This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GranolaMyWay #CollectiveBias
You’re going to thank me for introducing these chocolate granola clusters into your life.
My husband has been getting up VERY early and going to the gym every day. And by very early, I mean 2 AM. He works 2 jobs, and his first one starts at 4:30, so in order to get a workout in before he gets up shortly after I go to bed. This leaves his evenings free to spend with the family. He has never been an avid gym rat, so I really admire his determination to make some healthy changes.
One of the biggest changes in my life since I became 100% self-employed has been my alarm clock. Gone are the days of having to roll out of bed at 5:30 and get ready for work. Usually I let my husband wake me up when he gets home from his first job. I decided since he is making some serious sacrifices in sleep to honor his commitment to get healthy, that I will do my best to try to support him in those efforts. I started setting my alarm for 6, so I could get up and pack his lunch and make sure the house is picked up before he gets home. This saves him time as he scrambles to get to his second job, plus, isn’t lunch always better when someone else makes it?
I was packing him the usual fare, sandwiches, candy bars, potato chips – foods that were convenient to pack and convenient for him to eat while he is driving his delivery routes. But those kinds of snacks didn’t make a lot of sense for someone who was so determined to change their health. Instead of thinking of things in terms of big, sweeping changes, I like to think, “What is the better option?” I wasn’t going to STOP sending him snacks, but I wanted to make better choices in the quality of what I was sending.
I made a quick trip to Walmart to see what I could come up with. And by quick, I mean I actually walked since Walmart is only a block or so away from my house. See what I mean about making a better choice?
I found the Quaker® Real Medleys SuperGrains Blueberry Pecan granola, and headed back to the kitchen to whip out what may be the most delicious snack to ever grace my husband’s lunches. Quaker® Real Medleys SuperGrains Granola is a special blend of seven super-grains, seeds, fruits, and nuts, so it is hearty and satisfying with a boost of nutrition. This can also be eaten with milk, so it would be a way to start the day as part of a good breakfast, but lets get back to snacking.
You will need to gather a baking sheet, parchment paper, a bag of either Quaker® Real Medleys SuperGrains Blueberry Pecan, or Quaker® Real Medleys SuperGrains Cinnamon Apple Walnut (I chose Quaker® Real Medleys SuperGrains Blueberry Pecan for this recipe), some olive oil, some honey, and of course, some dark chocolate chips.
Chocolate Granola Clusters
Whisk the honey and oil together in a large bowl, and then add the Quaker® Real Medleys SuperGrains Blueberry Pecan granola and stir together.
Once the ingredients are incorporated, press it into a parchment-paper-lined backing sheet, and pop into a pre-heated oven at 325º for about 30 minutes.
Once you remove it from the oven, you’ll want to let it cool for about an hour. In the meantime, take your chocolate chips and either melt them in 30-second increments in the microwave, or use the double-boiler method.
I don’t have a microwave, so I use a glass measuring cup and put it in a saucepan of hot water, then stir continually until it is melted. Break your cooled granola into chunks, then take the chocolate by the spoonful and drizzle it over the pieces, and let the chocolate completely set up.
At this point, your house will smell so amazing you may want to pop the pan in the fridge to speed up this process. Store in a sealed container. If you have any left, that is.
These are SO good! My husband has requested that these stay a regular in the lunchbox rotation.
You can check out all of the Quaker® Real Medley offerings here. Which flavor of Quaker® Real Medleys SuperGrains will you try for this recipe?
- 2 11 oz packages of Quaker® Real Medleys SuperGrains Blueberry Pecan
- 1/2 C olive oil
- 1/2 C honey
- 1 1/2 C dark chocolate chips, melted
- Mix olive oil and honey in a large bowl, Stir in Quaker® Real Medleys SuperGrains Blueberry Pecan until incorporated. Press onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 325º for 20 minutes. Allow to cool, then drizzle melted chocolate chips over pan. Allow chocolate to set up, then break into large pieces. Store in an airtight container.
Leave a Reply