Peanut Butter Granola

Peanut Butter Granola is a very easy to make granola…yes…it’s homemade. Granola is a breakfast food and snack food consisting of rolled oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits that is usually baked until crisp. Granola is often eaten in combination with yogurt, milk, honey, fruits etc.

INGREDIENTS

1. Rolled oats – 3 cups (255g)
2. Honey roasted peanuts – ½ cup
3. Honey Sunflower Kernels – ¼ cup (optional)
4. Flax seeds – ¼ cup (optional) *
5. Cinnamon powder – ½ tsp
6. Coconut oil – ¼ cup / (60ml) **
7. Packed brown sugar – 1/3 cup (65gm) ***
8. Water – 4 tsp (20ml)
9. Peanut butter – ½ cup (124g) chunky
10. Vanilla extract – 1 tsp

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl or pan melt coconut oil, sugar and water together on low flame for one minute. Remove from the stove or oven, and using a fork or spatula, stir until they are melted together and smooth. You may need to warm more seconds or so if needed.
2. Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Add the oats, peanuts, sunflower seeds, coarsely ground flaxseed and cinnamon. Toss the mixture to coat everything. Make sure all of the oats are moistened.
3. Preheat oven to 150°C / 300°F. Line one large baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking paper. Spread the mix onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so.
4. It usually fits onto just one baking sheet or pan. If too crowded, use two baking sheets and bake at the same time on different racks or separately. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before enjoying.

GUTTANS TIPS

• *COARSELY GROUND FLAX SEEDS : Most nutrition experts recommend ground over whole flaxseeds because the ground form is easier for your body to digest. This recipe uses ¼ cup of toasted and coarsely ground flaxseeds.
• **COCONUT OIL SUBSTITUTE : Any vegetable oil or canola oil can be subbed for coconut oil.  If using any other oil, no need to warm to melt the oil. Simply whisk it with the sugar and water.
• ***PACKED BROWN SUGAR : Packed brown sugar, unlike light or dark brown sugar, is not a type of brown sugar, but a reference to how you measure it. It means that rather than lightly spooning the brown sugar into a measuring cup and leaving lots of air pockets, you pack it into the measuring cup and squish it down until you can’t fit any more in. So, packing brown sugar just means pressing it firmly into the measuring cup. We find it easiest to fill the measuring cup first, and then press the sugar gently down using the back of a spoon. If it’s firmly packed, it will slightly retain the shape of the measuring cup after it’s dumped out into the bowl,
• SEEDS OR NUTS OF YOUR CHOICE – This granola can be made with any seeds or nuts of your choice. Like dried cranberry or dried raisins or almond flakes  or chocolate chips or peanut butter chips or  Mini m&m candy. If you are adding cranberry or raisins or any dry fruits, add and mix well after 20 minutes of baking and again bake for another 10 minutes. Allow the granola to cool for 10 minutes before adding peanut butter chips or m&m candies or chocolate chips. Sprinkle it on top and stir everything together gently on the baking sheet.
• SUBSTITUTE WITH HONEY : Honey in the original recipe, adapted from here, is replaced with brown sugar and water in this recipe.  Honey ( 1/3 cup ) can be subbed for 1/3 cup brown sugar + 20 ml water. For each cup of honey, replace it with 1 ¼ cup of brown sugar + ¼ cup of liquid. Substitute details got from here. In this recipe, honey should be replaced with 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp + 1 tsp brown sugar + 20 ml water. To reduce the sweetness, only 1/3 cup sugar is used in the recipe.  Measurement amounts used as 1/3 cup = 5 tbsp + 1 tsp; Half of 1/3 cup = 2tbsp + 2 tsp; Quarter of 1/3 cup = 1 tbsp + 1 tsp. Measurements details to cut down recipes found here and here.
• KEEP IT LONGER : Granola stays fresh for long. Store this in an airtight glass container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
• MEASURING TOOLS USED :  240 ml cup, 15 ml tablespoon and 5 ml teaspoon.

Granola, particularly recipes that include flax seeds, is often used to improve digestion. During the baking process the mixture is stirred to maintain a loose, breakfast cereal-type consistency. It can also serve as a topping for various types of pastries and/or desserts.