Chunky Chocolate Cranberry Pecan Granola (GF)
This Chunky Chocolate Cranberry Pecan Granola uses a secret ingredient to keep it chunky, and is the perfect guilt-free DIY holiday gift! This granola is gluten-free, delicious, and perfect over yogurt in the morning.
We’re taking a quick break from holiday cookies for a healthier, yet still totally giftable treat: chunky chocolate cranberry pecan granola! Phew, long title, but it still doesn’t describe everything I want you to know about this granola. We’ll get into that.
For a long time, variations on this coconut macadamia nut granola and this coconut pecan granola were my go-to granola recipes. But, then I fell in love with dried cranberries and started wanting to cover everything in chocolate, so I tweaked things to create this new favorite, and discovered a new fun trick for making granola extra crunchy and clustery: egg whites.
I don’t know about you guys, but I love when I get chunks of oats and nuts and coconut all stuck together…and while I definitely favor homemade granola, I find it’s a bit harder to create these clusters when you’re cutting out refined sugars (the caramelizing sugars in white and brown sugar help make them cluster!). Egg whites, though, when whipped until foamy and then folded into your granola as the last step, help glue your oats together and give you those big crunchy clusters! Now, I confess, my granola doesn’t look very clustery, but I promise most of it was – those parts were in the jar, and the scraps were what I garnished with. Oops. :/
The chocolate chips are added at the end, left to sit until melty, and then folded into the granola, also helping things get even more clustery. This granola has been a definite favorite this fall and winter, and I’m currently on my third batch of the stuff. I love it stirred into yogurt with fresh berries (uhh…it’s my breakfast every. single. morning.). I thought it was finally time to photograph and share!
In addition to the egg whites, and chocolate, this granola uses pecans (my favorite nut, use whatever yours is!), dried cranberries, oats, coconut flakes (I love these), with maple syrup to sweeten and cocoa powder to add a little bit more cocoa to the mix.
There will definitely be a fourth batch being made just for me, and some more batches to be made and gifted in cute mason jars gussied up with ribbon and tags. It’s the perfect guilt-free gift for people to enjoy post holiday cookie binge eating!
Also, in prep for the holidays, I’ve partnered up with some of my favorite food blogging friends (linked up below the widget!) to give one of you a $300 Amazon gift card! Use it for gifts, use it for yourself, use it for whatever makes you happy! Enter using the widget below for your chance to win, and then enjoy some granola! Happy holidays! xxx
Sponsored by: Bakerita | Bites of Bri | Flavor the Moments | Flying on Jess Fuel | Inspiration Kitchen | Kristine’s Kitchen | Live | Well Bake Often| Maebells | My Sequined Life | Olives and Garlic | Pumpkin ‘N Spice | Savory Nothings | Sweet & Delish | Sweet Peas and Saffron | Tastes Lovely | The Recipe Rebel | The Well Floured Kitchen | Whole and Heavenly Oven
PrintChunky Chocolate Cranberry Pecan Granola (GF)
Ingredients
- 2 cups 160 grams old-fashioned rolled oats (GF if necessary)
- 2 cups 120 grams unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut
- 1 cup 100 grams pecans, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons 28 grams coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons 10 grams cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg white
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300ºF. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except for the egg white, chocolate chips, and dried cranberries. Stir to combine evenly. Whisk the egg white in a small bowl until it is frothy and bubbly. Fold into the granola mixture. Spread the granola in an even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. About halfway through the baking time, use a large spatula to turn over the granola, breaking the pieces up as little as possible. Rotate the pan to ensure the granola bakes evenly. When it is browned and feels dry to the touch, remove from the oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips and dried cranberries. Let sit for about 2 minutes until chocolate chips have melted, and gently fold in the chocolate chips and cranberries. Let the granola cool completely.
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container.
I love baking homemade granola! I’ve never thought to gift it for Christmas, that’s a fantastic idea! Love this version too, looks so perfect.
Thanks Danielle! I love giving granola to all the health foodies in my life (there’s lots!). I love it because it still has that homemade love, and they love it because it doesn’t have all the unhealthiness of cookies! :)
I love that you made this without refined sugars! Egg whites are such a good idea to give it that caramelized texture without making it heavy. Perfect choice :)
Homemade granola is one of my favorites! I just love how loaded with goodies this granola is! So decadent-looking. :D Pinned!
Sooo inventive! Love!
LOVE this! I have to admit, all of the Christmas cookies and the lack of exercise are starting to take their toll… but that’s what January’s for, right? Lol. This looks totally decadent and yet super healthy all at the same time!
This homemade Granola looks so good.
Love homemade granola!! And this looks over the top Ah-Maz-ing!!! Such a yummy granola, but also healthy for you. Win, win!! Pinned!
Thanks so much for the love and the pin, Cyndi!!
So pretty!! I have STILL never made homemade granola, such a travesty!! This looks so good Rachel!
You need to try it!! I get so disappointed in store-bought granola now, haha. Thanks, Nicole!
Now this is my kind of granola. Giiiirl you know the way to my heart. Pinned!
This looks stunning! Homemade granola is awesome to have on hand for baking, breakfasts, or snacking! I love this :)
Yes!! I can see why you are on your third batch! This looks and sounds amazing!! I definitely need something like this to balance out all the cookies, bars, and cakes going on around here. Saving this to make later. :)
This granola looks seriously delicious! I’m loving those big clusters and all the yummy add-ins!
I have a confession. I have never made granola. :( But I also love chucks of oats, nuts and coconut stuck together. I keep buying granola, don’t know why. So making this. Love the chocolate in it.
I hope you love it!! My granola-eating life was changed since I started making it myself, just does’t compare to store bought. Thanks for stopping by, Kathy!
I’m just like you, I like my granola with big hunks of clusters. I love your tip about egg whites! I must try that. This chocolate and cranberry granola sounds delicious!
Oh yuuuum, this looks like such a fantastic present…I would LOVE to receive this :)
I love it when granola is chocolatey!! This granola looks sensational!! :)
This granola sounds amazing Rachel! I had no idea about the egg whites trick! Such a great tip!!!
This recipe looks amazing, Rachel! I love clusters in my granola… that egg white tip is going to change my life, no joke :)
I LOVE homemade granola and yes to the egg white! I just learned about this in a cookbook!! love love love!
I love homemade granola, yogurt and granola is totally my breakfast every morning too! That’s a great tip about the egg white, I’ve never heard that before but will definitely be trying it on my next batch! I miss those big crunchy clusters too. It’s fine for breakfast, but I love snacking on plain granola too, and it doesn’t work to well when it’s all tiny pieces! :)
looks so good! I love homemade granola!
Yum, this granola looks amazing! I love homemade granola, it’s so much better than store bought!
Granola is one of my two “out-of-control” foods, where I just can’t stop eating it until the entire batch is gone. (The other is ice cream… Just imagine how deadly it’d be if I paired the two!) I used to bake granola every weekend until I realized just how quickly I went through all 6 cups, but I may have to start up again now that I know your egg white trick for clusters! :) Pinned!
This granola looks perfect, Rachel! I love experimenting with new flavors, and this definitely looks like a winner. The chunks of cranberries and pecans sound so delicious!
Gotta love chocolate granola :) This looks so good!
This looks like a healthy version of choko crossies! Not sure, if you have them in the states, though.
Wow, I’ll participate the first time ever in a giveaway, how exciting!! :D
I absolutely love the fact that it’s got cocoa powder in it!Plus, it is just so festive!!!! I know I’ll be eating a lot of this for breakfast this month! <3 Pinning!
This looks so yummy! Soooo chocolatey and delicious! I love having a reason to eat chocolate for breakfast! :)
Granola is one of my favorite breakfasts and snacks! And chocolate and cranberries go great together!