This Peanut Butter Granola recipe is healthy, crunchy and packed with big peanut butter flavor. There isn't much better than making a batch of homemade granola then enjoying it for breakfasts and snacks all through the week. We love a good meal prep recipe like this granola.
Homemade crunchy granola is one of our favorite ways to start the day. Sure, there are plenty (we mean PLENTY) of store-bought granola options, but it's just so easy to make our own. So, why buy granola when you can make your own? And this recipe is all about that nutty peanut butter flavor, which we happen to love. In fact, we love peanut butter for breakfast so much we even made a Peanut Butter and Jam Baked Oatmeal.
To get the most out of this recipe, be sure to store the granola in a airtight container, preferably a big mason jar, and use it up within 5 days. We love it on yogurt, with milk or packed in a small baggie as trail mix for car rides and hikes.
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Ingredients that Matter
Most of these ingredients are already in your pantry, plus we'll give you some options on simple tweaks to the base recipe. Here's the ingredients you'll need:
- Peanut Butter. We recommend using natural creamy peanut butter for this recipe. We choose natural because we don't want added palm oil or sugar, and creamy peanut butter simply for personal preference (we always have creamy peanut butter on hand!).
- Rolled Oats. Use old fashioned rolled oats for this granola recipe.
- Maple Syrup. To sweeten the granola we reach for maple syrup. It's a natural sweetener, and since it's a liquid, it blends easily into the peanut butter. You could swap in honey, if desired.
- Oil. Adding a bit of oil helps make the granola crunchy. We use peanut oil, but you can swap in melted coconut oil, vegetable oil, olive oil or any light flavored oil.
- Peanuts. To further enhance the peanut butter flavor of this granola we add some peanuts. We like to use lightly salted dry roasted peanuts. If you use unsalted peanuts, be sure to add a pinch of salt to the granola.
- Sunflower Seeds. We love sunflower seeds in granola! The little seeds get completely coated in the peanut butter and maple syrup mixture, making for sweet and nutty toasted seeds. Yum!
- Cinnamon. Just a hint of cinnamon flavor goes a long way in this granola recipe. We only use ½ teaspoon, but that's enough to give it a store-bought quality.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Making homemade granola is super simple. And homemade peanut butter granola is no different! Here's how it comes together:
Whisk together in a large bowl the peanut butter, maple syrup, oil and cinnamon until smooth. There's no need to microwave the peanut butter first if you use natural creamy peanut butter.
Add the oats, peanuts and sunflower seeds to the bowl and stir with a spoon or spatula. The mixture will be thick, but continue stirring until the oats are completely covered in the peanut butter mixture.
Layer the granola in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gently press to the edges of the pan then bake in a 275F oven until toasted, dried and slightly browned, 45-50 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Remove from the oven and cool for at least 10 minutes. The granola is done when it feels dry to the touch. Once cooled, transfer to an airtight container or mason jar and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Hint: Use parchment paper (we love sheets of parchment, like this Baklicious Pre-Cut Heavy Duty Parchment Baking Paper) for easy cleaning. Plus, you can simply use the parchment to pour the granola into a mason jar.
Substitutions
This recipe is gluten-free so long as you choose a gluten-free rolled oats. Read your labels and don't assume all oats are gluten-free.
Swap out the maple syrup for another liquid sweetener like honey or even agave. And omit the sunflower seeds and instead add a tablespoon or two of flax or chia seeds for an even healthier granola.
Oats Health Benefits
Oats are a classic "health food" thanks to their high protein, nutrients, soluble fiber, and antioxidants. Granola, in fact, has long been considered a healthy alternative to other dried cereals. And while that's mostly true (thanks to nutrient dense oats), many store-bought granolas are loaded with additional sugar and fat. Yes, this recipe has added sugar and fat (by way of maple syrup of peanut oil), but it's likely less than you'd find in grocery store granola.
Simple Additions
We love snacking on this homemade granola by the handful, but there's some great ways to pack even more flavor and nutrients. We love adding freeze-dried strawberries but sometimes they are hard to find here in Vermont.
Luckily we found a great solution! With our Amazon Prime membership we can now order pantry staples from Whole Foods! Since there isn't a Whole Foods anywhere nearby, we love being able to order 365 label ingredients like their Freeze-Dried Strawberries and they are delivered straight to our house. Amazing!
Here are some other serving suggestions:
- Add dried raisins, cranberries or cherries
- Add a variety of nuts like chopped almonds, pecans or walnuts
- Stir in ground flax or chia seeds
- Stir in chocolate chips
- Add a big pinch of pumpkin pie spice
- Finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt
Storage and Meal Prep
This granola recipe is great for meal prep! It makes about 6 cups, so that's plenty to enjoy throughout the week. Be sure to store in an airtight container and leave it at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Try adding ½ cup to yogurt along with fresh berries and a drizzle of maple syrup for breakfast. Or make trail mix by adding freeze dried berries, dried fruit, more nuts, coconut and chocolate chips and divide ½ cup portions in reusable baggies.
FAQ
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, homemade granola will stay fresh for up to 5 days.
Use natural creamy peanut butter to avoid added palm oil or sugar. Plus, natural peanut butter mixes easily into the oats and maple syrup.
Try adding freeze dried fruit, dried cherries or raisins, shredded coconut, nuts or chocolate chips.
Related
Looking for other breakfast recipes like this? Try these:
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Recipe
Peanut Butter Granola
- Total Time: 65 min.
- Yield: About 6 cups 1x
Description
This Peanut Butter Granola recipe is healthy, crunchy and packed with big peanut butter flavor. There isn't much better than making a batch of homemade granola then enjoying it for breakfasts and snacks all through the week. We love a good meal prep recipe like this granola.
Ingredients
- ½ cup natural creamy peanut butter
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup peanut oil (or melted coconut oil)
- ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- 4 cups rolled oats
- ½ cup lightly salted dry roasted peanuts
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- freeze-dried fruit, dried cherries, raisins, coconut and/or chocolate chips for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk together peanut butter, maple syrup, oil and cinnamon together in a large bowl until smooth. Add oats, peanuts and sunflower seeds and stir with a spoon or spatula until well combined. Be sure to continue stirring until the oats are completely coated in the peanut butter mixture.
- Transfer mixture to the prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Bake until the granola is dried, toasty and slightly browned, 45-50 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking. Remove from the oven and cool at room temperature for 10 minutes. Serve with fruit, coconut or chocolate chips, if desired.
Notes
- Store leftover granola in an airtight container or mason jar for up to 5 days at room temperature.
- Use any light oil, like vegetable, canola, melted coconut or even a lite olive oil.
- Once cooked, stir in your favorite mix-ins, like dried fruit, coconut, pecans or walnuts, or chocolate chips.
- Using a sheet of parchment paper makes for easy cleanup, plus, you can use the sheet to easily transfer the granola to a mason jar.
- Prep Time: 10 min.
- Cook Time: 45 min.
- Category: Granola
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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