Sweet Start to the Day

I promised a sweet recipe and this one is especially good because you can eat it for breakfast without feeling guilty: Peanut Butter Cup Granola! Quick, easy to make and clean up, this granola is something I frequently crank out batches of to satisfy my sweet tooth. 

Recipe adapted from the Minimalist Baker blog http://minimalistbaker.com/peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-granola/

Quick side note: Honey is way too expensive. When I discovered how easy making granola was I started scouring stores for reasonably priced honey. It is absolutely crazy that most containers I found were more expensive than a gallon of gas. Maybe it's because I classify anything over $25 as expensive but I see no reason for this price inflation. Thankfully Colorado Springs hosts a number of farmers' markets throughout the year so I was able to snatch up a considerable amount of honey for a fraction of the cost.

(Yes that says 5lbs of honey. I really like granola)

What you'll need:

3 cups Old Fashioned Oats

1/4 cup Olive Oil

1/4 cup Peanut butter (I use natural, it has less sodium and costs the same as a jar of regular)

1/4 cup Honey

1/2 cup Dark Chocolate chips (or more if you want)

9x13 high-sided baking dish (you can also use a bigger dish to have more room to spread out your oats, this will help them cook faster)

(the mason jar is all I have left of my 5lbs...I may have a problem)

Pour your oats into your baking dish. No need to grease the dish, this will actually make the oats stick while they wait for the syrup.

Pour your honey, peanut butter and oil into a pot. Heat over medium heat stirring constantly until they syrup is consistent.

Mix the syrup into the oats and spread the concoction until it evenly covers the bottom of the dish.  

Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and stir the contents around. This will ensure that all the oats are baking evenly and keep the edges from burning. Put the dish back in the oven for 10 minutes or until it becomes a darker brown throughout. You may have to stir the oats again and put them back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes.

  
Add the chocolate chips to the hot granola and allow it to cool. 

Once it has cooled down you can spoon it into whatever container you choose. My batch made about two mason jars (actually a little more but I snacked on what wouldn't fit in the 2nd jar).

That's it! I love to eat this granola with plain yogurt and banana slices. It always gives me something to look forward to in the morning. 5 stars for this morning pick-me-up.

Hope this recipe helps you start your week off on a high note. See you later this week for more dinner ideas.