Clean Eating Peanut Butter Granola

Nom Nom Nom..I LOVE granola. My favorite store bought granola is by the "Kind" brand, but my preference is to make it homemade. 

When I make granola, I typically make the same kind every time.  Today, however, I decided to throw one of my all time favorite ingredients into the mix... Peanut Butter! The peanut butter causes the granola to have all of these delicious clusters running through it..YUM! 

The basic formula for granola is: oats, dried fruit, nuts/seeds, a sweetener of sorts, and some sort of oil to bind everything. When I make granola, I prefer not to use dried fruit, so I use extra nuts and seeds. I also always use a natural, clean-eating sweetener like honey or maple syrup, and I always use coconut oil so it's extra healthy!

You can totally switch up this recipe and make it your own. It's really hard to mess it up, so don't be afraid to have fun with it!

Coconut Oil is my superfood. Coconut oil has SO many health benefits. It contains lauric acid which is a saturated fat that is said to improve good cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol. Lauric acid is also know to prevent heart disease and reduce chance of injury to the arteries. Coconut oil also has anti-fungal and antibacterial properties which helps strengthen the immune system and ward off illness. 

Ingredients:

3 cups old fashioned oats

1/4 cup all natural salted peanut butter

1/8 cup melted coconut oil

1/8 cup honey or maple syrup

1/2 cup shredded coconut

2 tbsp. chia seeds

2 tbsp. hemp seeds

1/8 cup slivered almonds

1/8 cup chopped pecans

1/8 cup chopped cashews
2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

2) Melt coconut oil, honey, and peanut butter in microwave for 30-40 seconds or until creamy 

3) Add oats, coconut, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and all the nuts in a big bowl. Pour in the melted honey/PB/oil mixture and stir until combined. 

4) Add cinnamon and stir until incorporated.

5) Pour mixture on a greased cookie sheet.

6) Bake for 1.5 hours, stirring around every 30 minutes.

(Store at room temperature for 2 weeks or in refrigerator for up to 2 months!)