Chocolate Hazelnut Quinoa Granola

I know I never usually post anything food related on this blog, but I'm completely addicted to this granola recently and just had to share it. It's adapted from a recipe on the wonderful food blog My New Roots, but where as the main ingredients in the original are buckwheat and oats, here I've used puffed quinoa and a lot less oats as I'm not too crazy about them. When puffed, quinoa reminds me a lot of puffed rice so you could call this a Coco Pop's alternative, except it doesn't turn into a soggy mush, tastes like Nutella and is a whole lot better for you. If you want it to be even nuttier, then hazelnut butter is a great addition and I occasionally melt a few squares of dark chocolate into the mix if I want it to be extra indulgent. Some of the ingredients can be hard to find but I tend to do a big online order every couple of months of all the health foody bits I use - I like this site. It's definitely not the cheapest thing to make but is surprisingly filling and very high in protein thanks to the quinoa, I like to enjoy a small bowl with milk or as a topping for yoghurt with fruit. 

Makes 8 cups

Ingredients:
3 cups puffed quinoa
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup /125g hazelnuts
¼ cup chia seeds
½ tsp. fine grain sea salt
¼ cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup of cacao nibs
½ cup cocoa powder

Optional:
1 tablespoon of hazelnut butter
¼ bar of dark chocolate                                                          

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius
2. In a large bowl combine quinoa, oats, chia seeds and coconut sugar. Pulse nuts in a food processor until roughly chopped and add them to the mix.
3. In a small saucepan over low-medium heat, melt coconut oil. Add honey or maple syrup, vanilla, salt and cocoa powder. Whisk to combine until smooth.
2. Pour liquid ingredients over dry and mix together.
3. Spread mixture out in an even layer on a lined baking sheet and press down with a spoon to compact. Bake for 15-20 minutes, checking it every 5 minutes or so. Remove from oven, flip granola in large chunks, and place back in oven to bake for another 10 minutes, stirring every 3-4 minutes until toasted and fragrant. Check the granola is done by trying a hazelnut, it should taste nicely roasted. 

I warn you, you will find yourself craving this morning, noon and night. It makes a great breakfast as the combination of quinoa and oats keep you full for hours, but is equally nice as an afternoon snack when you crave something chocolatey and sweet. Leave a comment below if you make this letting me know how it went!