Peanut Butter Cookie Granola

Hi Everyone!

Happy Saturday!  How was your Black Friday?  Did you go shopping?  I’m writing this post in advance because I will be among those crazy people shopping on Black Friday!  I look forward to it every year.  My Friend and I have a yearly tradition to get our bargains and goodies on BF and since we have a secret spot, it’s never that busy!  But I think the best part about Friday is breakfast!  We go to a bistro that I mentioned before and I get my fat veggie egg white omelet with my HUGE whole wheat greek yogurt pancake.  I can’t wait!!  For today’s recipe I had you in mind, I figured your energy maybe down due to shopping and Thanksgiving that you may need a pick me up, so I have a snack that you can take anywhere with you!!

This is my Peanut Butter Granola!  It is so good and addicting!!  It’s healthy, full of flavor and has just the right amount of crunch!!!  I won a NuNaturals giveaway from Laura’s Gluten Free Pantry and when I got the gift it had a package of Presweet Tagatose in it.  I wasn’t sure what that was so I checked it out on there website and I found that it is just like sugar, browns like sugar and has no sugar in it, and it’s very low in calories.  Everything I need!!  “Hi my name is Jennifer and I have an addiction to granola”.  I can’t stop eating it, no matter how hard I try.  Why don’t I stop making it?  I can’t, I love it too much!!  So with my addiction in mind I wanted to keep the sugar down on my granola.  I have to tell you I have tried different Stevia’s and honestly I love NuNaturals the best!  It doesn’t leave a funny after taste.  You can pick it up at Whole Foods!

Did you know that November is National Peanut Butter month?  I had to be sure to get in at least one peanut butter recipe and I think I picked a good one!!  Each cluster is like taking a bite of a peanut butter cookie!  It’s darn delicious!!  I promise if you like or love peanut butter like me, then this is the granola for you!

I actually made this granola twice!  My first batch I cooked it to long and I beat it to long too!  I found the best way to make this is with muscle!  I mixed 1 cup of creamy natural peanut butter with vanilla, cinnamon and an egg.  The I mixed in rolled oats, almonds and unsweetened coconut.  I baked it for about 28 minutes and half way through cooking time I added some raisins.  I added the raisins initially to the first batch and those bad boys burnt!  Nothing like crispy raisins!  Yuck!

The granola turned out crispy, but not to crispy and I really, really love the clusters!  I could eat a big bowl of the peanut buttery clusters!  When you bite down into them, you get a wonderful peanut butter taste.  Since you mix this granola with your hands, yes hands, all the peanut butter gets incorporated together, so you never miss out on the peanut butter taste!!!

This recipe is different then my traditional granola recipes.  I decided to make this like I would peanut butter cookies and I added an egg in it.  I wanted my granola to taste more like a cookie then so much granola.  Does it taste like a cookie?  I tend to think so!!  The granola would make for a great gift to give to someone who loves peanut butter!!  For me, I’m selfish!  I’m keeping it all to myself!  I store it right in the freezer! It makes for easy grabbing and yet it’s out of site so I don’t keep eating it.  No need to defrost it, it’s perfectly tasty frozen!  I think I almost like granola better frozen, it really keeps that crunch!!

I do have to tell you the calories are a little high on this granola, but it is healthy!!!  No added sugar, peanut butter, oatmeal and nuts!  The calorie are high because your basically getting 1.33 tablespoons of peanut butter in every bite!  How good is that?  I made each serving a 1/2 cup, because I think that is way better than 1/4 cup servings that I see on packages!!!  However, I hope you can control yourself to one serving, because I can’t!!  Just remember that peanut butter is a healthy fat, full of protein and fiber and gives you long-term energy!!  I’m just nuts about that!!

Peanut Butter Cookie Granola

Nutrition Information

• Serves: 6 Cups

• Serving size: ½ cup

Prep time:  7 mins

Cook time:  28 mins

Total time:  35 mins

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A healthy, sweet and crunchy granola that tastes like peanut butter cookies and chock full of peanut butter clusters, almonds and coconut.

Ingredients

• 1 cup natural peanut butter
• 1 cup Presweet Tagatose or Sugar
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. cinnamon, ground
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut
• ½ cup raisins

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 275F Degrees
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set a side
3. In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, beat together the peanut butter, Presweet Tagatose or Sugar until creamy. Beat in salt, vanilla and cinnamon. Beat in the egg. Mix until well combined.
4. Pour the oats, almonds and coconut into bowl with Peanut Butter mixture and with your hands massage it all together. Spread on to prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, flip the granola. Place bake in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, add the raisins, flip again. Place back in oven and bake for an additional 8 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove and let it completely cool. Store in an airtight container, or you can place in a freezer bag and freeze.

Notes

Calories per half cup: 315.4, Fat: 18.1, Cholesterol: 15, Sodium: 36.8, Potassium: 101, Carbs: 38.6, Fiber: 5.1, Sugar: 5.4, Protein: 11.1

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I’m pretty proud of this granola and if you make it I think you will be too!  Now to control myself from eating it!

Have a great Saturday!

Toodles,

Jennifer

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