves and it always works out to be so much cheaper too.

Plus, you can totally customize it to suit your own personal tastes and whatever ingredients you have on hand!

So much to love I tell you!

Which brings me to today’s recipe . . .

Deliciously simple, healthy, homemade Black Forest “Granola”

Oh.

My.

Deliciousness.

You guys!!!!!

This black forest granola is the stuff that dreams are made of!

It’s crisp, crunchy, deliciously nutty with just the right amount of sweetness to it!

And if you ask me the nut to dried fruit ratio is perfectly on point!

It really is everything you want in a good granola and it could not be easier to make!

Not only is it insanely delicious but it’s super quick and easy to prepare coming together in one bowl (or even just your slow cooker!!) and can be ready in less than 30 minutes!

It’s all natural made with no refined flours or sugars using just a handful of ingredients that I bet you have on hand already.

And, it also happens to be naturally vegan, gluten free and Paleo friendly.

But most importantly it’s insanely delicious!

And I mean, really, truly “get out of town” delicious!

A mix of your favorite nuts and seeds are coated in an all natural, secretly healthy, dark and delicious vanilla spiked, chocolate-espresso glaze, that – is so divine that you will want to dive face first into a big ol’ vat of it!

I mean, would you just look at it?!

I wish you could smell how incredible this glaze is?! Talk about intoxicating!

I seriously want to just swan dive into a big ol’ pool of this stuff and swim around for a while!

Ok maybe not swim because there is a little maple syrup in there too so things might get a little sticky but, I could easily drink this entire cup straight up with a straw in about 0.0002 seconds flat and be thirsty for me!

It really is incredible.

Ok, I think I made my point about the glaze . . .

it really is amazing . . . moving on . . .

Now, where was I . . .

Healthy, homemade Black forest granola, right!

A combination of your fave nuts and seeds are tossed in an deliciously simple, secretly healthy, seriously divine, dark chocolate espresso glaze and roasted until they are gloriously crisp and incredibly crunchy then tossed with sweet, chewy cranberries and some deliciously nutty coconut flakes.

It’s decadent, rich, subtly sweet, seriously chocolatey and simply divine!

The combination of those buttery nuts and seeds with the richness of the cacao, that hint of espresso, which really just helps to enhance and intensify the chocolate flavor of the cacao more than anything, combined with those sweet and chewy, slightly tart cranberries and the crisp and crunchy coconut flakes . . .

So much deliciousness I tell you.

And I’m not saying that you have to but I think we can all agree that a touch of chocolate just makes everything better . . .

And it is the holidays after all . . .

So I strongly encourage you to go ahead and add just a teeny, tiny sprinkling (just a Tablespoon or so) of dark chocolate to the mix . . .

It’s so not necessary, the granola is seriously incredible without the chocolate chips added but I do feel like they add a touch of class and a little decadence that totally takes this granola to the next level!

Which makes it the perfect treat to make, eat and share with the ones you love this holiday season!

Simple, healthy, homemade deliciousness.

Eat it simply by the handful, serve it with a splash of milk or some coconut or Greek yogurt for a deliciously simple, seriously satisfying breakfast, snack or even dessert.

Or, pop it in a pretty little jar (or cellophane bag), throw on some ribbon and give it to the someone you love.

All natural, quick and easy, decadent, rich, subtly sweet, deliciously indulgent, secretly healthy, homemade, grain free black forest granola

Make it. Eat it. Love, love, love it.

Healthy, Homemade Black Forrest “Granola”
{Vegan, Gluten Free & Paleo}

Makes approximately 3 1/2 cups of all natural, quick and easy, deliciously indulgent yet secretly healthy, homemade, grain free, black forest granola

Ingredients –

1 cup of raw almonds

1 cup of raw cashews

1/4 cup sunflower seeds + 1 extra teaspoon (optional) to sprinkle over once your granola is baked if you want to add a little extra color to the mix

1/4 cup pepitas (could sub pumpkin seeds) + 1 extra teaspoon (optional) to sprinkle over once your granola is baked if you want to add a little extra color to the mix

1 shot of espresso (or 1 heaping teaspoon instant espresso dissolved in 1 Tablespoon of hot water or I like to use 1 sachet of four sigmatics mushroom coffee – For this recipe I like to use the lions mane with chaga)

1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract (or 8-12 drops of vanilla cream stevia – I like to use Sweet Leaf Stevia )

1-2 Tablespoons of maple syrup or honey – depending on how sweet you like it

1 Tablespoon of coconut oil

1 Tablespoon of cacao

A pinch of salt

1/2 cup (firmly packed) coconut flakes

1/2 cup (firmly packed) cranberries

1-2 Tablespoons of dark chocolate chips (or caco nibs) – optional

Method –

Traditional oven baked method –

1 – Preheat your oven to 175’C/350’F

2 – Line a rimmed baking sheet with baking/parchment paper, set aside.

3 – Pour your espresso, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla and cacao into a medium size bowl and whisk until well combined.

4 – Add nuts (all except for the optional extras) to your chocolate-espresso mix and stir to combine, then pour onto your prepared baking sheet and spread out into a nice even layer.

5 – Bake for 15-20 minutes, rotating the tray and stirring half way through.

6 – Make sure you stay close by after the 12 minute mark, as you don’t want your nuts to catch and burn so keep and eye on it. Remember that your nuts will crisp as they cool 😉

7 – Once your nuts are deliciously roasted and nice and crisp, remove from the oven and place onto a wire (or heat proof mat)

8 – Add your coconut and cranberries and stir to combine.

9 – If using dark chocolate chips you may want to wait until your granola has cooled before you add them otherwise they will melt which is not necessarily a bad thing but just something to keep in mind.

Slow-cooker method –

1 – Pour your espresso, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla and cacao into a the base of your slow cooker and until well combined.

2 – Add nuts (all except for the optional extras) to your chocolate-espresso mix and stir to combine, then spread it out into a nice even layer.

3 – Pop the lid on and cook on low for 3-4 hours or high for 2-3 hours.

4 Once cooked, turn off your slow cooker and allow to cool or transfer to a bowl or lined baking sheet.

5 – Add your coconut and cranberries and stir to combine.

6 – If using dark chocolate chips you may want to wait until your granola has cooled before you add them otherwise they will melt which is not necessarily a bad thing but just something to keep in mind.

*This granola should keep well stored in an air tight container for up to three months.

Enjoy xo

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Question of the day –

What tasty treats are you making in the lead up to Christmas? Tell me . . . details please

Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make your black forest granola (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to 🙂

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