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Hello everyone! Welcome to the first post of Firefighter February!
(I know how you all love my artwork. 
)
This is the month of love, and for that reason, I will be featuring the recipes of mine that my husband loves best! His favorites run the gamut from simple snacks (like the recipe today) to savory side dishes to sweet treats (usually involving chocolate). I know you won’t be disappointed!
I’ve been making my own granola for years, but it has only been recently that I’ve finally nailed a recipe that my family and I LOVE!
In the past, I’ve added nuts and dried fruit, only to then eliminate the dried fruit (it’s sweet enough without it, isn’t it?) and now the nuts. I really want the oats to be the star….with some help from my favorite peanut butter….
One great thing about this recipe is that it is highly adaptable, meaning you can easily add in nuts and fruit if you like….
….it’s also incredibly easy to make!
(See below for a xylitol-based option)
- 2 c. rolled oats
- ¼ c. creamy peanut butter (I used salted)
- ¼ c. maple syrup
- 2 T. coconut oil or butter
- 1¼ t. cinnamon
- 1 t. vanilla
- ⅛ t. salt
- 2 T. flax seeds, chia seeds, or black sesame seeds, optional
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- In a medium saucepan over low heat, add the oil or butter, peanut butter, and maple syrup.
- Heat the mixture just until the oil/butter is melted.
- Remove from heat.
- Stir in the cinnamon, vanilla, and salt until everything is emulsified.
- Lastly, stir in the oats and seeds, if using, until the oats are evenly coated.
- Pat the mixture into a tight square shape on a cookie sheet (this ensures you will get big clusters as opposed to individual oats, if that is your desire).
- Bake for 25 minutes, untouched.
- Cool for 15-20 minutes.
- Break into clusters and enjoy!
When you pat the mixture onto a cookie sheet, it will resemble this…
….leaving it untouched during the baking process ensures you will get the elusive clusters unique to granola (let it cool first!)…
….as big as you desire!…
I’ve received a few inquiries on low-sugar liquid sweeteners, so for those of you looking to lower your sugars or glycemic indicies, you can use this simple recipe for making a xylitol-based syrup:
Boil 2 parts xylitol with 1 part water (for instance, 1/2 cup of xylitol and 1/4 cup of water) until the xylitol has dissolved and the mixture thickens a bit. This will make a syrup with a similar consistency of honey or maple syrup. Let cool and use in place of other liquid sweeteners.
I don’t use xylitol much, but on the rare occasion I do, I use birch based brands such as this one in lieu of the corn-based, as I am wary of GM ingredients. I’ve also read it’s toxic to doggies, so that scares me!
….yum-my!
It’s so tasty too!…
So why don’t you join the thousands of happy, peppy people, and make a great big batch of Peanut Butter Granola?…. 
What are your favorite granola add-ins?
I really love adding black sesame seeds! They’re often used in Asian recipes, and are known for their high mineral content as well as promoting kidney and liver health.
Shared with: Healthy Vegan Friday, Fight Back Friday, Healthy 2day, Gluten-Free Wednesday, Wheat-Free Wednesday
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Tagged: Easy, Gluten-free, Granola, Healthy, Oats, Peanut butter, Vegan
Welcome! I'm Lauren, a business graduate with a penchant for all things culinary. It is my goal to create the healthiest recipes possible without sacrificing taste. I eat a little bit of everything, so you will find a vast variety of delicious recipes to choose from. Thank you for visiting, and I hope you enjoy! 
Awesome recipe Lauren, sounds delicious!
Just thought I’d mention- this isn’t exactly nut free though because you use peanut butter
Gabby @ the veggie nook recently posted..healthy vegan friday #28
They’re actually a legume! Weird, since ‘nut’ is in its name!
Ahhh you are so correct! silly me, never even thought of that! Clever girl
Gabby @ the veggie nook recently posted..healthy vegan friday #28
Nut free? Did you mean to use sunflower seed butter, instead — to make it nut free?
No, peanuts are actually a legume.
Doh! OK, thanks!!
Sorry about my avatar — I didn’t design that — just noticed it … not sure how it got there.
I agree that good granola needs to have oats as the star of the show! Like you, I rarely add dried fruit (and if I did, it was raisins). I did make a vanilla almond granola, that included some almond slivers, and another time I added small walnut pieces to a cinnamon based granola. Your peanut butter granola sounds like something my husband would love! He’s a huge PB fan.
Michelle @ Eat Move Balance recently posted..Friday’s Five
Oh, that looks so good! Gonna make some for the fam! Thanks for sharing!
Julie Moore recently posted..Sweets For My Sweetie: Chocolate Syrup (Soy, Egg, Fish, Milk, Nut and Wheat-Free, Can Be Diabetic Friendly)
Thanks Julie! I hope you enjoy it!
We are enjoying it, thank you! I had to hide it so that I didn’t eat it all in one sitting…Seriously! Absolutely yummy!
Julie Moore recently posted..Sweets For My Sweetie: Chocolate Syrup (Soy, Egg, Fish, Milk, Nut and Wheat-Free, Can Be Diabetic Friendly)
Hahaha, I’m so happy you like it! Thanks for letting me know!
can you use honey instead of maple? would it still be 1/4 cup???
Hi Jenny, yes 1/4 cup of any liquid sweetener should work fine!
Sounds great! I know peanuts are really legumes, but I think the majority of people would still think they are a nut…. I know when schools are “nut free” peanuts are the worst offenders!
Lou recently posted..holistic healing (and nut free caramel treats)
Umm this looks amazing!
Matt @ The Athlete’s Plate recently posted..Love Grown Hot Oats Giveaway Winner
Thanks Matt! This would be a good snack for you to take to work.
This looks amazing and I adore peanut butter. I’ve bookmarked this to try this recipe when I finally get around to making granola again. Yum! This was one of the most popular posts on Health Vegan Fridays last week! http://www.greenthickies.com/healthy-vegan-friday-29
Have a great weekend and I hope to see you back today, Katherine
Katherine Natalia @ Green Thickies recently posted..Comment on Healthy Vegan Friday #29 by janet @ the taste space
If you have a nut allergy you can use an alternative like Sunbutter. Legume or not, this recipe still contains nuts if you have a nut allergy. Please be informed if you are going to use a title containing “Nut Free.”
Thanks so much,
Every mom struggling to keep her babies safe.
Hi Shannon,
I’m not entirely sure what you mean when you say that the recipe still contains nuts. A legume is not a nut. Peanuts actually grow underground, as opposed to trees like nuts. They are in the same family as peas and lentils. I am well aware that many children are allergic to peanuts, but this recipe is ‘nut-free’ not allergy-free. As a mother myself who has children with severe food allergies, I have to read labels AND titles to keep my kids healthy and safe. Please take personal responsibility with the food you provide/make your children.