January 2, 2015

Peanut Butter Granola

Taking inspiration from a classic PBJ sandwich, this peanut butter granola has honey, oats, wheat germ, ground flaxseed and dried tart cherries.

Not a day goes by that I don’t consume peanut butter.

When W started eating more solid food than just purees, I could hardly contain my excitement for him to try my favorite spread.

I started with a swirl in his oatmeal, and now he has moved on to bananas and graham crackers.

No surprise that he shares my love.

It had been a long time since I had made a batch of granola.

Wanting to use ingredients already in my pantry, I came up with peanut butter granola dotted with roasted peanuts and dried tart cherries.

The oats were enhanced with wheat germ and ground flaxseed in every healthy, perfectly peanut buttery bite.

Taking inspiration from a classic PBJ sandwich, this peanut butter granola has honey, oats, wheat germ, ground flaxseed and dried tart cherries.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the peanuts on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil. Toast the nuts until they are golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
In a large bowl combine the peanuts, oats, wheat germ, flaxseed and salt.
In a small saucepan, melt the honey and sugar over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla extract.
Use a wooden spoon to stir the peanut butter mixture into the dry ingredients. Spread the granola onto the prepared sheet pan. Bake for 15 minutes and toss the granola. Continue baking for 15 minutes until golden brown checking the granola every 5 minutes to make sure it does not burn.
Allow the granola to cool and then add the dried cherries.
Store in an airtight container.