Big-Cluster Chocolaty Granola

This granola pairs the bittersweetness of a good chocolate bar with the crunch and nuttiness of classic granola. By not stirring and by letting it cool in the oven, the granola will break apart in big clusters — perfect for snacking on. Eat this granola with berries and yogurt for breakfast, by the handful for an afternoon pick-me-up, or with peanut butter ice cream after dinner. (And yes, if you eat it with milk like cereal, it makes chocolate milk!) If you like your granola on the sweet side, stir in milk chocolate chips or a chocolate cereal like Cocoa Puffs once the granola is cool. Alternatively, lean into its bitterness by adding cacao nibs or chocolate-covered espresso beans.

Ingredients

• ½

  cup maple syrup

• ⅓

  cup olive oil or melted coconut oil

• ⅓

  cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1

  teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)

• 3

  cups rolled, old-fashioned oats

• 1 ½

  cups raw or roasted unsalted nuts, such as pecans, almonds, hazelnuts or a mix, roughly chopped

• ½

  cup raw seeds, such as pumpkin, sesame, millet, quinoa, sunflower, flax, chia or a mix

• 1

  cup dried fruit, such as cherries, figs, dates or apricots, roughly chopped (optional)

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, use a fork to stir together the maple syrup, oil, cocoa powder and salt until smooth. Add the oats, nuts and seeds, and stir until combined.
2. Spread the mixture out on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake, without stirring, until fragrant and dry to the touch, 35 to 40 minutes.
3. Sprinkle the dried fruit over the granola (if using), then turn off the oven. Leave the granola in the oven to cool completely, 30 minutes to an hour, then break into clumps. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.