Best Chef Johns Chocolate Granola Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S GRANOLA

Chef John's Granola image

There's no better way to enjoy sweet, juicy, late-summer fruit than a parfait with yogurt and crunchy, homemade granola.

Provided by Chef John

Categories 100+ Breakfast and Brunch Recipes Cereals Granola Recipes

Time 1h15m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

¼ cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups rolled oats
½ cup chopped almonds
½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
⅓ cup shredded coconut
½ cup dried currants

Steps:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner.
Combine brown sugar, maple syrup, oil, and salt in a bowl. Add oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and coconut. Mix well, making sure all ingredients are coated evenly.
Pour onto prepared baking sheet and distribute in an even layer.
Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes lightly with the tines of a fork so mixture toasts evenly and granola is golden brown.
Pour into a bowl and, while mixture is still hot, mix in currants. Cool. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 338.9 calories, Carbohydrate 44 g, Fat 16.4 g, Fiber 4.7 g, Protein 7.8 g, SaturatedFat 3.2 g, Sodium 213.3 mg, Sugar 25.1 g

CHEF JOHN'S CHOCOLATE ENERGY BARS

Chef John's Chocolate Energy Bars image

If you compare these chocolate energy bars to similar fruit/nut bars sold at the store, I think they taste better, are nutritionally superior, and probably cheaper to make at home. The only problem is they look so good it takes your brain a millisecond to process that they're not going to taste like the fudge brownies they resemble.

Provided by Chef John

Categories Appetizers and Snacks Snacks Granola Bar Recipes

Time 3h

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

2 cups pitted Medjool dates, roughly chopped
2 cups raw cashews
1 cup raw or roasted unsalted almonds
¾ cup high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder (such as Guittard® Cocoa Rouge)
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cold espresso, or more as needed (or water)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ pinch cayenne pepper

Steps:

Place cashews, almonds, coconut, dates, cocoa, coconut oil, vanilla, cold coffee, cayenne and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse on and off to start. Process about 1 minute; check to ensure mixture is sticky and moist enough to stick together. Add more coffee if needed. Continue to process until mixture becomes a chunky mass.
Line a baking pan with plastic wrap. Scoop mixture into pan. Press down with a spatula until mixture is even. Place a layer of plastic wrap on the surface and smooth again with your hands.
Refrigerate until cold and firm, 2 or 3 hours.
Remove from the pan and unwrap. Cut into bars of your preferred size. Store in a zip top back in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 342.7 calories, Carbohydrate 36 g, Fat 22.2 g, Fiber 6.9 g, Protein 8.1 g, SaturatedFat 7.2 g, Sodium 229.6 mg, Sugar 21 g