This chunky chocolate cherry granola doubles as an easy camping breakfast or a portable homemade hiking snack. Made with oats, dried cherry, coconut flakes, and chocolate chips, these granola chunks will keep you fueled for hours.
I love almost any kind of granola for breakfast, but when it comes to snacking, I think granola is best served in chunks that are portable, packable, and easy to munch on. These granola bites combine dried cherries, coconut flakes, and oats to create clusters that are perfect for snacking or breakfast. As an added bonus, making chunky granola is actually even easier than the crumbly version because you don't have to stir it at all!
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Why This Recipe is Great for Camping
- You can make it ahead of time and pack it along for breakfast or as a hiking snack along with a bag of pear chips.
- It doesn't take up any precious cooler space.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Oats--Plain rolled oats work best here. You can use the quick-cooking kind if that's all you've got, but don't use steel-cut oats for this granola recipe.
- Oil--This is the main liquid component of the recipe. You can use any type of neutral-flavored oil such as vegetable, sunflower, or safflower.
- Honey--The sticky sweetness of honey does double-duty here in helping to bind everything together and adds sweetness to the granola bites. You can use maple syrup if you want to keep the recipe vegan.
- Dried cherries--I love the combination of chocolate, cherry, and coconut, but you can substitute a different type of dried fruit, if you prefer. Dried cranberries or raisins will work well here.
- Coconut flakes--I used dried sweetened coconut flakes for this recipe. Since this isn't an overly sweet recipe, if you're using unsweetened coconut, add an extra tablespoon of brown sugar to the liquid mixture.
- Chocolate chips--Use your favorite type of chocolate chips here. Semi-sweet, milk, or dark chocolate chips are all great choices.
Important Steps
- Mix the oats, coconut, chocolate chips, and dried cherries in a large bowl.
- Whisk the oil, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla together in a liquid measuring cup.
- Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry mixture and stir well to thoroughly coat the mixture.
- Firmly press the granola into a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in a 325°F oven without stirring until it smells toasted and is golden brown in color. Cool completely before breaking into chunks.
FAQs
Yes. You can replace some or all of the coconut or chocolate chips with an equal volume of your favorite chopped nut.
If stored in an airtight container or resealable bag, homemade granola will keep for up to 1 month. For longer storage, freeze the granola for up to 3 months.
You can enjoy these chunky granola bites as they are as a portable snack, mixed with milk or yogurt for breakfast, or layered with yogurt and fruit to create a parfait. You may prefer to break the pieces into small chunks if mixing with something else.
Tips and Troubleshooting
- Take the time to really mix the granola up before baking. It should begin to clump together as everything becomes evenly coated with the liquid mixture.
- Store your chocolate cherry granola in an airtight container or resealable bag in a cool, dark place.
- This recipe is suitable for gluten-free and vegetarian diets. To make it vegan, use maple syrup instead of honey.
More Make-Ahead Camping Snacks You'll Love
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Recipe
Chunky Chocolate Cherry Granola
Ingredients
- 4 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup dried cherries
- ¾ cup shredded coconut flakes
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup honey
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix the oats, dried cherries, coconut, and chocolate chips.
- In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk the oil, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt together until the sugar dissolves.
- Pour the liquid mixture over the oats. Stir well to evenly coat the granola. As it becomes uniformly mixed, the granola should begin to clump together.
- Firmly press the granola into an even layer in the prepared baking sheet. It should fill the whole sheet.
- Bake, rotating the baking sheet once during cooking, until the granola is deep golden brown and smells toasted, about 50 minutes.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the granola cool completely, about 1 hour. Once cool, break the granola into chunky pieces.
Notes
- Storage and freezing--Store your chocolate cherry granola in an airtight container or resealable bag in a cool, dark place for up to 1 month or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Dietary--This recipe is suitable for gluten-free and vegetarian diets. To make it vegan, use maple syrup instead of honey.
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