Easy Homemade Peanut Butter Granola

Let's chat about granola and why its a great "add in" to your meals and snacks.

Most granola is rich in protein and fiber which helps satiate you and keep full.  High fiber foods like oats, nuts and seeds ( what my homemade granola is made up of!!) even slows down the emptying of the stomach and increases digestion time- both beneficial for helping you feel full longer and can even help control appetite.

Other benefits that granola offers-

Improved blood pressure- high fiber foods like oats have been shown to reduce blood pressure

Reduce Cholesterol levels-  Because oats are a good source of beta glucan- which is a type of fiber that works to reduce total and LDL cholesterol levels 

Antioxidants- when you add in things like coconut, chia seeds, and nuts these are all good sources of the antioxidants "gallic, quercetin, selenium and vitamin E" which help fight inflammation

The "not so good" things about SOME granola is it can be packed with added fats and sugars.  So making sure you are reading nutrition labels and paying attention to the serving size, sugar content, and amount of protein and fiber per serving is key!  

If that seems too daunting I suggest making your own!  You are then in power of not only what you choose to add in to your granola you know exactly what type of ingredients you are using.

Here's the recipe I have been using- I love that its completely adjustable and you can add in extra things that you like.

The base of my recipe has Peanut Butter- but you could switch it to any nut or seed butter.  It's crunchy with big clusters and tons of flavour! 

The best part is there are no refined oils or sugar- just 4 main ingredients and its a quick simple process!

What you need-

Oats- I use old fashioned oats for a chewy texture!

Peanut Butter- Use natural peanut butter that only has peanuts listed on the label.

Maple Syrup-  You can substitute this with honey or coconut sugar or even your favourite sweetener

Coconut Oil- You can substitute with whatever you have on hand

Salt- this enhances the flavour of the granola

Cinnamon- optional but gives a yummy warm depth of flavour

Customize the recipe with add-ins like chocolate chips, dried cranberries, coconut flakes and even roasted peanuts

Let's get to the recipe!

Peanut Butter Granola

Ingredients

*1/2 cup natural peanut butter creamy or crunchy

*2 tablespoons of coconut oil

*1/3 cup pure maple syrup 

*1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon- optional

*1/4 teaspoon salt

*3 cups old fashioned oats

Equipment

Rimmed Baking Sheet

Parchment Paper

Instructions-

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Place peanut butter and coconut oil in a large microwavable bowl and heat until melted.  Add the maple syrup, cinnamon, salt and stir well to combine.  Add the oats and stir well until coated with peanut butter mixture.

Pour the oat mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread evenly and packing it down well.  DO NOT STIR- we want big clusters!

Bake on middle rack of oven for 25 minutes or until golden...again...DO NOT STIR!!

Remove from oven and cool completely.

Once cooled break the granola up into chunks and ADD IN any variations you want- I added chocolate chips, coconut flakes and dried cranberries.

Store in an air tight container at room temperature.

Enjoy on its own, or add to homemade yogurt!