Tag: peanut butter granola

Crunchy Granola – Sweet and Simple

On By sdewalcghIn What I'm CookingLeave a comment
  • Peanut Butter Granola
  • Crunchy Quinoa Granola

You may remember that I am a huge fan of oats. I consume them in some form or the other almost every day.  At this time of year I tend to switch from my usual hot oatmeal to granola.  Granola from the store can get pretty pricy, not to mention that it often contains too much sugar or other ingredients I’d like to avoid, so I started making my own long ago.

Homemade granola is dead simple to make and you might already have all the ingredients you need at home.  For a long time I used a recipe that required boiling the liquid ingredients in a saucepan and pouring over the dry ingredients but recently I’ve tried a couple of new, easier to prepare versions that I can wholly recommend.

Peanut Butter Granola
I made this granola recently as a treat for my husband instead of the peanut butter cookies I’m sure he would have preferred.  I think this is my new favorite and I may have forgotten to tell him that I made it for him.  I found the recipe at the  Table for Two website and I love it that it’s only 5 ingredients. I doubled the recipe and it turned out great!

Ingredients
  • 4 tbsp creamy peanut butter
  • 4 tbsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats NOT quick oats

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Add peanut butter to a large bowl pop in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds until the peanut butter is melted. Stir in the honey and then add in the cinnamon and vanilla extract.
(Note: the original recipe calls for microwaving the peanut butter and honey together but my local honey expert says that microwaving honey is a NO NO!)
Add in the oats and stir until they are completely coated with the mixture.
Spread in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes. It may take more or less time to turn a golden brown. I like to mix it up and move it around a bit about halfway through the cooking time so that it browns a little more evenly. The granola will still look soft when you take it out but it will  harden as it cools.  Here’s my before and after baking shot.

Here is how I have been eating this.  I microwave a cup of frozen, mixed berries and top it with the granola.  It tastes just like a fruit crisp. Yum – I am all about dessert for breakfast!

Crunchy Quinoa Granola

Quinoa is becoming more and more mainstream in the US.  It’s a high protein “pseudo” grain (meaning that it is actually a seed but has similar nutrition to grains) that grows well in poor soils.  Therefore many countries around the world are attempting to cultivate it as an answer to food shortages. There are several varieties of quinoa.  I like to use the red; not because it tastes any differently but because it is more colorful.

 

This recipe from Iowa Girl Eats uses raw, uncooked quinoa.  You will want to rinse your quinoa in a fine wire mesh strainer.  Quinoa has a natural coating that some people find bitter and washing removes this. It can go right from the strainer into the recipe; no need to dry it.

I really like this recipe because the quinoa adds not only additional protein but a nice pop, crackle, and crunch; hence the name.

  • 2 cups gluten-free or regular old fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds
  • 2 Tablespoons flax seeds (I used ground flax as whole seeds don’t get digested well)
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • dash of salt
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted
  • 1 cup raisins
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.
  2. Combine all ingredients except raisins in a large bowl then stir to combine. Spread mixture on prepared baking sheet then bake for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through, or until golden brown. TIP: watch closely at the end to make sure granola does not get too dark. Granola will not be crunchy right out of the oven. Stir in raisins when granola is cool and store in an airtight container.

Please note: I have substituted maple syrup for the honey and canola or sunflower oil for the coconut oil with good results. And by all means leave out the raisins if you are a raisin hater.  You can substitute dried cranberries or serve with other fruits as you will see I did with the next recipe.

Making your own granola is a great way to save money and control your intake of processed sugars.  Try one of these recipes and let me know what you think.