Have you ever made homemade granola? It’s surprisingly easy and it makes your kitchen smell DIVINE. Especially when it’s made with almond butter, cinnamon and cacao nibs, like this Healthy Homemade Cacao and Almond Butter Granola recipe, make sure to scroll down for all the instructions!
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You Choose your Ingredients
I love granola, but there’s always a funky ingredient I don’t love or a bit too much sugar in the store-bought ones. But that’s really no problem once you realize just HOW easy it is to make your own.
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Good for your Gut + Loaded with Nutrition
Oats are a wonderfully high fiber food. In fact, they’re so healthy for your gut that I included them in my Top 20 Foods For Gut Health guide, which is FREE (and you can download it here).
Oats are a great source of a soluble fiber called beta-glucans which feed the good gut bacteria, and may also lower LDL or “bad” cholesterol. They also contain resistant starch which also feeds your good gut bacteria. If gut health is a priority for you (it should be), you want more of beneficial foods like oats in your daily diet.
The cacao nibs in this healthy almond butter granola recipe give it a nice crunch and just a touch of earthy cacao flavor. Cacao nibs are loaded with antioxidants so I consider them a beauty food. They’re also high in magnesium which a very important mineral that most people are deficient in, so this is a great way to add more into your diet.
Please let me know in the comments below if you make my Healthy Homemade Cacao and Almond Butter Granola , or tag me in a photo on Instagram!
Healthy Homemade Cacao and Almond Butter Granola
Ingredients
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp cacao nibs
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tbsp almond butter
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- In a large bowl, mix together the oats, flaxseed, chia seeds, sesame seeds, cacao nibs, sea salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine the coconut oil, almond butter, maple syrup and vanilla extract and heat over medium-low, stirring well until all ingredients are mostly melted and mixed together. Turn off the heat.
- Pour the coconut oil mixture into the dry ingredients and mix everything well.
- Cover a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the granola mixture out onto the parchment paper. Using your hands, make clumps by squeezing pieces of the granola mixture together.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then gently stir your cacao and almond butter granola. Bake for another 15 minutes, and gently stir again. Bake for 10 more minutes, then remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool completely before storing in a covered container.
By far my favorite homemade granola bar! I like to toast my oats and pecans plus add toasted coconut flakes to the mixture! The coconut gives the bar an almost almond-joy flavor. So good!