Crunchy Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola

The classic flavor combination of chocolate and peanut butter makes this granola as comforting as it is tasty. Sweet, salty, crunchy, and what afternoon snack dreams are made of.

Well I have to say, I couldn’t be more excited to share this recipe. This is one of those weekend projects that ended up turning out so well, I had to photograph it and make it into a full on post.

Since the stay-at-home order started in mid-March, I’ve taken up a new tradition of baking on Saturday mornings and have really started to look forward to it every week. So much so that I wake up early (yes, on Saturday) because I’m so excited to get started.

Some weeks I follow a recipe (like I did here and here). Other times I make something up and just hope for the best. This crunchy chocolate peanut butter granola was the latter and I loved it so much that I wanted to give you a formal recipe.

Ingredients

The best part about this one is you don’t need anything out of the ordinary to make it. As is my goal lately, most of these items are pantry staples that you probably have on hand (or at least could easily find). Once the peanut butter shelf is empty at the grocery store, then I’ll really start to panic.

Here’s what you need:

• Rolled oats (not quick or steel cut). I’ve found that “extra-thick” cut rolled oats work really well for granola, but they’re also more expensive and harder to find so I don’t always have them on hand. For this I used the classic old-fashioned rolled oats from the canister.
• Peanuts (unsalted). If you have salted, give them a go but cut back on added salt.
• Chocolate chips (dark or bittersweet). I love the depth of flavor in this recipe because of the unsweet cacao powder and bittersweet chips. Use whatever you have and love though!
• Unsweetened cacao powder. Wondering if you can use cocoa powder instead? Read this for a good overview on the differences. Since the amount is so small here and granola is pretty forgiving, I think either would work as long as it’s unsweetened.
• Olive oil. I wasn’t able to detect any olive because of the strong chocolate/peanut butter flavors. And it’s a heart-healthy choice!
• Natural peanut butter. Creamy or crunchy is fine. Just note that I used a natural version (which only contains peanuts and salt) so others might not work in quite the same way.
• Pure maple syrup. It blends so well with the other liquid ingredients.
• Vanilla extract & sea salt for added flavor.

How exactly do you make granola?

It’s really simple actually. Granola is usually a mixture of oats, spices, nuts/seeds and dried fruit coated with oil and sweetener and then baked until crispy. Because of these added ingredients, it’s more nutrient/energy dense that your standard oats but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing! Granola is super satisfying and a little goes a long way.

Here’s the basic set of steps to follow when making:

1. Mix dry ingredients
2. Mix liquid ingredients separately
3. Combine and stir everything until oats are thoroughly coated
4. Spread on a lined sheet pan (this is my go-to!) and bake on low heat
5. Cool completely
6. Add mix-ins (note: it’s extra important to wait until the granola is cooled before adding in any sort of chocolate – you don’t want the chips to melt into a gooey mess)

There’s no shortage of ways to serve this but my favorite is with ice cold milk or yogurt, topped with banana slices or blueberries. You can also use it to make oatmeal more interesting, top a smoothie bowl, or eat straight up by the handful.

It’s nearly impossible to mess granola up and there are so many ways you can customize the flavors, so it’s a great baking project. The hands-on time is minimal and it will make your house smell amazing as a bonus!

You might also like:

• Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Espresso Banana Bread with Dark Chocolate
• Salted Tahini Brownies (Small Batch)

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