5-Ingredient Chocolate Chunk Granola

Granola is a staple in our home. We eat granola bars, granola bites, granola cereal, and love making our own vegan granola as well. When we're not making our own, we absolutely love Made Good products. This recipe contains some of my favorite ingredients: dates, dark chocolate, and protein powder.

People often talk about vegan food being too complicated, tedious, and expensive. One of the most inexpensive and versatile vegan foods are oats. They can be used a variety of ways, and they are nutritious and filling as well. I used gluten-free rolled oats to prepare this recipe. You can toast them before adding them to the recipe or leave them raw. I prefer leaving them raw.

Dark chocolate finds its way into many of my vegan dessert recipes. It's not too sweet, packed with antioxidants, and adds the perfect touch to the granola bars. 

This recipe is a hit with my husband and daughter, and I hope you love it, too! I am happy to make wholesome granola for my family. In the past when I was not as mindful about ingredients and picked just any old granola off the shelves, I was basically basing it off the price of the product versus the health benefits and quality.

Sadly, there are a vast number of granola products on store shelves packed with preservatives, GMO-ingredients, and a long list of other ingredients that help preserve the shelf life by being laden with chemicals. There are quite a few with "wholesome" "all-natural" and "made with whole-grain" on the packaging. These terms do not always ensure a healthy or clean product. That is a definite marketing ploy.

When I started reading labels and ingredients and researching what the chemicals can do to our bodies, I woke up. I am so glad I did! For this reason I love preparing our own snacks and meals so I know exactly what I am using in my recipes. 

Sweet, simple, and only five ingredients.

Author: The Sensible Vegan
Recipe Type: Snack
Cuisine: Vegan
Serving: 14

​Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups pitted dates
• 7 tbsps dark chocolate chunks
• 1 scoop Just Pea protein powder
• 1 cup gluten-free sprouted rolled oats
• 1 packet Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut butter 

Directions:

• Pulse the dates in a food processor until they turns clumpy and dough-like. 
• Add the dates, 5 tablespoons of chocolate chunks, protein powder, and oats to a large bowl, and set aside.
• Melt the nut butter for 30 seconds, and pour it over the ingredients in the bowl.
• Evenly combine the ingredients, breaking apart the clumps of dates and distributing them evenly.
• Press granola evenly into a glass baking dish.
• Melt two tablespoons of chocolate chunks at 30 second increments in microwave.
• With a fork, drizzle the chocolate atop the granola.
• Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Cut into 14 bars (depending on the size of your dish) and serve. You may have to adjust the recipe for number of servings made and nutritional information.
• Store remainder in freezer or airtight container.

Nutrition Info: Serving size 1 bar   Calories: 200   Fat: 4 g    Saturated Fat: 2.5g    Protein: 4g  Sugar: 14g    Fiber: 3.4g   Sodium: 20mg   Carb: 23g

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