Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C). This ensures that your granola will bake evenly and get that perfect crunchy texture.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the old fashioned oats, cooked quinoa, chopped almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and chia seeds. Mix well to ensure everything is evenly distributed.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the salted butter. Once melted, add in the honey and vanilla extract. Stir until well combined and remove from heat.
Pour the melted butter mixture over the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl. Using a spatula, mix everything together until the dry ingredients are well-coated with the butter, honey, and vanilla.
Line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the granola mixture evenly across the sheet, pressing it down slightly to help it clump together.
Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring halfway through. You want the granola to be golden brown and fragrant.
Once the granola is baked, remove it from the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes. After it cools slightly, mix in the chocolate chips. The residual heat will soften the chocolate, creating delicious melty pockets throughout the granola.
Allow the granola to cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring it to an airtight container. This will help it to firm up and maintain its chewy texture.
