Name: Coconut Pecan Granola
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: 1/3 cup coconut oil; 1/3 cup honey; 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats; 3/4 cup large unsweetened coconut flakes; 1 cup chopped pecans, or other nut of choice; 4 oz chopped dark, unsweetened chocolate; 1/4 cup pepitas; 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

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Coconut marries chocolate to create big crunchy clusters in this coconut pecan granola! Perfect for breakfast, dessert or any time!

Please note this post was originally published in 2017. I’ve since redone the text but the recipe remains the same!

Are you ready? I promised myself I wasn’t going to use words like “the best ever” to describe my recipes, but really, this IS the best ever granola recipe. Don’t get me wrong, this is not the healthiest granola but it’s also not terrible for you and you HAVE to feel good about eating something that doesn’t come prepackaged from the store. Plus, it’s wicked easy to whip up and consists of ingredients that you will most likely already have sitting in your pantry.

This is a recipe I made very often in the first few months of my second son, Walter’s, life. It comes together so quickly that it’s great for when you’re short on time, or in between naps, diaper changes, nursing sessions, nose wiping…you know. The usual Mom stuff. Granola is kind of a staple in our house; it’s such an easy snack for any time of the day.

If you like coconut and chocolate together (mmm, Bounty bars….) you will definitely like this coconut pecan granola. The coconut oil adds another dose of coconut flavor, and mixing it with the honey provides just enough hold to create nice granola clusters. The pecans add a nice buttery texture that goes so well with the coconut and chocolate.

Sometimes I add ground flax or hemp hearts to give it a bit of a nutritional boost, and you could definitely play around with other mix-ins such as pepitas, cranberries and sunflower seeds.

How do you make coconut pecan granola?

You start this recipe by melting coconut oil together with the honey in the microwave until smooth. Add it to a big bowl filled with oats, coconut, pecans and pepitas. Make sure all of the ingredients are coated evenly with the honey/oil mixture, and then spread the mixture onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

The granola will take about 40 minutes total in an oven preheated to 300 F, but be sure to stir it around every 15 minutes or so.

How do you make big granola clusters?

By letting the granola cool down completely before breaking it into pieces or stirring it, you’ll get some big crunchy clusters! Also, adding the chocolate to the granola while it is still warm and then stirring it around a bit will create some really giant clusters!

If you prefer not to have as many large clusters of chocolate in your granola (this made me laugh out loud just saying this) you can add the chocolate after the rest of the granola has cooled down and give the granola a few stirs as it cools down. I prefer to mix it in while the granola is still warm.

The granola comes out of the oven fairly soft, but will get much crunchier after cooling down. I usually eat – I mean DEVOUR this granola in front of the TV as a bedtime snack. My husband and I often fight over the larger clusters of chocolate. It’s also great with milk or as a mix-in with greek yogurt and fruit for a mid-morning snack.

The granola will keep for a couple of weeks in an airtight container on the counter.

Ok, you try it and you tell me if I’m right. Is it the best ever!? I would argue it is.

Some of my other favorite granola recipes from the blog: