Cookies for breakfast? We’ve done it before and we’re doing it again. And this time it’s all the goodness of a classic peanut butter cookie in a chunky, snack-able, and crunchy granola. YUM — it’s just as good as it sounds!
This quick and easy granola is perfect with milk, yogurt, or just by the handful, friends. Bonus? Just 10 ingredients required! Let us show you how it’s done!
How to Make Peanut Butter Cookie Granola
It all starts with a sweet, sticky, peanutty mixture made by blending peanut butter, maple syrup, dates, melted vegan butter, vanilla, and salt in a food processor. The indulgent combo ensures serious cookie vibes!
Then it’s on to the “I can eat this for breakfast” stuff. Oats add whole grain goodness including fiber, magnesium, iron, and more. And peanuts? They’re known to outcompete other nuts and even rival beans when it comes to protein content (source)!
We didn’t stop there. Pumpkin seeds add more mineral magnificence including zinc and phosphorous! And chia seeds swoop in to add their fiber and omega 3 superpowers.
Then onto a baking sheet and into the oven it goes! When it comes out, chunks of peanut-filled cookie-inspired goodness are yours.
We can’t wait for you to try this granola! It’s:
Chunky
Perfectly sweet
Crunchy
Snack-able
Easy to make
& Tastes like a peanut butter cookie!
Snack it by the handful or serve with dairy-free milk or yogurt. When it’s peanut butter cookies for breakfast, even the most avid breakfast skippers might be willing to join in on the most important meal of the day!
More Granola Recipes
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
*5/10/23: Recipe updated to address reader issues.
Peanut Butter Cookie Granola (Naturally Sweetened)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup smooth, drippy natural peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
- 2/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup packed pitted medjool dates (6 large dates yield ~1/2 cup or 100 g)*
- 1/4 cup melted vegan butter (we used salted // or sub coconut oil or dairy butter if not vegan)
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp sea salt (add a pinch more if your butter or peanut butter is unsalted)
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (DIVIDED // ensure gluten-free as needed)
- 1/2 cup salted roasted peanuts (DIVIDED)
- 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas)
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (162 C) and line a standard-size (13 x 18-inch) baking sheet with parchment paper.
- To a food processor, add peanut butter, maple syrup, dates, melted butter, vanilla, and sea salt. Process until the mixture is thick and the dates have mostly broken down, about 20-30 seconds. Add 1 cup (90 g) of the oats and 1/4 cup (35 g) of the peanuts and process until no whole oats or peanuts remain. It will be thick and sticky – that's normal! If your food processor is struggling, discontinue and instead, just proceed to the next step (we didn't have any issues with it!).
- Use a rubber spatula to transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, and remaining 2 cups (180 g) of oats and 1/4 cup (35 g) of peanuts. Use a wooden spoon to mix until combined – it takes some elbow grease!
- Use a silicone spatula (or wet hands) to spread the mixture onto your prepared baking sheet, keeping it in one piece and pressing/spreading until it almost fills the pan. Bake for 15 minutes, then toss to break it up into small, bite-sized granola clusters. At this point, it will be very soft. This is normal! Once it’s tossed, spread out the clumps and bake for another 8-10 minutes or until dark golden brown and fragrant. It won't be fully crunchy at this point – that's okay! It will get crunchy as it cools.
- Let the granola cool before enjoying or storing for later. Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 weeks or in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Aadam says
I made this and it was good! The taste was very sweet and maybe a little too peanutty but overall very nice. However, I couldn’t get my granola to be crisp and crunchy. It was slightly gummy and soft. Not quite flapjack level but came close on certain bites. What am I missing?
Thanks for your recipes!
Hi Aadam, we’re sorry it didn’t turn out right for you! Hmm, with the sweetness and texture, we wonder if the dates were extra sweet and sticky, perhaps? Another reason for it not getting crunchy would be if the baking sheet wasn’t large enough. You might prefer our other peanut butter granola, which is less sweet and easier to get crispy and crunchy.
Carol Lake says
Hi there, can I make these with almond butter?
Hi Carol, That should work as long as the type you use doesn’t have too strong of a flavor. We think raw almond butter would be better than dark roasted here. Let us know if you try it!
Manon says
Complètement addictif !
Me fait vraiment penser aux M&M’s !
Bravo et merci pour cette superbe, délicieuse, gourmande recette.
xoxo!
Viktoriya says
It has been a long while since I’ve made any kind of granola and this one sounded really good. Man, the house smells so good! I do prefer crunchy granola and mine remained soft despite following instructions and even keeping in the oven a tad longer. Also, it was a little too sweet for my taste. It really tastes very much like peanut butter cookies. But knowing this and how I can adjust to my preferences, I do plan to make this again. Thank you for your recipes!
Hi Viktoriya, sorry to hear it wasn’t quite what you were looking for! You might prefer our other peanut butter granola, which is less sweet and a little easier to get the texture correct.
Laura says
This will be my new favorite granola. I did add a little I have been making your banana bread granola for a long time. All of my vegan and non vegan friends know how much I love your recipes. Thank you MB!
Aw, love that! Thank you so much, Laura! xoxo
Tori says
Love! I didn’t have dates on hand – but did have dried figs. I soaked them for a bit in hot water and while the granola is likely a little less sweet than it would be with the dates, the substitution worked well! I also made a half batch instead of a full but followed the same directions.
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Tori! xo
Tanya Davis says
I think this needs to be renamed “crack” cause it’s so good I can’t stop eating it 🤤Bonus…got an arm workout mixing it 💪🏼
Highly recommend!
Ha, amazing! We’re so glad to hear it, Tanya! xoxo
Alix says
I loved this recipe. My food processor couldn’t quite handle the date mixture so I just scooped it out and added the other ingredients per the directions. The only other change I made was baking a little longer than the final 8-10 minutes (since oven temps can vary and my oven suuuuucks!). Delicious, has the crunch I like in granola and it’s not too sweet. Def saving this one :)
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the wonderful review, Alix. We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Kim says
I’m not sure why others didn’t like this. We can’t stop eating it. Just had it this morning with yogurt and berries and it was the perfect addition!
We’re so glad you had success with it, Kim! Thank you for sharing your experience! xo
ANDRYEA NATKIN says
Hi. I’m wondering if we could successfully substitute the maple syrup with another sweetener, say, honey or date syrup. If so would you suggest a 1:1 swap?
Thanks.
Hi Andryea, we haven’t tested that, but think it might work! We’d suggest using slightly less honey because it’s sweeter than maple syrup. Hope that helps!
D. Lausell says
I typically LOVE all MB recipes. Unfortunately, this is the first one I haven’t loved. While the flavor came out ok, and unlike others, my granola did become crunchy, the process of making it was really annoying. My mini Kitchen-Aid food processor started to smoke. The plastic neck actually melted and the jar is now unusable. After that happened, I transferred everything to my large Cuisinart food processor, and that also began to overheat. Finally, I transferred everything to my Blend-tec, and that also did not work- it kept stopping and the digital screen said overload, though there was barely anything in the jar. I know that blenders are for liquids but I had to try it. After all of that, the mixture was much too sticky- like caramel, to mix it into the oats. I had to add about a 1/2 cup of coconut oil in order to be able to mix it to some degree. Anyway, making this recipe took me longer than it should have, left me with a lot of kitchen appliances and tools to wash and my Kitchen-Aid is ruined so while the granola tastes ok, I’m not very happy.
We’re so sorry that was your experience! Is it possible your dates were especially hard/dry? We’ll revisit the recipe and see if we can troubleshoot what else might be going wrong for some readers.
D. Lausell says
No, the dates were fresh. I noticed in the video that after the person adds the dates, it looks like they add oats mixed with a liquid- maybe water. However, there is no mention of soaked oats in the recipe.
Hi, thanks for the follow up. After adding the dates is the melted vegan butter and then vanilla and salt. The dry rolled oats and peanuts come next. We don’t soak the oats.
D. Lausell says
Ok thank you. I used coconut oil.
Hi, we’ve retested the recipe and added some additional troubleshooting tips and notes. Sorry again that you didn’t have a positive experience with the recipe the first time around!
Patricia Villella says
I’m surprised to read the other comments because this came out amazing for me. I followed the recipe to a T and it came out tasty, crunchy and the right amount of sweetness. I am going to struggle not to snack on it all day. Thanks for another amazing recipe.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Patricia! Thanks so much for the lovely review. xo
Miranda says
Made this for my peanut loving stepdad and was excited. Have made naturally sweetened granola before and sweet factor was never an issue. For some reason, this was not very sweet, not at all like peanut butter cookies, which really surprised me considering all the maple syrup. I used my largest sheet pan and was glad I did considering a size is not mentioned. It did take some extra tossing and baking to get it crisp up but just really hoped it would be a bit sweeter.
So sorry you didn’t enjoy this one Miranda! You can use more maple syrup or add another date next time!
Caroline says
I wanted to like this, but it didn’t get dry and crunchy like granola typically does. It remained on the softer side despite cooking it for longer and ensuring it was dark brown. The flavor was also lacking. It could’ve used a tad bit more salt and sweetener, but those are just my preferences. Overall, it was ok, but it wasn’t great.
Bummer! We’re so sorry you didn’t love it, Caroline! Would you mind sharing what size baking sheet you’re using? We’re wondering if perhaps it’s smaller causing it to not crisp up once spread into clumps and baked for the final 8-10 minutes.
Hi Caroline, we’ve retested the recipe and added some additional troubleshooting tips and notes. Sorry again that you didn’t love the recipe the first time around!
RB says
Just made this, following the recipe verbatim, and it didn’t turn out for me. It never crisped up and is still chewy and very sticky, causing it to adhere together in large clumps. Also tastes like burnt peanut butter even tho it’s not over baked. Not sure what happened!
We’re so sorry that happened! Is it possible you’re using a dark roasted peanut butter? That would cause a stronger flavor that may be further enhanced by baking. Does the peanut butter taste good on its own? Also, would you mind sharing what size baking sheet you’re using? We’re wondering if perhaps it’s smaller causing it to not crisp up once spread into clumps and baked for the final 8-10 minutes.
RB says
I used a standard half sheet pan and the pb wasn’t dark roasted- Kirkland brand creamy (which has a runny texture & light color). The granola crisped up more and the burnt flavor mellowed after it sat in a glass mason jar overnight (but still tastes like an overdone pb cookie). It’s still a tad too dense and chewy- like the clusters are held together by thick glue- and I agree with the comment above that the flavor needs something, like more salt or sweet. I usually love your recipes so this was just a one-off for me! Thx!
Thank you for the additional info! We’ll do some troubleshooting and see if we can make improvements.
Hi, we’ve retested the recipe and added some additional troubleshooting tips and notes. Sorry again that you didn’t have a positive experience with the recipe the first time around!
Jody says
Hi! I was excited to make this and it came out fine, but trying to blend the first part made my Cuisinart smoke. I tried small batches in a smaller, more powerful blender but that didn’t work either. Finally used my stand mixer, but even THAT struggled! It also broke my spatula when I tried to get it out of the blenders. It tastes nice but I’m afraid it was just too hard to deal with. Am I the only one this happened to?
Oh my! We’re so sorry that happened, Jody! Is it possible your dates were super dried out? Or that a pit from the dates got in there somehow? When dates are super dry, it can be helpful to soak them in warm water for 5 minutes, then drain.
Jody says
Hi, thanks for replying to me. My dates were fresh and pit free, but soaking them might just do the trick. All in all, the granola tasted pretty good and I would try it again using your tip. Thanks again!
Hi Jody, we’ve retested the recipe and added some additional troubleshooting tips and notes. Hope that helps if you decide to give it another try!
RB says
This looks so good, but could I replace the chia seeds with flax meal? I’m not a fan of chia in granola (prefer it in wet applications like pudding). Thanks!
Hi, We think that would work. Let us know if you try it!
Amy merin says
Hi! Wondering if you have the weight (in grams) of a serving? It’s always hard to measure granola chunks !
Hi Amy, we don’t! But the weight in grams before baking would be ~57 grams.
Marie says
I made this recipe today and it did not disappoint. I followed the recipe exactly, and it turned out great. Crunchy, not too sweet, and tastes like peanut butter cookies. I’ll be making it again. :)
Yay! We’re so glad to hear it, Marie! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Jessica says
This was some of the best snack-y granola I have made! Everything about it was delicious. Highly recommend! Printing it up now so that I can make it always!
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed it so much, Jessica! Thank you for sharing! xo
Felecia says
Can I sub deglet dates for medjool, and how much you recommend for use please?
Hi Felecia, that should work! We’d suggest ~1/2 cup or 100 grams.