Crunchy, chocolatey, and packed with protein, this Chocolate Protein Granola is the perfect snack or smoothie topper. Totally grain-free and loaded with nuts and seeds, this easy homemade granola delivers 8 grams of protein per serving and just the right touch of maple-sweetened crunch.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- ⏲️Ready In: 23 Minutes
- 👪Serves: 4
- 🍽 Calories and Protein: 407 kcals and 8 grams of protein
- 📋Main Ingredients: Pecans and pumpkin seeds, cacao powder, almond butter, maple syrup, and egg whites.
- 📖 Dietary Notes: Dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, high-protein, refined sugar-free.
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: This homemade chocolate protein granola is chewy, rich in chocolate flavor, and packed with nourishing ingredients for a satisfying high-protein snack.
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Everyone has that ONE THING they can’t keep in the house because they’ll devour it. Granola is that thing for me. Crunchy cinnamon granola, homemade granola clusters, or protein granola for breakfast it doesn’t matter, I will eat it ALL.
Which is why I actually love this this gluten-free protein granola is a small batch recipe. That way, I can keep my portions under control.Made with a blend of nuts, seeds, and chocolate this protein granola recipe is the perfect addition to absolutely any snack or breakfast.
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💭Why You'll Love This Recipe
Texture: This granola recipe has a softer texture, almost a bit chewy like healthy caramel popcorn. That said, you can make it into granola clusters if you want to, which would be crispier.
High in protein: Though it’s made without protein powder, this granola comes in at 8 grams of protein per serving thanks to the addition of egg whites.
Versatile: It's easy to adjust the flavor of the high-protein granola and use it for multiple meals.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Nuts: Any nuts can work in place of the pecans. We do pistachios and cashews a lot, too.
- Seeds: Sunflower seeds can be used for pumpkin seeds if needed.
- Nut butter: I use almond butter for my protein chocolate granola most, but homemade, no oil peanut butter, or an almond-hazelnut spread is also delicious (especially in this protein peanut butter granola with hazelnuts).
- Cacao powder: Make sure to use raw cacao powder and not cocoa powder to reap the benefits. If you love the rich chocolate flavor, enjoy these chocolate protein baked oats, too
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Flavor Variations
Dark chocolate sea salt: Add some semi-sweet chocolate chips to the mix for a rich, dark chocolate flavor and sprinkle sea salt over the top before baking.
Granola clusters: To make chocolate granola clusters, make sure to use coconut oil in the mix and add 1 more tablespoon of almond butter. When you're baking it, press it into the pan and don't spread it around halfway through. Let it cool completely and then break it into clusters. Learn all the tips in this granola clusters recipe.
More protein: If you want a bigger protein hit, add 2 tablespoons of collagen powder to the mix (learn about what collagen powder is) along with 1 tablespoon more nut butter.
How To Make Chocolate Protein Granola
Step 1: Mix together all the dry ingredients.
Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients together in another bowl until they are mostly smooth.
Step 3: Pour wet into dry and mix. Portion the granola onto a lined baking tray and smooth it out.
Step 4: Bake in the oven string halfway through. Cool on tray.
Expert Tips
Use fresh nut butter so that it’s a bit runny; otherwise, it won’t mix well, and you'll have a spot that burns.
Make sure to spread the granola evenly on the baking tray and not in one big clump. Then, press it firmly into the pan. When you stir it after the halfway point, re-spread and re-press it.
You don’t want it to dry out too much, as it doesn’t go crispy, just burnt. So, in the last 5 minutes, watch it closely. The end result is a chewy texture.
Let it cool in the pan for the full 30 minutes once out of the oven. This is where it hardens up a bit.
Store the gluten-free chocolate protein granola once fully cooled in a glass container or mason jar in the fridge. Chilled like this, it will stay fresh for up to two weeks.
Ways To Use Protein Granola
Outside of standing with the door open to the fridge and munching, below are a few ways we enjoy our granola.
- As cereal with homemade hemp milk.
- On top of a dairy-free yogurt parfait or high-protein chocolate overnight oats for an extra protein boost.
- As a topping for a coffee smoothie bowl.
Chocolate Protein Granola FAQs
The best protein powder for granola is actually collagen powder as it blends easily without leaving a gritty taste or texture.
To keep cranola crunchy, you need to make sure it's using coconut oil as the base since it firms up when chilled. As it cooks, do not stir it frequently, and if you do, re-press it together and into the pan. Let it cool fully in the pan and then break the larger pieces. When storing, place it in a glass jar in the fridge and make sure no moisture gets in, or it'll lose its texture.
More High Protein Snack Recipes You'll Love
If you tried this Chocolate Protein Granola Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes!
Chocolate Protein Granola (Gluten and Grain-Free)
Video
Ingredients
- ⅛ cup Hemp hearts
- ½ cup pecans chopped
- ¼ cup Pumpkin seeds
- ⅛ Cacao powder
- ½ cup Shredded coconut unsweetened
- 2 tablespoons Almond butter runny
- 3 tablespoons Coconut oil measured solid
- 3 tablespoons Maple syrup
- ⅛ cup Egg whites
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F.
- Mix together all the dry ingredients.
- In a small pot on the stove, melt together the oil and nut butter or low heat until you can easily mix it. Mix in the egg whites to it.
- Pour wet into dry and mix until everything is coated.
- Portion the granola onto a lined baking tray and smooth it out.
- Bake for 7 minutes and then use a silicone spatula to stir the granola around before smoothing it back out.
- Bake for another 7-11 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool fully on the pan.
Notes
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Nutrition
Shelby S says
This blends two of my favorite things, chocolate and granola, to make the best snack ever!