This peanut butter granola with cocoa and maple syrup feels like an indulgent treat. But the delicious granola clusters are gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, refined sugar-free, and packed with a healthy dose of nuts and seeds.
Yield4 cups
Servings8
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups traditional rolled oats, gluten-free oats if required
- ⅔ cup sunflower seeds
- ⅔ cup raw cashew nuts
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon ground sea salt
Wet ingredients
- 3 tablespoons aquafaba, or 1 egg white
- ¼ cup smooth natural peanut butter, unsalted and unsweetened
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, or 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 325 °F and line the rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix.
- Place the aquafaba (or egg white) in a small bowl and whip until frothy (about three minutes).
- Place the remaining wet ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and whisk until very well combined. The oil should be fully incorporated into the mixture. Whisk in the aquafaba (or egg white).
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the oats mixture. Stir thoroughly to combine.
- Spoon the granola mix onto the baking sheet. If you like your granola extra chunky, use lightly oiled hands to gently press large chunks of granola together and place them on the parchment paper to form mounds. Make 7 to 10 mounds depending on the size of your baking sheet. Things might get messy, but it's worth it!
- Place the baking tray on the middle rack in the preheated oven. Bake it for 30 minutes. Rotate the tray halfway through if your oven cooks unevenly.
- Take the pan from the oven and gently flip the granola mounds with a rubber spatula. Try to preserve some chunky clusters and move any darker clumps of granola on the edges to the middle of the tray. Bake for 10 minutes and remove from the oven. Stir in the same gentle flipping motion.
- Turn off the oven and return the granola to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Since the cocoa in this mix is already dark in colour, you need to keep a close eye on the granola towards the end and trust your sense of smell to identify if the granola is at risk of burning.
- Remove the baking tray and set it aside to cool down to room temperature.
- Store the peanut butter granola clusters in a sealed container at room temperature for one month.
Notes
- I use a conventional oven. If you use a fan oven, reduce the oven temperature.
- The less crowded your baking sheet, the quicker your granola will crisp up. So, keep an eye on the granola, especially towards the end of cooking. If you double the recipe, use two baking trays or one larger baking sheet if your oven allows.
- You can omit the aquafaba (or egg white), but the granola will be less chunky.
- For less chunky yet crunchy granola, break up the clusters every time you stir.