German Chocolate Granola

I'm happy to share that I have reached the stage in my clean eating adventure where I no longer have raging sugar cravings.

I used to think it was a lie that this was achievable. I'd even venture to say that I was more likely to believe that unicorns roam freely somewhere on this planet.

But I turned down ice cream, y'all.

Like, willingly.

This tiny little action has made me question everything I've believed to be true up until this point in my life.

I kid.

But seriously, it's become a lot easier to say no to sugar.

In a way, I've been cheating because I've allowed myself to snack on yummy things every so often that are sweetened naturally. It keeps me sane from going off the deep end and throwing in the towel on this whole thing. And I'm actually enjoying playing around with flavors to satisfy my sweet tooth without necessarily going all sugar happy.

One of my favorite satisfying snacks lately has been homemade granola.

By the way, have you ever looked at the nutrition label on most store bought granolas? Many are a super sneaky sugar hideout just waiting to derail your clean eating plans.

You're all, "Oh, look at me! I'm being so healthy and eating granola!" Meanwhile, you might be downing as much sugar as you would in one of those colorfully packaged kids cereals. I don't know about you, folks, but I prefer chocolate chip cookies as my vehicle for unhealthy sugar intake. Just sayin'.

Anyway, I totally psyched my taste buds out with this recipe for "German Chocolate" Granola. {There's no German Chocolate in it, hence the quotation marks.}

Like the cake, it's got coconut, pecans, and a nice chocolate flavor {thanks to unsweetened cocoa powder} without too much naughtiness. The sweetness comes from honey and a dash of maple syrup, which are healthier sweeteners than traditional sugars. {I found this article from Mark's Daily Apple pretty interesting & educational in regards to why honey is a better choice.}

I love to indulge in a little bit of this with some almond or coconut {or almond-coconut} milk.

Just a reminder... this is still considered a treat and should be eaten sparingly. Remember, it's all about moderation {not gluttony or deprivation}! But it's nice to find a healthy living loophole when it comes to snacking.

Ok, it's not exactly a scoop of gelato or anything, but it'll do the trick. If you don't believe me, we can go hunting for unicorns together. 🙂

"German Chocolate" Granola

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats {not quick cooking}
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut {I use the Reduced Fat kind from this brand}
½ cup chopped pecans or pecan chips
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
4 oz. unsweetened applesauce
⅓ cup honey
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon coconut extract

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Prepare a sheet pan by lining with foil or with a silicone baking mat.

2. Combine oats, coconut, pecans, cocoa powder, and salt in large bowl. Mix well.

3. Pour applesauce, honey, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and coconut extract in to bowl with dry ingredients and stir until well combined and no dry spots can be seen.

4. Spread out onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Stir mixture and spread out again, then bake for another 15-20 minutes.

5. Remove from oven and let cool. Store in an airtight container.