Name: Easy Peanut Butter Granola Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup unsweetened smooth peanut butter; 1/4 cup maple syrup; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 2 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats

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Make your own peanut butter granola at home this week! It requires just 5 simple pantry ingredients and 30 minutes to make and is so much better for you than store-bought.

ovehread image of yogurt topped with granola and fruit by sweetsimplevegan

Most store-bought granolas are made with tons of added sugars and oils. But this recipe is completely free of refined sugars, refined oils, gluten, and dairy ingredients. It’s the ultimate allergen friendly granola that you can feel good about snacking on all week long.

And don’t forget to check out our other healthy granola recipes: 6 Ingredient Stovetop Granola, Graham Cracker Granola, Date Sweetened Apple Pie Granola, and this delicious Leftover Juice Pulp Granola.

Overhead image of bowl of granola with spatula by sweetsimplevegan

Ingredients You’ll Need + Substitutions

Rolled Oats – Not to be confused with quick oats or steel-cut oats, rolled oats or old-fashioned oats are optimal for absorbing flavor and have the perfect texture for making granola. If you are gluten-free, make sure to purchase gluten-free oats (they will have a specific certification on the bag)
Peanut Butter – We recommend using natural smooth peanut butter for this recipe. Or, opt for another nut butter such as cashew butter, almond butter, or sunflower seed butter if allergic to nuts.
Maple Syrup – This liquid sweetener adds the perfect touch of sweetness without overpowering the peanut butter flavor. If you don’t have maple syrup on hand, swap it for a similar sweetener such as agave nectar or vegan honey.
Vanilla – You can’t go wrong with a splash of vanilla extract in this peanut butter granola recipe. It elevates the flavor and makes it crave worthy.
Spices – We kept it simple and used ground cinnamon and a sprinkle of sea salt to balance out the sweetness and healthy fats.

Equipment Needed

overhead image of peanut butter granola in baking sheet by sweetsimplevegan

How to Make Peanut Butter Granola

Whisk together the peanut butter mixture. In a large bowl, combine the natural peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt until smooth.
Add in the rolled oats. Using a spatula, mix again until well combined and evenly coated in the peanut butter mixture.
Spread on a baking sheet. Turn the peanut butter granola mixture out onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it into an even layer.
Bake. Place the granola in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove from the oven, mix the granola well, then bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. When ready, it should be lightly golden brown and no longer soft.
Cool completely. Allow the peanut butter granola to cool completely before separating into clusters. As it cools, the granola will continue to firm up and become extra crunchy!
Serve. Once cool, break the peanut butter granola into clusters as big or small as you’d like, then serve as desired!

Serving Suggestions

Homemade granola is obviously a great breakfast food to pair with a bowl of yogurt, fresh fruit, chia seeds and an extra drizzle of creamy peanut butter but it can be used for much more than that!

Here are a few of our favorite ways to enjoy this vegan granola recipe:

Turn it into homemade trail mix by mixing the clusters with your favorite add-ins like nuts, seeds, vegan chocolate chips, and dried fruit.
Use as your morning cereal and pour homemade almond milk over top.
Stir it into a bowl of oatmeal, like this Easy Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal.
Serve it over a scoop of your favorite non-dairy ice cream with Maple-Glazed Grilled Peaches or Vegan Frozen Yogurt!
Enjoy crushed over a slice of Vegan Pumpkin Pie, or Vegan Apple Pie with a dollop of Coconut Whipped Cream.
Eat it plain by the handful (it’s one of my favorite snacks!)!

Storage Instructions

Baked granola will typically keep for up to 2 weeks when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Granola can also be frozen for up to 1 month, if desired, but be sure to seal it tightly to prevent exposing the peanut butter granola to air (this will make it go soggy).

Top Tips

Let the granola cool completely! The granola won’t be completely crunchy and set when you pull it from the oven. In order to make it as crunchy as possible, it’s important to let it cool fully before you start to break it apart.
Use natural peanut butter. Peanut butter spreads that are made with additives like additional oils, sugars, and flavorings are much thicker and won’t work very well. For best results, your peanut butter should be pourable and runny.

overhead image of granola bowl by sweetsimplevegan

More Easy Breakfast Recipes You May Enjoy:

Vegan French Toast – a breakfast classic that everyone loves.
3-Ingredient Pancakes – the easiest, quick pancakes for busy mornings or lazy weekends.
Dried Cherry Scones – our favorite pantry staples scone recipe.
Healthy Breakfast Bars – the best grab and go homemade breakfast bars.
Easy Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal – classic oats that never get old!

Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you recreate any of our recipes, we love to see your photos!