20-Minute Chocolate Granola in the Air Fryer

I’ve always been a fan of homemade granola. It is so flavorful and makes such a healthy breakfast. When I saw a recipe for “Chocolate Granola,” my reaction was, “Why didn’t I think of that?” I love chocolate; and for breakfast — wow! I took some of the elements of the recipe and put my own spin on it. And, I baked it in my trusty little air fryer — the perfect recipe for this appliance — because the cooking process is so quick.

Serve with fresh fruit and yogurt for a healthy breakfast parfait.

I scaled back the ingredients of some of my other favorite granola recipes to make a recipe which is very simple to mix up. This included using ingredients already in my kitchen cabinet. I am all about “easy cooking” this summer. This recipe uses old-fashioned oatmeal, rather than instant oatmeal. If you don’t have raw cane sugar, then turbinado sugar or brown sugar can be substituted. I used Hershey’s 100% cacao to give chocolate flavor. Salt is optional. It adds flavor, but certainly it can be omitted. Cinnamon helps with an aromatic flavor; however, it can also be omitted. And, this is a good recipe for using honey. Just a small touch.

Of course, you can add plenty of optional ingredients such as raisins, dried cranberries, nuts, coconut, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds. Add dried fruit after baking is complete. The nuts, seeds and shredded coconut can be added to the granola mixture prior to baking.

Making the Recipe

To make the recipe, mix the flavor ingredients (including the cocoa powder) in a medium bowl. The ingredient list for my granola includes honey. Sometimes honey becomes so thick that is difficult to pour. I simply heat the entire jar in a pot of boiling water until it softens.

Stir and stir until the cocoa powder is emulsified. Then add the oatmeal and mix in.

My air fryer is a very basic model from Chefman. This little appliance holds a small quantity — one cup of old-fashioned oatmeal is the maximum. It is perfect for this recipe.

Plus, the air fryer avoids heating up the oven and the kitchen — a good benefit.

Different brands and types of air fryers operate differently. Follow the instructions for the one you are using. My model heats up as soon as you add the ingredients. The fan is on the top the basket and blows hot air down and around the food — cooking from the top down. Stir the granola several times while baking.

Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper. Add the granola mixture to the basket. Cook on a low oven temperature — 300 degrees — for fifteen minutes. Stir every five minutes.

When baking is complete, spread the granola in a single layer on a parchment paper to cool.

The granola is crunchy — and a little sticky — because of the honey. It is delicious with just a hint of chocolate flavor.

Sprinkle granola (about 1/4 cup is a serving) on top of yogurt; add fruit to make a parfait. Or eat a handful as a snack — it is hard to resist. Or add some to breakfast cereal.

Enjoy!