Peanut Butter & Jelly Granola

This Peanut Butter & Jelly Granola is absolutely addictive with rich peanut butter flavor and fruity cherry jam baked right in! It's like having crunchy bites of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and when you have it like a bowl of cereal, you'll make the most delicious PB & J flavored milk! It's made with oats, whole and chopped peanuts, honey, jam. It is perfect for snaking on all week and makes the most delicious breakfast over plain yogurt. And, if you try it with strawberry or vanilla-flavored yogurt then it truly tastes like dessert. In case you want more granola goodness, check out my Big Cluster Tahini Date Granola too!

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE

• Easy to make - this recipe comes together so quickly all by hand. If you use a scale to measure the ingredients, then you really only need to dirty one bowl and a saucepan. It's easy clean-up!
• Healthy granola - there are plenty of nutritious ingredients that make up this granola recipe that you will feel so good about eating it.
• Peanut butter granola - there's so much peanut flavor from pure peanut butter, whole roasted peanuts and chopped peanuts.
• Crunchy granola clusters - peanut butter also helps bind the oats together to make crunchy clusters. This means we can also use minimal oil in the recipe too.
• Perfect for snacking - this granola is so satisfying! From the intense crunch, to the rich nutty flavor, complex sweetness and satiating ingredients. It makes a great snack for any time of day.

INGREDIENTS FOR PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY GRANOLA

• Rolled oats - regular large flake rolled oats are essential for this granola. Do not use quick oats because they are more finely ground and will absorb too much of the moisture.
• Peanuts - there's a blend of whole roasted peanuts and chopped peanuts which gives you a variety of textures. The whole roasted peanuts give a nice big crunch, while the chopped peanuts distribute more evenly through the granola so you get little bits of peanut in every bite.
• Sunflower seeds - I love the taste and crunch from sunflower seeds. You can also use pumpkin seeds.
• Peanut butter - I use creamy, natural peanut butter peanut butter which is just 100% pure ground peanuts. It has no added sugars or oils and it has intense peanut butter flavor.
• Honey - peanut butter and honey is a really delicious combination. Honey adds a lovely floral sweetness while also acting as a binder to coat the granola and help make it clustery and crunchy.
• Jam - it's the jelly part of our peanut butter and jelly granola! It is a source of sweetness and delicious fruitiness. I use cherry preserves, but you can use strawberry jam or raspberry jam too.
• Salt - this is important to balance the sweetness and bring out all of the other flavors.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Homemade granola is so easy to make! You'll never need to get the store-bought version again!

• STEP 1). Combine the dry ingredients. Combine oats, nuts, seeds and cinnamon in a large bowl. Mix to blend well.
• STEP 2). Combine the wet ingredients. Combine peanut butter, honey, coconut oil jam and salt in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until it is just smooth and evenly combined.
• STEP 3). Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Remove peanut butter mixture from heat and pour it into the bowl with the oats. Stir until all of the oats, nuts and seeds are evenly coated. Mix in cranberries.
• STEP 4). Bake. Spread the mixture evenly onto a large baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes until it feels dry and darkens in color. Toss once halfway during baking if you prefer a looser granola or pack it into the pan and rotate once for a clumpy granola (see the recipe card at the bottom of the post for details).
• STEP 5). Cool. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool completely before breaking up into clusters.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

• For big clusters, do not toss the granola during baking. Pat it firmly into a sheet pan in an even layer. Rotate the pan halfway through baking to ensure it bakes evenly. Then let it cool completely in the baking sheet without stirring. Once cooled, break it up into big pieces.
• Let the granola cool completely before storing. If you store it while still warm it will steam and lose its crunchiness.
• Do not over bake or it can burn easily. If your oven runs hot, then bake at 300 degrees F so it cooks evenly.

RECIPE FAQ

If you love oats, check out these recipes!

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