Peanut Butter Granola

My husband and I agree on a lot of things. Cereal is not one of them.

More specifically, we disagree on the amount of milk that should be added to a bowl of cereal.

My husband likes a little cereal with his milk. If the cereal is drowning and soggy, he’s a happy camper.

On the other hand, I like as little milk with my cereal as possible. In fact, I’m perfectly fine to snack on cereal with no milk at all. I prefer it. But, if I do have a bowl of cereal with milk in it, you can be sure I’ll add as little as possible. I will also eat it as quickly as possible in order to reduce the likelihood of the cereal getting soggy. I don’t do soggy.

I think that’s why I like granola so much… It’s kind of a cereal/snack hybrid. It’s perfectly acceptable to eat granola by the handful. They even market it that way (clusters, anyone?). And, it takes a while for granola to get soggy. The same cannot be said for corn flakes… Or any flakes. I don’t do flakes.

I have made my share of granola in the past… I’ve played around with flavors and added all sorts of things to it from pumpkin to gingerbread to chocolate. This time around, though, I wanted something a bit simpler. I decided to stick to one solid flavor… Peanut butter. I happen to think that peanut butter stands pretty well on its own. Sometimes, I just want peanut butter.

Sure, you could add chocolate or dried fruit or any number of things. I’m sure it would be fine. But, I think this granola is pretty swell just the way it is. That is something that both my hubby and I can agree on.

But, whatever you do, don’t you dare pour a big vat of milk on my granola.

Peanut Butter Granola
Makes 4 generous cups

I like my granola a bit clumpy… It’s better for snacking that way. That’s why I add an egg white. Egg whites act kind of like granola cement. If that’s not your thing, you can leave the egg white out entirely.

• ½ cup crunchy natural peanut butter (salted)
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 1 egg white (optional)
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup roughly chopped peanuts
• ¼ cup ground flaxseed

Preheat the oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, honey, water, coconut oil, and egg white (if desired).  Add the rolled oats, peanuts, and ground flaxseed. Stir well until all of the ingredients are evenly combined.

Spread the granola mixture out on the prepared baking tray in an even layer.  If you want more clumps, use a spatula to press down on the mixture to clump it together a bit.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, stirring about halfway through. The granola will be golden brown. Let the granola cool on the tray completely before transferring it to an airtight container.  It will keep for a week or two, but I doubt it will last that long.