Peanut butter & maple granola

Watch how it’s made on Instagram

Chunky clusters, a little salt and enough peanut butter to make shop-bought granola feel pointless. The secret is pressing it flat and leaving it alone while it cools.

• Makes About 12 servings

• Prep 10 min

• Bake 15 to 20 min

• Cool 30 min

The recipe

Per serving · about ½ cup1 dl

245 kcal · 8 g protein · 4.5 g fibre · 14 g fat

Ingredients

MetricUS

For the dry mix

• 2 cups5 dl rolled oats

• scant ½ cup1 dl walnuts, roughly chopped

• scant ½ cup1 dl almonds, roughly chopped

• scant ½ cup1 dl pumpkin seeds

• ¼ cup½ dl chia seeds

• ¼ cup½ dl unsweetened shredded coconut

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp cardamom

• ½ tsp fine sea salt

For the binder

• scant ½ cup1 dl natural peanut butter

• ¼ cup½ dl maple syrup

• ¼ cup½ dl honey

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

To serve: Greek yoghurt, fruit and a little extra cinnamon.

Method

1. Heat the oven
   Heat to 350°F180°C conventional, 160°C fan and line a tray with parchment paperbaking paper.

2. Mix the dry
   Combine the oats, walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, chia, coconut, cinnamon, cardamom and salt in a large bowl.

3. Warm the binder
   Warm the peanut butter, maple syrup and honey in a small pan over low heat, stirring until smooth and pourable. Take it off the heat and stir in the vanilla.

4. Coat everything
   Pour the binder over the dry mix and stir really well so everything is evenly coated.

5. Press it flat
   Spread it onto the tray and press it down firmly with a spatula or the back of a spoon.

6. Bake
   Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden. Check at 15, because the honey browns quickly at the edges.

7. Leave it alone
   Let it cool completely on the tray, at least 30 minutes, without touching it. This is what gives you the chunky clusters.

8. Break and store
   Break it into pieces and keep it in an airtight jar for up to two weeks.

Make it yours

No peanut butter
Almond butter or tahini both work. Tahini makes it a little more savoury.

Less sweet
Use ½ dl (¼ cup) of syrup in total. The clusters will be looser, but it still works.

No honey
Use 1 dl (scant ½ cup) maple syrup instead of the maple and honey mix.

Worth knowing

Oats → beta-glucan, the soluble fibre with good evidence for lowering LDL cholesterol when you eat it regularly.

Walnuts and chia → two of the richest plant sources of omega-3 (ALA).

Pumpkin seeds → one of the best food sources of magnesium.

Seven plant foods before you count the spices → an easy win for plant diversity.

Maple and honey → they’re what make the clusters stick. Still added sugar, about 8 g a serving, which is why this is a topping and not a bowlful.

Cardamom is the Swedish touch. It’s the spice in kardemummabullar, and the reason your kitchen will smell like a bakery.

Nutrition is an estimate based on standard ingredient values, rounded. Your brands will vary a little.