Air Fryer Chocolate Nut Granola is made with old-fashioned oats, unsweetened cocoa powder, maple syrup, pecans, and sliced almonds. It cooks in the air fryer in 10 minutes and forms crisp clusters as it cools. It's perfect for yogurt parfaits, Valentine's breakfasts, and small-batch granola lovers.
Ready in: 35 minutes | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Easy | Make‑ahead friendly: Yes | Air Fryer friendly: Yes | Small-batch friendly: Yes
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Clusters: Makes true granola clusters, not loose cereal
- Deep chocolate flavor: Unsweetened cocoa sweetened with maple syrup
- Small-batch: Perfect for when you don't want a lot
- Quick and easy: Mix, air fry for 10 minutes, cool for 20 minutes
Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need
Steps to Make Chocolate Nut Granola
- Bloom the Cocoa: Whisk together the unsweetened cocoa, cinnamon, salt, maple syrup, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until smooth and glossy. This prevents dry cocoa pockets and ensures even chocolate flavor.
- Build the granola: Add the oats, pecans, and sliced almonds, mixing until everything is evenly coated.
- Transfer to air fryer: Spread the granola mixture in an even layer in the basket or pan of an air fryer lined with perforated parchment. Don't pack it down.
- Air fry: Air fry at 320°F for 10 to 11 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes. After the final stir, gently press the granola into a loose slab.
- Cool undisturbed: Remove the granola from the air fryer and let it cool in the air fryer bowl or basket without stirring for 15 to 20 minutes. This allows the crisp clusters to form.
- Break into clusters: Lift and break the slab along the natural fault lines into clusters about 1 to 1½ inches in size.
This air fryer chocolate nut granola proves that you don't need a full oven or long bake time to make deeply flavorful, crisp granola clusters.
With intentional ratios, proper cooling, and a small-batch approach, this recipe delivers every time. Yum!
Chula's Test Kitchen Tips
- The granola will feel slightly soft when hot, but will crisp up as it cools. Therefore, judge the texture only after cooling.
- Do not be tempted to spread the granola out on a piece of parchment paper to dry. The clusters set best when the granola is left intact as it cools.
- Maple syrup pairs better with cocoa than honey, producing a cleaner chocolate flavor.
- This granola is ideal for 2-ounce parfait inserts and yogurt cups for on-the-go.
- Weigh your ingredients, especially the oats. Old-fashioned oats vary widely by brand. This was tested using the listed recipe weights to ensure consistent results.
- I made this granola in a Ninja Crispi Pro. Different air fryers might require time adjustments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Air fryers are excellent for small-batch granola. The reason is that the circulating heat cooks the granola quickly and evenly.
Cinnamon is optional in this recipe. I used ½ teaspoon, which enhanced the cocoa without the granola tasting cinnamony.
If stored in an airtight container at room temperature, the granola should last up to 7 days.
This recipe was tested with Dutch-process cocoa powder, which yields a richer, more mellow chocolate flavor. Natural cocoa gives a sharper chocolate flavor. Both will work. The difference is purely a flavor preference.
Other Granola Recipes
If you're a fan of granola, check out these recipes:
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Recipe
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Air Fryer Chocolate Nut Granola
Equipment
- Air Fryer with parchment liner
- Large Bowl
- whisk
- Spoon
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (0.88 ounces, 25 grams) unsweetened cocoa (See Tip 1)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ⅓ cup (3.88 ounces, 110 grams) pure maple syrup (See Tip 2)
- ⅓ cup (2.65 ounces, 75 grams) vegetable oil (See Tip 3)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (8 ounces, 227 grams) old-fashioned oats (See Tip 4)
- ⅓ cup (1.5 ounces, 43 grams) chopped pecans (See Tip 5)
- ⅓ cup (1 ounce, 28 grams) sliced almonds (See Tip 5)
Instructions
- Whisk together the unsweetened cocoa, cinnamon, salt, maple syrup, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract in a large bowl.
- Add the oats, pecans, and almonds; stir to combine.
- Place a parchment liner in the air fryer basket. Transfer the granola mixture to the air fryer.
- Air fry the granola at 320°F for 10 minutes, stirring twice. (See Tip 6)
- Remove the basket from the air fryer and press the granola down with a spatula to encourage clusters.
- Allow to cool, undisturbed in the air fryer basket for 20 minutes. The granola will firm and form clusters as it cools.
- Break into bite-sized clusters.
- Yield: 4 servings. (See Tip 7)
Video
Tips/Notes
- I used Dutch-process cocoa powder in this recipe, but you can also use natural unsweetened cocoa powder.
- You can substitute honey for the maple syrup. However, the maple syrup pairs better with the chocolate than honey.
- I used peanut oil because that's what I had on hand. You can also use avocado oil or canola oil.
- For best results, weigh the oats. Different brands vary widely. I used Quaker old-fashioned oats. I would not recommend substituting quick oats in this recipe.
- It is not necessary to toast the nuts before adding them to the mixture. The air fryer will toast them.
- I made this recipe using my Ninja Crispi Pro. Different air fryers might require time adjustments.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
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