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
Add an egg white.
The whites act as a kind of glue that binds the ingredients together. To ensure that the egg whites coat all the ingredients, I beat them with a whisk until foamy and increased in volume, which makes it much easier to fold into the granola.
What is the binder in granola? ›
The binder is what helps the base ingredients clump together into clusters. Traditionally this is usually a sugar syrup, but it's possible to use any ingredient that has the power to bind. Egg - Egg whites are a great binder for granola if you are trying to avoid sugar.
Why are homemade granola not crunchy? ›
Baking time: Increase the baking time for your granola. The longer you bake it, the drier and crunchier it will become. Keep a close eye on it to avoid burning, and stir it occasionally during baking to ensure even toasting.
Why is homemade granola better? ›
Advantage homemade. Both granolas have whole oats as their main ingredient, but the Kellogg's is high in refined sugar and contains palm oil. The homemade version contains protein-rich pecans and uses only a small amount of honey, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. It took me an hour to make granola from scratch.
How do you keep homemade granola crispy? ›
Whether it's homemade or store-bought, properly storing granola will help extend the shelf life and maintain crunchiness. Store granola in an airtight container or tightly sealed zip-top bag in a dry, dark place away from heat.
What is granola with a hint of cinnamon? ›
Kellogg's® Granola Crunchy. Indulge with the delicious Kellogg's® Granola Crunchy. It is the perfect combination of rolled oat clusters with shredded coconut and a hint of cinnamon.
How do I get my homemade granola bars to stick together? ›
Honey – Along with the nut butter, it helps all these ingredients stick together! I love its warm amber flavor in this recipe. Vanilla extract – It amps up the bars' warm flavor.
What is the best binding agent for granola bars? ›
Honey: Since it's a granola bar, refined sugar is not used in the recipe as it's meant to be healthy. So to provide appropriate sweetness, honey is used. Also, honey acts as the primary binding agent.
How do you make granola bind? ›
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 ingredients should you avoid in granola? ›
Check the ingredient list, avoiding products that list sugar or sweeteners —including natural sweeteners like honey — within the first few ingredients. Instead, the first few ingredients should be whole foods, such as oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. You may also want to look for varieties high in protein and fiber.
Is Homemade Granola Cheaper? Initially, you'll have to spend more money on homemade granola than store-bought. However, over the long run (depending on your recipe) you'll most likely spend less on making your own granola.
What was the downside to granola as a food? ›
Granola can offer health benefits such as supporting digestive health, and heart health and providing an energy boost. On the downside, granola can be high in added sugars, hidden calories, and saturated fat, making some options less healthy.
Is it OK to eat granola every day? ›
Yes. "Granola does contain important nutrients, and if you enjoy it, eating some every day is probably fine as part of a balanced diet," says Harris-Pincus.
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.
What does granola do to your body? ›
High-fiber foods, like the oats and whole grains found in granola, fill you up and keep you feeling fuller longer. Dietary studies have found eating a high-fiber diet can help you lose weight. Dried fruit and nuts also contain antioxidants, like vitamin E, which can lower inflammation in the body.
How do you hold granola together? ›
Honey – Along with the nut butter, it helps all these ingredients stick together! I love its warm amber flavor in this recipe.
What can I use as glue for granola bars? ›
While the oats and nuts bake, you can make the sticky glue that holds our bars together. You'll melt butter, honey, and brown sugar in a saucepan and simmer until the sugar dissolves. Mix this sticky mixture with the toasted oats and nuts.
What is the main ingredient in chewy granola bars? ›
GRANOLA (WHOLE GRAIN OATS, BROWN SUGAR, BROWN RICE CRISP [WHOLE GRAIN BROWN RICE FLOUR, SUGAR, SALT], WHOLE GRAIN WHEAT, SOYBEAN OIL, WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, BAKING SODA, SOY LECITHIN, NONFAT DRY MILK), CORN SYRUP, BROWN RICE CRISP (WHOLE GRAIN BROWN RICE FLOUR, SUGAR, SALT), SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS (SUGAR, CHOCOLATE ...
