This Peanut Butter Chocolate Granola is made up of warm, toasted oats, creamy peanut butter, sweet maple syrup, and melted chocolate. It’s all baked together for perfect sweetness and crunch.
Update: This post was originally published in 2021 and has been republished with new photos and an updated recipe.
About this Granola
Granola comes in so many shapes, sizes, and flavors, the possibilities are endless. And there’s most likely a flavor for whatever you’re craving! You can find it made with nuts and seeds, dried fruit, chocolate, honey…the list goes on and on. No matter the flavor, it’s always tasty, crunchy, and perfect little snack.
I also love homemade granola better than store-bought granola because it’s incredibly easy to make from scratch and you can choose to include what YOU want! This Peanut Butter Chocolate Granola is made up of warm, toasted oats, creamy peanut butter, a little cocoa powder, sweet maple syrup, and melted chocolate. It’s all baked together in one of the most dreamy recipes I’ve ever created! Oh, and don’t forget the flaky sea salt on top!
Use this rich chocolate peanut butter granola recipe to throw together a quick snack or as a meal prep staple for the week. Enjoy it with milk and fresh fruit for a great breakfast. Eat it on a plane or on a long car ride as a delicious afternoon snack. You could even use it on top of ice cream or another dessert! You really can’t go wrong with all of the different ways you can enjoy it!
And if you’re wanting more snack recipes you can eat anytime of day, try this Cheerio Trail Mix, these Apple Peanut Butter Energy Bites, or this Cranberry Granola, too!
Recipe Ingredients
- Oats – I highly recommend old-fashioned oats. Quick oats will not hold up well in the oven and steel cut will be too tough.
- Peanut Butter – I love adding peanut butter to smoothie and yogurt bowls, so why not bake it right into my yogurt/smoothie bowl topping!
- Brown Sugar – Or sub coconut sugar.
- Pure Maple Syrup – Sweet and sticky, this will also help our ingredients stick together and create clusters.
- Coconut Oil – Or melted cocoa butter for a stronger chocolate aroma.
- Cocoa Powder – We’ll add this with the butter, peanut butter, and maple syrup mixture to get that rich chocolate flavor throughout.
- Quinoa & Nuts – Give our granola more crunchy texture.
- Chocolate – I used a Ghirardelli Bar. We melt this over the top when the granola is still hot.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
There are so many fun ways to customize your granola. A few of my favorite additions/swaps are listed below:
- Use your favorite nut: Add chopped pecans, walnuts, cashews or Brazil nuts.
- Add more texture with toasted coconut flakes, sunflower seeds or chia seeds.
- Swap half the oats for Rice Krispies or Cheerios for a lighter, air-y granola.
- Try another nut butter like almond butter or you can use seed butters like sunflower butter or tahini.
- Add dried fruit for extra sweetness. I love dried cranberries in this recipe.
How to Make This Recipe
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: oats, quinoa, chopped nuts, brown sugar, and pinch of sea salt. Toss together until evenly mixed.
2. Heat a small skillet to medium-low heat. Add coconut oil and maple syrup; allow oil to melt and whisk together. Then whisk in peanut butter and cocoa powder. Stir until all the clumps are removed and it’s a silky, chocolate texture. Remove from heat.
3. Pour the chocolate peanut butter mixture over the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to combine them until all of the oats are coated.
4. Spread the granola onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Use your palm to press down on it firmly, creating a thin layer of granola. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until granola is lightly toasted and golden brown.
5. Remove the granola from the oven and top with chopped up pieces of the ghirardelli chocolate bar. Place back into the oven for 2-4 minutes until chocolate has started to melt. Remove from the oven and use a rubber spatula to spread the chocolate evenly across the granola sheet.
6. Let the granola cool for an hour or so before breaking it apart **if you’re making this in the evening, cover the sheet pan in foil and break into clusters the next morning! Serve with a greek yogurt parfait with berries or on top of a smoothie (I love my Healthy Wendy’s Copycat Smoothie!).
PRO TIPS
When you’re granola comes out of the oven, keep it on the sheet tray and transfer to the freezer to cool immediately before breaking it up. This will give you the largest granola chunks and perfect crunchy texture!
Serving suggestions
Enjoy this granola with milk, with fresh fruit on top of yogurt (with banana slices is my favorite for a little chunky monkey action), as an ice cream topping, or just by the spoon. It’s also delicious on top of smoothie bowls or smoothies like this Banana Bread Smoothie, pancakes or waffles, too. There are so many options!
Recipe FAQs
Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Be sure to let your granola cool COMPLETELY before storing to avoid steam getting trapped in your container which’ll result in soggy granola.
I wouldn’t say this recipe is the epitome of health, but it sure is tasty! It is made with hearty, whole grain oats which are full of fiber, and contain healthy fats from the nuts, but it does still have a decent amount of sugar from the maple syrup and chocolate. In moderation, this granola can surely be part of a healthy diet.
Many homemade granolas are not crunchy because they aren’t baked properly. Low and slow is the key to golden brown, decadent dark chocolate chunks of homemade granola. Too high a temperature and it’ll burn before you can get a crunch. Using coconut oil (as opposed to something like avocado oil), is also key because it is solid at room temperature which gives the granola a better chance at hardening.
Fun Idea
You can also turn this homemade granola recipe into granola bars. Simply press the granola mixture into an 8×8 pan instead of on a baking sheet and bake for the same amount of time. Because the oats will be in a much thicker layer, they will stay chewier as compared to the chunky granola you’d get on the baking sheet.
More Recipes You’ll Love
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating and comment in the recipe card below. Thanks for visiting!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Granola
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing Bowl
- small sauce pot
- Whisk
- sheet pan
- Rubber Spatula
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup nuts
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 2 tbsp dark cocoa powder
- 1 milk chocolate Ghirardelli bar, 8 squares
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: oats, quinoa, chopped nuts, brown sugar, and pinch of sea salt. Toss together until evenly mixed.
- Heat a small skillet to medium-low heat. Add coconut oil and maple syrup; allow oil to melt and whisk together. Then whisk in peanut butter and cocoa powder. Stir until all the clumps are removed and it’s a silky, chocolate texture. Remove from heat.
- Pour the chocolate peanut butter mixture over the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to combine them until all of the oats are coated.
- Spread the granola onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Use your palm to press down on it firmly, creating a thin layer of granola.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until granola is lightly toasted and golden brown.
- Remove the granola from the oven and top with chopped up pieces of the ghirardelli chocolate bar. Place back into the oven for 2-4 minutes until chocolate has started to melt.
- Place the pan back in the oven for an additional 2-4 minutes or until chocolate is melted. Then, use the rubber spatula to spread the melted chocolate.
- Remove from the oven and use a rubber spatula to spread the chocolate evenly across the granola sheet.
- Let the granola cool for an hour or so before breaking it apart
- Serve with yogurt and berries or on top of a smoothie (I love my Healthy Wendy’s Copycat Smoothie!)
Nutrition
Notes
Looking for this in MyFitnessPal?
If you’re using MyFitnessPal, search ‘A Paige Of Positivity’ and find Peanut Butter Chocolate Granola calories and nutrition facts. Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
I thought Courtney’s cranberry nut granola was top notch, but this peanut butter chocolate is heavenly and HIGHLY addictive. Seriously have to make a triple batch just to make it last more than a day. It’s that good!!!
5 stars for sure!!!!!
This
I ate this for breakfast for a month straight, it was SO tasty! Highly recommend with yogurt.
love this recipe! addition of quinoa is perfection