This Plant-Based Peanut Butter Granola Recipe is Happiness in a Bowl
Skip the overly sweet store bought granolas.
Delicious and nourishing morning breakfasts, (or afternoon snacks!) that are filled with wholesome pantry ingredients are a dime a dozen. But this peanut butter granola recipe is just one of those special and delicious recipes that you’ll come back to time and time again – plus it’s gluten-free and plant-based.
Buying the Ingredients: Peanut Butter
The star of this peanut butter granola recipe is, of course, delicious and creamy peanut butter.
Filled with B vitamins, copper, manganese, vitamin E, and protein, peanut butter (and peanuts) are a delicious way to reap essential nutrients. When it comes to jars of the salty sweet stuff, however, not all peanut butter is created equally.
Most commercial peanut butter jars are filled with additional ingredients that turn this healthy snack into more of a health bomb. Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated refined oils, added sugars, and excessive amounts of sodium are just a few of the ingredients that can be lurking in a jar of PB.
Choose organic peanut butter that contains one simple ingredient: peanuts. If you prefer a salted peanut butter, look for one that uses sea salt. Some of my favorite organic and minimally processed peanut butter brands include Whole Foods Market 365 brand, Woodstock Farms, Santa Cruz Organic, Brad’s Organic, Crazy Richard’s, Trader Joe’s, and Simple Truth Kroger brand peanut butter.
Peanut Butter Granola Kitchen Prep
This peanut butter granola recipe can be made within an hour – hello, easy breakfast!
To make the granola, simply melt together the peanut butter, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and coconut oil on the stove while you mix together the dry ingredients.
The dry ingredients – oats, quinoa, and amaranth – are incredibly healthy whole grains filled with fiber, protein, and B vitamins. As the quinoa, oats, and amaranth do not need to cook before making this granola, the prep couldn’t be easier.
Other dry ingredients include peanuts for a delicious crunch, sweet and warming cinnamon, and a touch of sea salt for flavor and depth.
If necessary, this recipe can be modified to suit dietary needs. Peanut allergy? Simply swap peanut butter with almond butter and peanuts with almonds. The same can be done with cashew butter and cashews, or even coconut butter and coconut flakes.
To make this peanut butter granola recipe a real treat, add in a handful of chocolate chips once the peanut butter granola mixture has cooled. Other tasty additions include raw flaked coconut, dried unsweetened raisins, and chopped dates or dried figs.
This granola is delicious with berries, almond milk, or cashew milk, coconut yogurt, or topped on smoothies. It also tastes delicious when eaten by the handful!
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Granola Recipe
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a large cookie sheet with coconut oil and set aside.
- Heat a small saucepot on the stove over medium heat and combine peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Melt mixture together until smooth and creamy. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine cinnamon, sea salt, oats, amaranth, quinoa, and peanuts. Pour in creamy peanut butter mixture and stir until well combined.
- Spread granola mixture on prepared cookie sheet. Use your hands to ball up pieces of granola into clumps, if you want a crunchier texture.
- Bake in oven for 30-40 minutes, or until granola is lightly browned, stirring the granola once gently half way through.
- Remove from oven and let sit until completely cooled – at least another 25-30 minutes.
- Once cooled, break granola apart and devour.
- Leftover granola will keep in an airtight container for five days.
