Hello and Happy New Year to YOU! I’m crazy excited about all that 2017 has in store…most notably meeting this precious baby girl in April! While I’ve been super grateful for maternity jeans during the holidays {hello stretchy waist, I love you}, I’m vey ready to take a chill pill on the sugar and get our family back in the swing of healthy eating!
I thoroughly enjoyed the indulgences of the holidays with zero regrets! However, we do generally eat very healthy around here, and I love that I get to share what works for my family with all of you lovely ladies and gents!
So let’s kick off 2017 with a tried and true family favorite recipe…this Healthy Peanut Butter Granola! It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, oil-free, refined-sugar free AND vegan! Perfect for any and all eaters in your life! Beloved by everyone who lives in my humble abode, it’s a great make-ahead breakfast for those of us who like to make the mornings as easy as possibly {i.e. sleep as long as we can}!
Yes it’s true. I am not a “hot breakfast every day” mom. We eat lots of muffins, smoothies, breakfast bars, baked oatmeal, and yogurt with granola…..all of which have been made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator or freezer. Oh and I can’t forget…we even eat….cereal {gasp}… 😉
I like to make breakfast as easy and desirable as possible for my kids. They almost always get to pick whatever they want in the mornings, because the last thing I’m looking for is a battle royale over finishing their first meal of the day. {Truth}. This is why I think it’s important to have a bunch of nutritious options, like this Healthy Peanut Butter Granola, on hand and ready to be chosen by hungry little tummies.
A few notes about this Healthy Peanut Butter Granola:
It is ridiculously easy to make. Just melt together the honey and peanut butter, add the other wet ingredients, mix in the dry ingredients, combine and bake!
In order to be extra sure your granola is done baking, remove a piece or two from the pan and let it cool on the countertop. If it hardens relatively quickly {in 1-2 minutes} then it’s done. If not, continue baking until it is crunchy at room temperature. No worries if you do under bake this healthy peanut butter granola and it becomes soft the next day, just pop it back into the oven for a few minutes to re-crisp it! Just be SUPER careful not to forget you put it back in the oven…I may have done this on more than one occasion. Whoopsies.
Substitutions:
Oats: I have had great success with both quick-cooking and old-fashioned oats in this recipe! Using the quick-cooking variety produces a chunkier granola (it’s what I used in the batch pictured).
Honey: You can easily substitute maple syrup for a vegan option!
Peanut Butter: Any nut or seed butter can be used in place of peanut butter. If you use a firmer variety of peanut butter {not a runny, natural kind}, just be sure to melt it completely with the honey before adding the rest of the wet ingredients.
And that’s really it folks! There’s nothing much to this deliciously healthy peanut butter granola! Serve on top of yogurt, drenched in almond milk, or snack on it pain! There’s no wrong way to enjoy this healthy breakfast!
Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashioned (or quick cooking) oats*
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ¼ cup natural peanut butter
- ¼ cup honey (or maple syrup for vegan)
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a large cookie sheet and set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together oats, salt and cinnamon. Set aside
- In a microwave safe dish or on the stovetop, melt the peanut butter and honey (or maple syrup) together until smooth.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
- Stir in dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
- Spread mixture on prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until granola is lightly browned, stirring the granola once gently half way through. (A great way to test for doneness is to remove a small portion of the granola from the pan and set it on the counter. If it hardens as it cools the rest of the granola is done)!
- Remove from oven and let sit until cooled.
- Once cooled, break apart and eat!
Question: How did you celebrate the New Year?!
Well, we rang in the New Year with my oldest throwing up all night and into the next day. I washed everything in our house that could go in the washing machine {I am not exaggerating either}, and disinfected every surface about 100 times. Plus I left the windows open most of the day {yep it’s freezing but we needed to air the place out}! These stomach bugs usually hit all of us, so I’m watching everyone like a hawk. Is it strange that I kind of wish we’d all just get it so we can move on with our lives? I’m putting our family on quarantine for the week so we don’t infect anyone else, just in case we’re carriers but not showing symptoms yet! Whomp. Whomp.
2017 is going to be a busy busy year for our family, but I am thankful I get to share the journey with all of you! <3 I will be focusing on healthy recipes to start the new year right in the next month or two…with a few fun Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day dishes thrown in! <3
Looking for more healthy, peanut buttery breakfast ideas?!
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Bars {Vegan & Gluten-Free}!
Blender Peanut Butter Banana Waffles {gluten & dairy-free}!
Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal {gluten & dairy free with a vegan option}!
If you want to stay connected or you make something from JoyFoodSunshine I would love to see your creations! #joyfoodsunshine
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Omg SO chunky and delicious!!!! I’m making this with sunflower seed butter (I’m allergic to nuts!) ASAP!!!
Perfect! You have to let me know how that turns out!!
I made it for the first time & mine did not get this formed , mine stayed like flat oats and didn’t ball up …..but it has the BEST taste, so I’ll try again.. Do you think more peanut butter maybe to form more round chunks like your pic?
i just made this and it came out the same as you Sheree. Any tips to have the end product crunchy and chunky, as opposed to crumbly version I made?
I would add more peanut butter and honey as well.
Hey Sheree and Jodie! If you make this using old-fashioned oats it is definitely less clumpy. Using quick cooking oats (which is what I used for these photos) results in a clumpier granola. Also, try pressing it onto the pan in one sheet (kind of stuck together) and baking it that way. When it’s time to stir, gently flip it in large pieces instead of breaking it up. You may just need to add an extra TBS of both peanut butter and honey to get it to stick together the way you’d like! Let me know if this is helpful or if you have more questions!
The extra honey & PB helped so much!!!!! I made the first batch without the extra and it definitely needed it !!! Love this recipe !!! Amazing
YAY Karen! I’m so glad you found out what works for you and enjoyed it!!! SO glad!
Wow, this granola looks and sounds perfect! I love peanut butter and could eat it on anything. I love how you have incorporated it into granola, I will definitely be giving this one a try!
I’m totally with you! I eat peanut butter a little more than I should…just a little though! 😉
Peanut butter really isn’t one of my favourites but I really love peanut butter granola – your recipe looks super simple so I’ll be giving it a go. Thanks for sharing!
Phoebe recently posted…What’s the best breadmaker for gluten free bread in the UK?
I love the added protein it adds! YUM!
So I made this last week. It needs to come with a serious warning label like ” Caution: you will find yourself randomly walking into the kitchen to steal small handfuls of this..only to come right back in for a larger portion” Something like that..lol
It’s crazy delicious. I’ve eaten it by the handfuls,on top of my Greek yogurt..but mostly bu handfuls 🙂 Thank you so much for the recipe! It will be made often 🙂
LOL Sonya I’m SO SO glad you enjoyed it!
The recipe looks delicious! Peanut Butter …yummy! But I have to mention that it’s not vegan if your using honey as a sweetener. Just an FYI.
Hey Kara! That’s why the recipe lists maple syrup as an equally delicious vegan sweetener option. 😉
When you say natural peanut butter, are you referring to the organic option that contains only peanuts and oil? If not, how would you suggest adjusting the ratio of other ingredients to accommodate the lack of extra ingredients in the peanut butter? I am wanting to make the switch to organic peanut butter in our home, but obviously we like our peanut butter to be sweet. I’m not sure if just adjusting the honey ratio will provide me with the results I’m looking for. I imagine I would need to adjust the ratio of salt as well?
Hello Kay! Absolutely! The only two ingredients in the peanut butter I used were peanuts and salt! 🙂
I’m trying to find a gluten free breakfast recipe to accommodate someone with Celiacs disease. I’m confused though-are oats gluten free? I thought oats had wheat? This recipe looks delicious but I just want to make sure Nobody gets sick!!
Hey Kimberley! Yes, as long as you buy certified gluten-free oats they are gluten free!
What is the serving size and calorie count with this granola?
Very delicious! Made it this morning! But mine came out in lots of little pieces, not in big chunks…. and it’s very dark, a little burnt around the edges. What did I do wrong?? 🙁
Hey Julia! It sounds like you may have baked it a touch too long! I recommend reducing the baking time next time! You want to test it to see if it crisps up at room temperature earlier than you might think!
How many servings does this recipe make?
This is not vegan. It contains honey.
Good morning Mary! If you notice, in the ingredient list it states you can use honey, or choose maple syrup for a vegan option! Both turn out very delicious!
Good Morning. I made this yesterday and I’m in love. Do you have nutritional information. Serving size, etc. I have to be careful with my sugar intake. Thanks so much 😊
I’m so glad you loved it Renee! Unfortunately I don’t calculate the nutritional information! But there are many online resources that allow you to type in a recipe and they give you the calorie and nutritional content!
How long does it last for? I assume you just store it in An airtight container…?
It never lasts long in my house! 😉 But yes you can store it in an airtight container for up to one week. Any longer than that and I’d recommend freezing it!
Hi
I just wanted to let you know that I have featured your recipe on my blog with a link to your post. It goes live tomorrow.
Thanks for the great content.
Jodi
Thank you so much Jodi! 🙂
Does anyone know the nutrition in this please
Sorry just seen you don’t have the nutrition. If anyone manages to work them out please post here
Hello! Love this recipe too! According to my calculations, the entire recipe contains 1834 calories, 30g fat and 50 g sugar.
Sorry, 52 g of fat.
Thank you so much for the recipe ! I just made this with almond butter & maple syrup. Smelled Devine while baking in the oven … and it tastes SO good. This was my first time making homemade granola !! TY & blessings for your “New Year”.
Yay!! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! I’ve made it with almond butter too and it’s super tasty! 🙂 <3
Do you think I can substitute the honey for agave syrup? Or won’t it get the right texture then?
The only substitute for honey I have personally tried is maple syrup, which yielded a super delicious result! I think agave would work just fine, but I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure! If you do give it a whirl let me know how it goes!
I love this granola. The first time I made it I burnt it because I forgot to set the timer. BUT I still ate it and it tasted amazing. The next time I made it I did not burn it and it tasted even amazing-er. I eat it with almond milk and berries. A great no-fuss, easy, and filling granola recipe.
LOL! You know it’s a winner when it still tastes good burnt! 😉 I’m glad you were able to try it again and liked it! 🙂
Hello! I’ve been making this granola regularly (I alternate between eating this and the peanut butter breakfast bars for breakfast). Maybe my oven is weird but I’ve found that I can only bake it for 15 minutes total or else it burns. I stir it after 10 minutes and then give it another 5 and it’s perfect. Just wanted to throw that out there!
This is my FAVORITE granola recipe!!! I used quick cooking oats and it turns out perfect!! I also only use 2 TBS of honey just to cut on the calories and it’s still sweet enough and doesn’t affect the texture. I always have to be careful to not over indulge in this sweet treat!
I’m so glad you enjoy it Sarah!! YAY!
Hi, I’m wondering what roll the honey/maple syrup plays in this recipe, because I’m vegan and on a budget and maple syrup in my area is expensive:(
Hey Louise! The honey both sweetens the granola and binds it together to create chunks. If maple syrup is not an option for you, you can give Agave Nectar a whirl! You could also try using coconut oil (melted) but then granola will not be sweet.
What a great recipe, and easy. As a special treat we served it over home made vanilla ice cream. What a treat!
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed it Gloria!
This is very good! I used the quick cooking GF oats and maple syrup instead of honey. It’s a little dry and not clumped together so next time I will try the extra TBSP of peanut butter and maple syrup to hopefully get that chunky consistency, but otherwise very yummy! Thanks for the recipe.
YAY! I’m so glad you liked it Stephanie! 🙂
Just tried making granola for the first time. OMG it is so good I want to eat the whole batch!!
YAY! I’m so glad you enjoyed it Danielle!
This is hands down the best granola I have ever tasted!!!
I’m SO glad you enjoyed it Freya!!!!
Hey, I was wondering if I can omit the honey in this recipe and use egg white as a binder instead? Would it still be chunky? Would I need to add more peanut butter? Thanks.
This sounds amazing! I love that you didn’t use oil. I haven’t had much success getting the final result I like without at least a little bit of coconut oil but the texture of this looks amazing! And that ingredient list is so simple and easy! I can’t wait to try these. Granola is pretty much my favourite food…haha, thanks so much!
Yes! I find that the peanut butter and honey add enough moisture to make it stick together without the need for oil! 🙂
What is that flaky white stuff on the picture?
Unsweetened coconut chips! 🙂
I’m going to try this soon and I think I will add some walnuts and almonds.
This looks amazing!! How much does his make and what are the nutritional facts? Thanks!
great recipe! my only recommendation is to bake on parchment paper instead of greasing the pan. also do you have nutritional facts for this recipe? id love to add it to my calorie tracker!
How many servings in this recipe?
Can I use steel cut oats for this recipes??
Hey Bianca! I do not recommend steel-cut oats! Old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats work great!
Didn’t turn out for me- wanted a lower-sugar option, cut the honey in half and used a natural (i.e. no sugar or oils added) peanut butter- the mixture didn’t coat the oats, wound up with clumps of the wet ingredients among the dry in the finished product.
Hey Liam! Cutting the honey in half significantly decreases the amount of wet ingredients in the recipe. If you didn’t replace the honey you omitted with a different wet ingredient, your final product would turn out dry. Also it’s imperative that you gently warm the wet ingredients and thoroughly mix them together until they are smooth. Then add them to the well-mixed dry ingredients and keep stirring until everything is completely combined {don’t stop if there are clumps of wet and dry not adhered together}. I’m sorry it didn’t turn out for you! I recommend following the recipe exactly as it is written and mixing your ingredients until they are thoroughly combined.
I made this a few days ago, and it’s already gone!! Me and my family adore it 👍👍 I used almond butter rather than peanut, as I find peanut to be quite strong a flavour. I also used date syrup as the liquid sweetener, because I absolutely love the taste. 10/10! ❤❤
As I type, probably my 5th or 6th batch is in the oven. I discovered this recipe and your blog and I love both! It is now my go-to granola recipe, and is a huge hit in our family!
Thank you so much for stopping by to tell me that Jessica! I’m so glad you love it!!!!
Are you able to post the nutrition value? Thank you!
I’m so excited to try this. Do you think I could use Pb fit, a powdered peanut butter?