Crunchy Peanut Butter Granola- Made simply with oats, peanut butter, coconut oil, and maple syrup, this may become one of your favorite snacks!
I've been making my own granola for years, but it has only been recently that I've finally nailed a recipe that my whole family loves!
To emphasize that point, let me fill you in...Sammy typically hates peanut butter (I know!), but loves this granola! I imagine the addition of two of his other favorites ingredients (oats and maple syrup) help, but it's still noteworthy.
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. I like to include a couple of tablespoons of seeds, for both taste and nutrition.
They also add a nice little 'pop' of color!
....it's also incredibly easy to make!
Crunchy Peanut Butter Granola
Ingredients
- 2 c. rolled oats
- ¼ c. creamy peanut butter I used salted
- ¼ c. maple syrup
- 2 T. coconut oil or butter
- 1 t. cinnamon
- 1 t. vanilla
- ⅛ t. salt
- 2 T. seeds such as sunflower, sesame, chia, etc., optional
Instructions
- 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!
Notes
Nutrition
SOME OF THE ITEMS I USE IN THIS RECIPE INCLUDE:
RECIPE STEPS:
Melting the wet ingredients in a saucepan...
Mix the oats, cinnamon, and salt separately...
Mixing all...
Pat into a flat circle (pre-bake)...
Post-bake, let it cool so those clusters form!
Clusters galore!
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?... 😉
Looking for a lower sugar granola? Check out some of my other recipes!
Low Sugar Buckwheat Granola
Sugar-Free Cinnamon 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.
Gabby @ the veggie nook
Awesome recipe Lauren, sounds delicious!
Just thought I'd mention- this isn't exactly nut free though because you use peanut butter 😉
Lauren
They're actually a legume! Weird, since 'nut' is in its name! 🙂
Gabby @ the veggie nook
Ahhh you are so correct! silly me, never even thought of that! Clever girl 🙂
sherry
Nut free? Did you mean to use sunflower seed butter, instead -- to make it nut free? 🙂
Lauren
No, peanuts are actually a legume. 🙂
sherry
Doh! OK, thanks!!
sherry
Sorry about my avatar -- I didn't design that -- just noticed it ... not sure how it got there.
Michelle @ Eat Move Balance
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. 🙂
Julie Moore
Oh, that looks so good! Gonna make some for the fam! Thanks for sharing!
Lauren
Thanks Julie! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Julie Moore
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!
Lauren
Hahaha, I'm so happy you like it! Thanks for letting me know!
jenny
can you use honey instead of maple? would it still be 1/4 cup???
Lauren
Hi Jenny, yes 1/4 cup of any liquid sweetener should work fine! 🙂
Lou
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!
Katherine Natalia @ Green Thickies
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 🙂
Shannon
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.
Lauren
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.
Lindsey F
I've made this recipe about a 1,000 times in the last year. I usually add dried black currants (1/4 cup), chopped UNSALTED peanuts (about another 1/4 cup), and a 1/4 teaspoon of coarse sea salt. The bites of salty goodness are SO GOOD in this recipe. Just wanted to thank you for this great recipe! It has made my tummy very happy.
Lauren
Haha, that's awesome Lindsey, thanks for the comment! 😀
Niv
I made this today after pinning it a few months ago because it sounded so good and it did not disappoint! Delicious. I have to admit I made it more sinful by adding mini vegan chocolate chips at the end after it cooled. I didn't realize it was SO easy to make granola. Other recipes have a lot of ingredients or go into detail about how to get the "clumps" that I love. Your recipe was easy and more importantly, delicious! I will make this over and over again!
Lauren
Hi Niv,
I'm so happy you enjoyed the granola, and I love your idea of adding chocolate chips. 🙂
Rebecca
My sister is also a firefighter and I made this for her crew today! They all loved it and ate it instead of the usually unhealthy snacks! Thanks again Lauren
Lauren
That's awesome Rebecca, I'm so happy that they all enjoyed it! 🙂
Sarah
Looks easy and yummy. Thank you for the recipe and for the I Love Lucy reference. 😉
Gabi
I think I have a new handy candy to eat while I roam useless in my house. Amazing recipe and a good read.