If you’re looking for a sugar free and oil free chocolate granola, this recipe is for you! This sugar free chocolate granola is made with wholesome ingredients, naturally sweetened with dates, and baked in an air fryer for a perfectly light and airy crunchy granola.
The key to making this crunchy yet oil free and sugar free chocolate granola is to bake it in an air fryer on low heat to dry out the chocolate date paste used to coat and sweeten the granola. The result is the best tasting healthy air fryer granola that is both oil and refined sugar free.
I added rice krispies to this recipe as they help yield that light, airy crunch that I love, but you can also substitute the rice krispies with more oats. Cocoa powder blended with dates provides the delicious, rich, chocolatey flavor that we all love, while the almond flakes and walnuts add a crunch of healthy fats.
This easy chocolate granola recipe only takes 5 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes of cooking time. Within 50 minutes, you will have a yummy sugar-free and oil-free granola for the whole family to enjoy. Oils are often used in store-bought granola to provide that crunch, but oil is not needed when you make a healthy air fryer granola that is air fried at a low temperature.
Oil Free Chocolate Granola Recipe
- 2 cups rice krispies
- 2 cups oats
- 1/4 cup almond flakes
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1.5 cups dates, soaked for 1 hour
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional for extra flavor)
How to make the Air Fryer Chocolate Granola
- Prep the Dry Ingredients
- Combine the oats, rice krispies, almond flakes, and chopped walnuts in a large mixing bowl. Stir until evenly mixed.
- Make the Chocolate Date Paste
- In a blender, combine the soaked dates, water, and vanilla extract (if using). Blend until smooth. Add the cocoa powder and blend again until fully incorporated.
- Mix Everything Together
- Pour the chocolate date paste over the dry ingredients. Stir well until all the dry ingredients are coated evenly.
- Air Fry the Granola
- Preheat your air fryer to 250°F (if your model requires preheating). Spread the granola mixture evenly in the air fryer basket.
- For a 9-quart air fryer, you can cook it in one batch.
- If using a smaller air fryer, divide the mixture into two batches.
- Cook and Stir
- Air fry for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to ensure even baking.
- Cool and Store
- Once the granola is golden and crisp, remove it from the air fryer and let it cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Tips and Substitutions
- Air Fryer Type Matters: I used the 9-quart Beautiful air fryer by Drew Barrymore. You may need to cook in batches if you’re using a smaller model or one without a large basket.
- Adjust Cooking Time: Cooking times may vary depending on your air fryer’s make and model. Check frequently to prevent over-baking.
- Versatile Add-ins: You can substitute the nuts and seeds in your own granola with unsweetened coconut flakes, pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
Enjoy this guilt-free yet yummy oil free chocolate granola with plain yogurt and fruit, or with your favorite plant-based milk! It’s also the perfect snack that tastes great on its own. I love making a yogurt fruit bowl with this granola for a quick breakfast that is perfect for busy mornings.
Nutritional Benefits of the Oil Free Chocolate Granola
This refined sugar and oil-free chocolate granola is a nutritional powerhouse with ample vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins for energy. It is exceptionally high in molybdenum and manganese while also containing high amounts of magnesium, iron, selenium, copper, phosphorus, and zinc.
According to Cronometer (a fantastic app for tracking your nutritional and caloric intake) This air fryer chocolate granola contains:
- Calories: 395
- Protein: 11 grams
- Carbs: 57 grams
- Fat: 13 grams
I love the texture of this light yet crunchy air fryer granola that is free of oil and refined sugar. Now that I have learned how to make a variety of oil and refined sugar granola recipes, I rarely buy store-bought granola. I often double the batches as it doesn’t last long in my house with my partner and little girl who have been enjoying the granola as much as me.
Also be sure to check out my Oil Free Granola Recipes E-book that you can subscribe to access in my library of free E-books. All the E-books are designed to be downloaded or printed on standard paper to create your own recipe book binder.
Sugar Free & Oil Free Chocolate Granola – Healthy Air Fryer Granola
Equipment
- 1 air fryer
- 1 Vitamix blender
- 1 Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 2 cups rice krispies
- ¼ cup almond flakes
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- ¼ cup raw cocoa powder
- 1½ cups dates
- ½ cup water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups oats
Instructions
- In a bowl soak the dates in water for 1 hour
- Combine the oats, rice krispies, almond flakes, and chopped walnuts in a large mixing bowl and stir.
- In a blender, combine the soaked dates, water, and vanilla extract (if using). Blend until smooth. Add the cocoa powder and blend again until fully incorporated
- Pour the chocolate date paste over the dry ingredients. Stir well until all the dry ingredients are coated evenly.
- Preheat your air fryer to 250°F (if your model requires preheating). Spread the granola mixture evenly in the air fryer basket.For a 9-quart air fryer, you can cook it in one batch. If using a smaller air fryer, divide the mixture into two batches.
- Air fry for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to ensure even baking.
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