Healthy Peanut Butter Granola
Posted Feb 17, 2019, Updated Sep 26, 2021
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This Healthy Peanut Butter Granola Recipe is a delicious make-ahead breakfast made with only 6 ingredients in 30 minutes! Plus it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar free, oil free and vegan-friendly.
This Healthy Peanut Butter Granola Recipe is a tried and true family favorite in our house! We love enjoying it over yogurt or with a splash of almond milk!
This vegan granola recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, oil-free, and refined-sugar free! Perfect for any and all eaters in your life! It’s 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}!
Healthy Peanut Butter Granola: Ingredients & 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! 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!
How to make Peanut Butter Granola
It is very easy to make this peanut butter granola recipe. Let’s discuss the process.
Begin by melting together the honey and peanut butter over very low heat, stirring constantly until smooth.
Next add the vanilla and stir then add the dry ingredients & stir to combine.
Bake
Transfer the peanut butter granola mixture to a greased baking sheet and press it onto the pan and bake.
See! It’s such an easy granola recipe! The only note I have is that if you get to the final stage (before transferring the granola from the saucepan to the baking sheet), and the granola looks crumbly and not wet, add more peanut butter or honey until you reach the consistency pictured below. This is key in achieving clumps!
How to know when the granola is done baking:
The granola will look slightly golden-brown once it is done baking.
Tip: In order to be extra sure the granola is done, 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.
Remove the granola from the oven and let it cool completely, then break it into chunks and serve or store.
Store/freeze
Store this granola in an airtight container or glass jar with a lid at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Serving suggestions
Here are some of our favorite ways to enjoy this peanut butter granola.
- On top of yogurt. I recommend eating this served on top of your favorite yogurt with fresh berries! It adds the perfect crunch!
- In a bowl with your choice of milk! You can also serve this homemade granola as a cold cereal! Simply use your favorite dairy-free or regular milk and enjoy!
- As a snack! Sometimes we like to pack individual containers of this healthy peanut butter granola when we go hiking or to the park as a delicious snack!
Recipe FAQs
Here are a few commonly asked questions I receive about this peanut butter granola recipe!
Here are a few tips and tricks for ensuring that your peanut butter granola is crunchy (and stays crunchy)…
Bake at a low temperature. This peanut butter granola bakes at 325 degrees F, which a lower temperature than I usually bake most recipes. The low, slow baking process ensures that the granola will dry out sufficiently to stay nice and crunchy.
Use enough wet ingredients. The clumps are what make this peanut butter granola so amazing. Making sure the mixture is sufficiently wet before baking is very important.
How you bake the homemade granola is key. This peanut butter granola needs to be baked in one sheet pressed to the bottom of the pan to achieve maximum crunchiness. The reason for this is that it creates clumps, which are very important to crunchy granola!
I recommend storing this peanut butter granola in an airtight, glass container at room temperature.
This homemade peanut butter granola lasts 3-4 weeks when stored at room temperature in an airtight, glass container (assuming it has been baked to be crunchy and not soft).
I recommend not storing this homemade granola recipe in the refrigerator! It’s best when stored in an airtight container at room temperature!
It absolutely is healthy! Just check out the nutrition facts in the recipe! One serving of this granola contains plenty of protein, fiber and other nutrients!
It also keeps you full for a long time, which helps get you through a mid-morning slump!
If you do under bake this healthy peanut butter granola and it becomes soft the next day, no need to worry.
Simply 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.
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Healthy Peanut Butter Granola Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashioned or quick cooking oats*
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 6 TBS 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 15-20 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!
Video
Notes
Store/freeze
Store this granola in an airtight container or glass jar with a lid at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 2 months.Ingredient 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
A great make-ahead breakfast!
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 choose their breakfast in the mornings.
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.
More healthy breakfast recipes (with peanut butter)
- These healthy breakfast bars are my all-time favorite recipe.
- Start your day with aChocolate Peanut Butter Green Smoothie is so good, it’s like drinking a peanut butter cup (but it’s full of healthy ingredients)
- Who doesn’t love Blender Peanut Butter Banana Waffles that are healthy?!
- These peanut butter overnight oats are so yummy, and they’re a great meal prep recipe!
- Chocolate peanut butter baked oatmeal tastes like dessert but it’s healthy enough for breakfast!
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bran is quick, easy, delicious and healthy!
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How many servings does this recipe make?
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!
What is the serving size and calorie count with this granola?
I was wondering the same. Husband is diabetic and need to watch the sugar. There is a nutritional facts posted, but no serving size is there. Is the whole thing 12.5 grams of sugar?
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!
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! 🙂
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. 😉
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!
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!
I love the added protein it adds! YUM!
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! 😉
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.
I’ve found that in order to get chunky granola of any kind that you should press it firmly into a pan, and just leave it alone while cooking. When you pull it out of the oven you should let it cool for like 45 minutes to an hour… still without touching it. Once it cools you break it into pieces. If you try to stir it while cooking or before it cools, then all you’ll get is crumbs. When I first tried it I was worried that I wouldn’t get proper browning, but that was a fear that was quickly put to rest.
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!