I hit the jackpot at our local liquidation grocery store this week – organic chopped hazelnuts were only $3.99 for a kilogram! I exited the store with 3 kgs of the nuts and a large smile on my face. Organic food is sometimes hard to get in a small town and even more expensive than other locations. That is why I was so happy when a discount liquidation grocery store opened here last year. It stocks items that come from stores that are closing, items that companies have re-branded and changing packaging, or items that are close to date so regular stores unload. It is a crap shoot what you will find there and sometimes I walk out empty handed but when it is good – it is great. Not a lot of people in my area are searching for organics so I often luck out with deep discounts on organics that not a lot of other people are looking for.
So back at home the reality hit – I have 3 kgs of organic hazelnuts to use!! So became the mission to create hazelnut dishes that everyone would eat. At that moment I heard a voice from the table “Mom – we’re out of granola”. And I instantly knew what I would make. My boys will all eat my granola and I much rather feed them a homemade breakfast than a boxed cereal from the store – organic or not it is still better to have control over the ingredients and nutritional value. I like to be able to control the amount of sugar and salt in our meals as well as ensure the organic food we are eating is good for us. After all – organic junk is still junk.
My favourite chocolate products to use when creating in the kitchen is Camino. Their products are fair trade organic and come from a Canadian Company located in Ottawa. Their cocoa powder is a staple in our home. If you have camino products in your area I highly recommend them.
Chocolate Hazelnut Granola
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole rolled oats not instant or quick
- 1 cup chopped hazelnuts
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp agave syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut oil melted if needed
- 2 tbsp bittersweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
- Combine oats, hazelnuts, and cocoa powder in a large bowl. Add vanilla extract, agave syrup, and coconut oil. Mix until all is moistened. Spread on a cookie pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes then stir granola. Bake 15 additional minutes. Remove and place on cooling rack. Wait 10 minutes then sprinkle with chocolate chips. Cool completely then store in airtight container.
Notes
5 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
35 min