A few months ago, Starbucks offered me samples of their Via instant coffee.  Now despite working in a building which has three Starbucks (yes, you read that correctly, three), I don’t actually drink their coffee very often.  At home we favor Stumptown or Tony’s, brewed in a French press.  If I’m going out, I’ll choose Aster Coffee Lounge in my own neighborhood or Monorail Espresso if downtown.

I was intrigued by the idea of baking with Via though.  The first thing I worked up was an easy granola.  I figured it would be perfect for mornings where it was just too much work to pour a bowl of cereal and make coffee. I usually prefer unsweetened versions of non-dairy “milks” but sweetened hemp milk or almond milk is is a nice complement to the dusky coffee flavor of this granola.  My dairy-eating husband likes it with vanilla yogurt.

Mocha Granola

2 C gluten-free rolled oats
1/2 C chopped almonds or roasted peanuts
2 T raw or granulated sugar
1 packet Starbucks Via instant coffee
1/4 tsp salt
2 T vegetable oil
3 T honey or agave syrup
1/3 C small dairy-free dark chocolate chips (Whole Foods Dark Chocolate Mini Chunks are perfect size)
1/3 C raisins

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

In a large bowl, stir together the oats, almonds or peanuts, sugar, dry instant coffee and salt.

Pour the vegetable oil and honey or agave over the dry ingredients, and stir to combine well.

Spread the mixture evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 25-30  minutes until the oats are golden brown.  Stir 2-3 times while baking to ensure even browning.  When it’s done, remove the pan from the oven, stir granola well and allow to cool completely.

When cool, mix in the chocolate chips and raisins.  Store in an airtight container or plastic bag.