This is what dreams are made of.

You know, if your dreams consist of semi-sweet chocolate, white chocolate, and crushed peppermint candies.

And I’m not going to lie – mine occasionally do.

The only thing that could make this granola better is if it had 0 calories.  Because I want to eat all of it. Like right now.

This granola is what I refer to as a “dessert granola”.  It’s not something I would generally eat for breakfast, but I wouldn’t mind a heaping pile on top of some vanilla yogurt.

You know, like those Chobani flips?  Yeah.  This is like that, only better.  Because I can control how much add-ins I get.  So, if I want one cup of yogurt to two cups of granola I can.  And Audrey loveeeees those flips.  She wants to eat them at least once a day.  If I haven’t pulled one out for breakfast, the next time the refrigerator is open – she’s standing there, reaching for them on her own.

I’m telling you, guysss. If you haven’t made a single thing from the twelve days of Christmas, you need to make this.  Old fashioned oats and chopped almonds are slathered in a chocolate mixture and baked until oh-so-crunchy. Immediately after pulling it out of the oven, buttery pecans and semi-sweet chocolate chips are added.  The heat melts the chocolate chips ever so slightly but enough to glue the crunchy oats into little clusters before being drizzled with white chocolate chips and sprinkled with crushed peppermint candies.

Sounds divine, doesn’t it?  So, on the 10th day of Christmas, I’m sharing with you: peppermint bark granola.

Peppermint Bark Granola

{via}

• 1/3 c light brown sugar
• 1/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 c maple syrup
• 1/3 c coconut oil
• 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 c almonds, chopped
• 4 c old fashioned oats
• 3/4 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 c pecans, chopped
• 1/3 c white chocolate chips
• 1/2 tsp coconut oil
• 2 tbsp. crushed peppermint candies

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cocoa powder, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth.  Add the almonds and oats, and with a spatula, fold the mixture until the oats and almonds are completely coated.  Pour onto baking sheet and place in oven.  Bake for 20 minutes, rotate pan, and then bake for an addition 20-25  minutes.

When your oats are done baking, remove pan and immediately sprinkle the pecans and chocolate chips.  Allow granola to cool on baking sheet for 1-2 hours.

Place white chocolate and remaining tsp of coconut oil into a microwave safe dish, heating in 30 second intervals until completely melted.  Be careful not too overcook or you will seize the chocolate. Once completely melted – pour, add to a plastic bag and snip the tip, or drizzle with a chocolate drizzler over top of the granola. Sprinkle with crushed peppermint candies and allow white chocolate to harden completely before storing in air-tight container (for up to two weeks!).

 

 

Yup.  I’m telling you.  Dreams, people, DREAMS.