Sugar-Free Chocolate & Hazelnut Granola (Vegan and GF)

This crunchy, super easy to make sugar-free granola has become my latest obsession. For years I couldn’t find store-bought granola that I liked, and that was healthy. And typically when it ticked those boxes, it was ridiculously expensive! It would be cheaper to eat breakfast out at that point.

Some of you may know that I’ve been on and off the candida diet over the last few years and the last time I was on it, I was inspired to make a sugar-free granola that was not only tasty but super quick and easy to make, as well as satisfying.

So if you’re currently on the anti-candida diet protocol or you’re merely looking for a tasty sugar-free breakfast, you can safely eat this granola!

With 11 very healthy ingredients as well as only requiring 30 minutes to make, this can easily be added to your weekly meal prep on a Sunday for a quick delicious breakfast or snack option.

Let’s break down the ingredients to give you an understanding of why I chose what you see here.

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Health benefits of the ingredients in this sugar free granola

Nuts – In this recipe, I’ve used hazelnuts and slivered almonds. They compliment each other really well and are paired perfectly with the chocolate and coconut flavours in the mix. Nuts have a great source of good fats, magnesium, some B vitamins, and fibre.

Cinnamon – it’s loaded with antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, it helps to lower blood sugar levels and may even protect against cancer.

Cacao Powder – Don’t get raw cacao powder mixed up with cocoa powder for its nutritional benefits. Cacao beans are also rich in nutrients like iron, zinc, magnesium, potassium, calcium, copper, and manganese. If you want to learn more about the difference between cacao and cocoa, you can find that information here.

Flax and chia seeds – both rich in antioxidants, are excellent sources of omega 3s, fibre, calcium, and protein.

Millet – rich in fibre and protein, millet is a great gluten-free grain (well technically a seed). It’s also rich in B vitamins and manganese. I’ve used puffed millet in this recipe as it’s a great cereal for granola.

Vanilla – a potent anti-microbial, helping increase mental health and promoting healthy skin as it’s an excellent source of vitamin B. Vanilla also assists with digestion, improves dental health, and helps to regulate period cycles for women.

Coconut – I’ve used coconut in two different forms in this recipe—coconut oil and coconut flakes. Coconut is excellent for skin, hair, and dental health. You may have heard of oil pulling before, which is done using coconut oil. Coconut is also a fantastic source of good fats as well as many other vitamins and minerals.

Xylitol – If you haven’t heard of xylitol before, you might think that it’s an unhealthy manmade sweetener. Despite its name, xylitol has a lot to offer and is a plant-based sweetener. Either made from corn or the birch tree, it’s great for dental care, mainly known to reduce your chances of getting cavities (used widely in toothpaste, mouthwashes, and chewing gums). It tastes like sugar and is substituted 1:1 ratio to regular raw sugar in your cooking. It also has a low glycemic index, which makes it perfect for people with diabetes to use.

Just a couple of tips when using xylitol. Always try and use birch xylitol as it is the healthier option over the corn variety. You also don’t want to overdo xylitol as it may cause a laxative effect (more than 50gm per serve). Just like fruit does!

Why make your own granola instead of buying it?

Two major factors come into play here. When you make your own granola, you’re in control of the ingredients. You can alter the recipe how you like it, and you can make sure that every single ingredient that you use is high quality — no cheap fillers like vegetable oils, emulsifiers, flavours, starches, or sugars.

This brings me to my next point. If you choose to use high-quality ingredients, you’ll be getting a small loan out to buy a packet of granola. When I was looking at buying it at my local zero-waste bulk store, they would be anywhere between $40-$70 (AUD) per kilo! The higher the quality of the ingredients, the pricier it is.

How long will this sugar-free granola last? 

It can last in the fridge for up to one week. I keep it in the fridge at the moment as it’s summer here and I like to make sure that the coconut oil has solidified. If it’s cold enough in your place, you can leave it in the pantry.

However, when your house fills with the sweet smell of cinnamon, cacao, and hazelnuts, you’ll be tempted to dig in straight away! It doesn’t last too long in our household.

It makes for a great gift!

This granola also makes a beautiful gift! So if you’re the type of person that loves to gift things that are handmade and healthy, this will be a winner! Edible gifts are my favourite type of gift 😉

A few tips for making this anti candida breakfast

Here are a few tips to help you make the perfect batch of granola:

• When making granola, the timing of how long it bakes for is everything. My instructions say to bake for 15-20 minutes, so please don’t be tempted to leave it in the oven for longer. It will continue to bake as it cools on your kitchen countertop.
• Make sure that you let it cool completely before putting it in your jar.
• When you bake the granola, spread it out nice and evenly and try to get as thin of a layer as you possibly can with the tray that you have. This will allow for even baking and will create a crunchier granola.
• If your oven runs a little hot, bake for the same amount of time on a slightly lower temperature, please remember to stir the granola halfway through the baking process.
• Place the baking tray in the middle rack of your oven to make sure that it bakes evenly.
• If you only have hazelnuts with skins on them, here is a video that shows you an easy way to remove the skins. This method is best as the others tell you to roast the nuts – which will then throw out your baking time for the nuts in the granola.
• If you don’t have xylitol or don’t want to use it, you can simply leave it out or switch it for coconut sugar.
• You can use puffed amaranth or puffed quinoa in place of the puffed millet.

I hope you fall in love with this granola just as much as I have. It’s –

• Super easy to make
• Quick
• Nutrient-dense
• Crunchy
• Filling
• Balanced
• Satisfying

Serving suggestions

This granola can be eaten in so many different ways! I’m a little traditional and just have it with some fresh blueberries and some plant-based milk. You can also have it with yoghurt, fruit, as an ice cream topper, on a smoothie bowl, as a snack just on its own, or add it to muffins.

Other recipes you’ll love:

1. Vegan Chocolate Brownies (Candida Diet Friendly)
2. Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding with Cashew Cream
3. Apple, Blueberry and Vanilla Vegan Oat Bran Porridge
4. Quick Peanut Butter Smoothie Bowl
5. Creamy Rice Pudding With Rosewater and Pistachios
6. Coffee Chia Pudding Breakfast Parfait

If you try this recipe, let me know! We’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below. If you want to go that extra mile, tag us on Instagram or share your photo of the recipe on Pinterest.

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