Chocolate Granola Brownies!

Chocolate granola brownies are fudgy and out of this world.   They are made with cacao which some folks consider a super food (think flavinoids).  The taste is similar to dark chocolate.  The granola adds an interesting texture.  Make these granola brownies – you won’t regret it!

Let’s divert from brownies for a moment.  Have you seen the movie Coco yet??  We finally got the much anticipated Netflix DVD and watched it the other night.  It was absolutely adorable and very entertaining for all ages – I loved it!  There are a few movies that I am tempted to rewind and watch all over again – Coco was one of them.  Disney/Pixar really nailed it with this one.  Speaking of un poco loco, we had a crazy week here.  I will spare you the stressful details.  I will say that we are so very ready for fun, happy moments and I’m happy to say we have a few of those anticipated in the coming days.  We have tickets to the Museum of Ice Cream in San Francisco and are hoping to jet-set a few days in Cabo for spring break.

This cute little song inspired the recipe this week.  Here is “Un Poco Loco”, my favorite from the movie Coco:

“I’ll count it as a blessing that I’m only Un Poco Loco!!!!!” – how cute is that??

Now let’s get to different kinds of coco, namely Cocoa and cacao.  How is that for a transition?  😉  Sometimes nothing will satisfy the way a rich, chocolatey, fudgy brownie does.  Coco Un Poco Loco Chocolate Granola Brownies are made with cacao powder!  They are decadent, delicious, soft, brownies with a subtle texture from the granola.  Although they are not low in calories and fat, the ingredients are pure and simple and I can live with that because life is too short as my dad used to say, “even a little poison sometimes won’t kill you”.  Cacao has more antioxidants than cocoa powder – it is raw and more unprocessed than cocoa.  I also prefer the taste of it.  It has a deep, rich, earthy chocolate flavor.

Do you know the great trick for getting soft, fudgy brownies out of the pan easily with no mess?  I recently discovered that lining the pan with a sheet of tin foil long enough to fold over the sides along with a square of parchment paper on the bottom does the trick.  This is a great trick!  Why did it take me 50 years to learn it?

You just grab the tin foil on the edges and lift the sheet of brownies out once they’ve cooled.  In addition, it helps to stick them in the fridge afterward.  The cooler the better to clean slice these soft, melty babies.

Have you heard that cacao has mood-lifting powers?  I believe it!  You can find raw cacao powder at Whole Foods or order it from Amazon.

You’ll need a heat-proof bowl and a saucepan to simmer water beneath it.

Once the butter, sugar, and cacao are melted and smooth, stir in the remaining ingredients plus your favorite nuts or granola –

Our favorite brand is Ladera Foods granola.  The Chocolate Almond variety is well suited for this recipe.  I love the Chocolate Almond granola and can easily eat it plain by the handfuls.

For the complete recipe click HERE – recipe from Epicurious, Best Cocoa Brownies – I substituted raw cacao for the cocoa powder…other than that the recipe is the same.

Hope this post lightened and brightened  your day.  For another delicious, chocolatey treat, try Gluten-Free Dark Chocolate Monster Cookies!

It’s going to be raining in SF tomorrow but for us it will be raining in ice cream and sprinkles!  I will try to take some fun and original photos at the Museum of Ice Cream and share with you soon.

Sending especially sweet hugs your way,

Much love and big Oven Hugs,

  – Bita