Almond Mocha Granola

My love for granola is no secret on this blog. I love coming up with always new and exciting flavor combinations around my favorite grain!

With this batch I introduced my beloved oats to 2 other of my loves: chocolate + coffee = mocha!

I usually add a variety of seeds and/or nuts to my granola mixes, but this time I really wanted to let the mocha flavor shine and only added sliced almonds and a little shredded coconut to be toasted with the oats.

A little honey, coconut oil and vanilla extract help bind everything together and round out the flavor.

Unlike all other ingredients the chocolate isn’t baked (it would just burn). Instead it is added to the granola after baking. While it is still hot, the granola melts the chocolate chips which create a delicious coating.

My favorite way to eat granola is for breakfast or any time of day as a snack with cold milk  and fruit.

In order for my husband to be able to enjoy granola as well the milk cannot be dairy (he has a lactose sensitivity). When we first figured out his sensitivity Almond Breeze almond milk was one of the first dairy alternatives we discovered.

We fell in love with the creamy texture and just slight almond taste. Yes, that’s right, I said we. Although I can handle dairy just fine I found myself also using almond milk all the time.

Did you know that Almond Breeze now added a line of refrigerated products? On top of the shelf-stable version you can also find their Original and Vanilla flavored almond milk (and their Unsweetened counterparts) in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.

We had a chance to try both and were happy to discover the same creamy, almond-y deliciousness that we had come to love.

Aside from breakfast cereal we also use almond milk when making smoothies. And I even like it for my baking. You can be sure that here will be more almond milk baking on here very soon.

Do you like almond milk? What is your favorite use for it?

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Almond Mocha Granola

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

This delicious granola combines toasty oats with almond slices and shredded coconut. Espresso powder and melted chocolate create a wonderful mocha-flavored coating.

Ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
• 3/4 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/4 cup honey (or maple syrup)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 F.
2. In a large bowl combine oats, almond slices and shredded coconut.
3. Heat coconut oil and honey in a small bowl (in the microwave, stove top or in preheating oven) until melted and stir together with vanilla extract.
4. Pour over oat mixture and combine. Place the mixture on a large baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and stir. Then bake for another 10-15 minutes.
5. Sprinkle warm granola with chocolate chips and stir until the chocolate is melted and coats the granola.
6. Let cool (you can speed this up in the fridge) before breaking into clusters. Store in an airtight container (like mason jars). In warm months I keep this granola in the fridge to keep the chocolate from melting.

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http://leelalicious.com/almond-mocha-granola/

This post is sponsored by AlmondBreeze. I received compensation and free product. However, as always all opinions are my own.