We all want granola to be healthy. And some granolas are so sweet they could easily qualify as candy. But since I tend to spend the better part of the day roaming around my apartment sticking my hand in various boxes and jars of stuff to eat, I wanted to come up with a granola that was satisfying enough for breakfast, but one that I didn’t feel so guilty about dipping my hand into throughout the day. And this Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip granola fits that bill!
I never was a big breakfast eater. That ended when I enrolled in a tough exercise class back when I lived in San Francisco. It was grueling and our fierce instructor really pushed us. We all bonded as a group (sometimes, successfully against her wrath), which made it fun, and tolerable. But one day we were all particularly wiped out and she stopped the class, went around the room, and asked each of us what we had for breakfast that morning.
The majority of us answered, “…uh, coffee.” Or maybe “Coffee…and half a leftover bagel.” She berated each of us after we spoke because she told us that we needed to fuel ourselves by eating more than we were in the morning. So I took her up on that and started eating fruit with yogurt, topping it with a sprinkling of granola.
Store-bought granola is usually sad, with not enough big chunks of things to make it worth the money, although it is more convenient. However this granola doesn’t require lots of chopping and the list of ingredients is fairly short, and you likely have most of them on hand.
In France, peanut butter can be found in supermarkets, often in the “foreign food” (i.e.; American food) section, and often Skippy, although sometimes there are things I’ve never seen in America, like powdered cheesecake mix. (Who makes cheesecake from powder??) I get mine from one of the multicultural stores in neighborhoods like Belleville or the 13th arrondissem*nt, and it’s usually available in Asian markets or shops that sell African and Arabic foods, such as Sabah.
I use chocolate chips in this granola, rather than chopped chocolate since chips are baking-resistant so hold their shape once baked, so you get big bits of chocolate in almost every bite. Chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, the kind that’s normally used for baking, will melt entirely in the oven. (Yup, I’ve tried it.)
As soon as it cools down, I find myself eating this clumpy granola right off the baking sheet. The big chocolate chips are a bonus, scattered amongst crackly oats and seeds coated with peanut butter, and baked with rice syrup, Golden syrup, agave nectar, or maple syrup. It’s a treat that I’ve been enjoying morning, noon, and night. And in between too!
Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter Granola
You can swap out unroasted almonds (or another nut that you like) for the peanuts, but don’t be tempted to chop up a bar of chocolate and use those pieces instead of the chocolate chips. Store-bought chocolate chips are formulated so they don’t melt while the granola is baking. They used to be hard to find in France but now are more common. (G. Detou in Paris is one source.) Using a thick syrup like Golden syrup, rice syrup, or agave nectar, will make clumpier granola, or you can use maple syrup too.
Course Breakfast
Keyword granola, chocolate chips, chocolate, peanut butter, recipe
- 3 cups (300g) rolled oats
- 1 cup (150g) roasted peanuts, very coarsely chopped
- 3/4 cup (120g) chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (70g) sunflower seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (130g) smooth peanut butter, regular or natural
- 1/2 cup (160g) rice syrup, agave nectar, Golden syrup, or maple syrup
- 1/4 cup (60g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
Preheat the oven to 325ºF (165ºC).
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, chopped peanuts, chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, and salt.
In a small saucepan, warm the peanut butter, liquid sweetener (syrup), brown sugar, and water over low heat, stirring constantly just until the mixture is smooth. Don’t get the mixture too hot.
Pour the peanut butter mixture into the dry ingredients and mix it in well, coating the oats, peanuts and seeds well.
Spray a baking sheet lightly with nonstick spray. Spread the granola mixture in an even layer on the baking sheet. Bake the granola in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring a few times during baking, until the granola is golden brown. (Be sure to stir from the edges, which tend to darken quicker than the center.) Remove from oven and let cool completely.
Notes
Storage: Store the granola in an airtight container at room temperature. It will keep for one to two months.
FAQs
I aim to let it hit room temperature, whatever that may be; the real point is to give it ample time to shed excess heat and steam. This should take about 45 minutes; if left out indefinitely, the granola can turn sticky or soft, so do try to put it away as soon after cooling as you can.
What ingredient makes granola clump together? ›
Clumpy Granola Method: Add Egg White
About this method: According to Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen, “Nothing glues like protein.” While there are many granola recipes that include an egg white, I got this tip from the Big Cluster Maple Granola recipe in The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.
What keeps granola together? ›
Make sure that whichever granola recipe you use, it calls for some liquid, typically oil of some kind (I recommend olive oil for a subtle earthy, floral flavor, or melted unrefined coconut oil for subtly coconutty flavor). The liquid will help the chia seeds to gel, ensuring the granola sticks together.
What are 2 different ways granola can be used? ›
Granola tends to be a magical mix of rolled oats, nuts and honey or maple syrup. It can be eaten for breakfast or as a midday snack, served over yogurt or mixed into your favorite baked goods.
How to crisp up homemade granola? ›
Not only can you transform that soggy, chewy granola back to being blissfully crunchy, but it's easier than you might think. All it takes is spreading the granola in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and heating it in a 400 degree oven for five minutes — essentially re-baking it.
Does homemade granola get crunchy as it cools? ›
Your homemade granola will continue to crisp up as it cools. It's tempting to start eating it as soon as it comes out of the oven, but if you let it rest for 15 minutes on the sheet pan, it'll be extra crisp and toasty – totally worth the wait!
What is the best binder for granola? ›
Nut butter is a super flavorful fat that serves multiple purposes in granola. It acts as a binding agent—along with additional coconut oil and whatever natural sweetener I've chosen—helping to pull the dry ingredients together into a wet, sticky mass for baking.
What is a good binder for granola? ›
Chia seeds are often praised for their binding powers. In fact, they secure ingredients so well that they can even be used as an egg replacer. Adding just a spoonful of chia seeds to your favorite granola bar recipe will make a huge difference in its texture.
Why is my homemade granola dry? ›
Keep in mind that the granola won't be dry right out of the oven — it will dry as it cools. So take it out of the oven when it looks lightly toasted and smells like cooked honey. We're going for a toasty smell here. Add dried fruit after baking.
What was the downside to granola as a food? ›
Granola may prompt weight gain if eaten in excess, as it can be high in calories from added fats and sugars. What's more, sugar is linked to chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.
Slow and low is the key to dry-not-burnt granola. You can safely bake your granola to golden-brown perfection between 300 and 350 degrees, but any hotter and you risk burning parts of your mix before it's ready, says Perry.
Should you eat granola with milk or yogurt? ›
Serve it with either dairy milk or dairy-free milk like almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk. Yogurt: make yourself a yogurt bowls with some fruit and granola for crunch. Since going vegan, I like to serve it with a non-dairy yogurt. Reduce your added sugar intake by serving with an unsweetened yogurt.
What to put on top of granola? ›
Roll strawberries or bananas in nut butter (or a nut-free substitute) and top with Chocolate Granola for a sweet treat. Jazz up a pudding cup with your granola of choice. Top baked fruit, such as apples, with a generous handful of granola. Mix granola into muffin, brownie or cake batter.
Is granola better for you than Oatmeal? ›
Which One Is Better for Breakfast? Both oatmeal and granola make for a healthy, nutritious breakfast, but the winner for us is granola—the added nuts, seeds, and dried fruits give you a source of fiber and healthy fats that oatmeal can't quite compete with.
Should granola be soft when it comes out of the oven? ›
One important thing to know is that at the end of two hours of baking at the low 225F temperature, the granola will still be soft to the touch. That's how it's supposed to be! Go ahead and pull it out of the oven as long as the color looks nice and golden. And then let it rest for 20 minutes on the countertop.
Should you stir granola while baking? ›
If you want a more clumpy granola, don't stir before adding the additional ingredients. Return the sheet to the oven and bake 10 minutes more until everything is lightly toasted. Remove from the oven and don't stir unless you prefer a loose granola. Add the dried fruit if desired.
How to keep granola from getting soggy? ›
The Savory Pantry also found that layering fruit between the granola and the yogurt helped prevent the granola from getting soggy too quickly, though that does depend on the moisture content of the type of fruit you're using — avoid frozen fruit and consider adding dried fruit to cut down on moisture.
