This Dark Chocolate Chai Granola is easy to make and features loose-leaf chai tea, old-fashioned oats, nuts, and semisweet chocolate chunks. This sweet & crunchy granola is great on its own, or as a topping for yogurt and smoothie bowls.
I absolutely love granola. At any one time, you are likely to find 3-5 different kinds in my pantry. I prefer my granola to be sweet, with lots of mix-ins, and I’m always drawn to ones that have cinnamon, honey, or chocolate in their name. It wasn’t until recently that I thought to make my own batch at home! Instead of just picking one of those ingredients, I used ALL THREE and the results were amazing!
Chances are that you already have most of these ingredients on-hand, with the exception of the chocolate chunks and loose-leaf chai tea. Although I used loose-leaf tea for this recipe, you can use bagged tea as long as you brew it reallllly strong. Make sure you are only adding 1/8 c. of brewed tea to the granola and not more than that, or else your granola will be soggy instead of crunchy.
My favorite way to eat granola has always been with greek yogurt. Sometimes I’ll add sliced strawberries and other fruit too and layer them to make a parfait. I recently discovered Elli Quark, which is similar in texture to greek yogurt but has half the calories and WAY less sugar than most greek yogurts. I’m really loving this granola paired with their Vanilla Bean flavor (as seen on my Instagram), as well as the Bananas Foster flavor.
I also love to use granola as a topping for my green smoothie bowls. It provides the perfect amount of crunch! Or if you’re on-the-go, granola is a great because you can put it in a small container or Ziploc baggy and snack on it throughout the day.
Now that I’ve made homemade granola once, I don’t know if I can go back to the store-bought kind! I know exactly what went into this granola because I made it, and that’s really awesome. Plus, I was able to create my own flavor! I’ve never seen a Dark Chocolate Chai granola in the stores and I doubt I ever will.
If you’re a granola addict like me, I highly suggest making your own granola at home. You’ll save money and you can add whatever spices and mix-ins you want! Get creative with it and if you create your own flavor, I’d love to hear about it.
This Dark Chocolate Chai Granola is easy to make and features loose-leaf chai tea, old-fashioned oats, nuts, and semisweet chocolate chunks. This sweet & crunchy granola is great on its own, or as a topping for yogurt and smoothie bowls.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp. Dark Chocolate Chai loose-leaf tea*
- 1/8 c. water, boiling
- 1/4 c. honey (omit if whole-food, plant based)
- 2 tbsp coconut oil (omit if whole-food, plant based)
- 3 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 c. almonds, whole
- 3/4 c. pecans, halved
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 c. semisweet chocolate chunks
Instructions
- In a tea steeping sack, add 2 tsp. of Dark Chocolate Chai loose-leaf tea. Place steeping sack in a glass and add 1/8 c. boiling water. Steep for 2-3 minutes, then discard steeping sack. Place tea in the fridge to cool for 10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, add honey and coconut oil. Microwave for 15-30 seconds, or until melted and warm. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add oats, nuts, and cinnamon and stir until combined. Add the honey mixture, vanilla extract, and chilled chai tea and toss until granola is evenly coated.
- Spread the granola out onto the prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the baking sheet from the oven and stir the granola (pull the edges to the middle and push the middle to the edges). Return baking sheet to the oven and cook for 10 more minutes.
- Remove baking sheet from oven and cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. The granola will crisp up as it cools. Once granola has cooled, add chocolate chips and stir until combined.
Notes
Adapted from Gimme Some Oven
*Any loose-leaf chai tea will work. It doesn't have to be Steeped Tea's Dark Chocolate Chai.
*To make whole-food plant based, omit honey and coconut oil. Steep 2 tsp. Dark Chocolate Chai tea in 1/4 c. water. Steep for 2-3 minutes, then discard steeping sack. Add steeped tea to blender with 1/2 c. dates and blend until smooth. Add to the large bowl of oats, nuts, and cinnamon and stir until combined. Substitute semisweet chocolate chunks for dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips (I like the Enjoy Life brand).
Store granola in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
Have you made homemade granola before?
What is your favorite way to eat granola?
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