Why are homemade granola not crunchy?

Until I ran into a clever trick, courtesy of Julia Turshen's new cookbook Simply Julia for getting granola as crispy as you want it: add egg whites . Per Turshen, for every three cups of rolled oats you want to transform into granola, add a ¼ cup each maple syrup and olive oil.

What is a substitute for peanut butter in granola?

5 Nut-Free Alternatives to Peanut Butter Tahini. Created from sesame seeds ground into a paste with salt and oil, the nut-free alternative tahini is a common element in many Middle Eastern cuisines. ... Sunflower Seed Butter. ... Coconut Butter. ... Soy Nut Butter. ... Granola Butter. Feb 20, 2024

What ingredients should you avoid in granola?

Check the ingredient list, avoiding products that list sugar or sweeteners —including natural sweeteners like honey — within the first few ingredients. Instead, the first few ingredients should be whole foods, such as oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. You may also want to look for varieties high in protein and fiber.

How do you keep homemade granola crispy?

Whether it's homemade or store-bought, properly storing granola will help extend the shelf life and maintain crunchiness. Store granola in an airtight container or tightly sealed zip-top bag in a dry, dark place away from heat.

What ingredient makes granola stick together?

Clumpy Granola Method: Add Egg White The idea is that the egg's protein will help the oats bind to each other and create delicate clusters. Results: Not only does the egg white work as a glue to hold the oats together, but it also gives the granola an incredibly crispy bite.

What ingredient can replace peanut butter?

Tree nut butters, such as almond, cashew, walnut, hazelnut, and pecan butters, are great substitutes for peanut butter. They all have similar nutritional profiles and provide heart-healthy fats, fiber, and antioxidants.

What is healthier than granola?

Since muesli and granola are made from the same ingredients, their nutritional value is pretty much the same. Without anything added to it, muesli is healthier than granola in the sense that it has less fat and sugar.

Why is my homemade granola soft?

I aim to let it hit room temperature, whatever that may be; the real point is to give it ample time to shed excess heat and steam. This should take about 45 minutes; if left out indefinitely, the granola can turn sticky or soft , so do try to put it away as soon after cooling as you can.

Does homemade granola get crunchy as it cools?

Your homemade granola will continue to crisp up as it cools . It's tempting to start eating it as soon as it comes out of the oven, but if you let it rest for 15 minutes on the sheet pan, it'll be extra crisp and toasty – totally worth the wait!

Why is my homemade granola dry?

Keep in mind that the granola won't be dry right out of the oven — it will dry as it cools . So take it out of the oven when it looks lightly toasted and smells like cooked honey. We're going for a toasty smell here. Add dried fruit after baking.

Does homemade granola harden as it cools?

NOTE: The granola will clump and harden while cooling - not during baking. Allow to cool before stirring in the raisins, cranberries, or craisins. If stored in an airtight container, your granola could last for 2 weeks.

Peanut Butter Granola Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Bake

by: Lindsay Maitland Hunt

January8,2018

3 Ratings

Peanut Butter Granola Recipe on Food52 (1)

Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 45 minutes
Serves 12 to 16

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

Most granolas have the same amount of sugar as a cookie, which means that I leave breakfast feeling guilty that I ate my dessert before even starting the day. So, I developed this recipe with as little sweetener as possible—a serving has only 2 teaspoons of maple syrup—just enough to have an indulgent sweetness, but not so much you’re sugar-crashing on your commute.

Featured in: A (Not-Too-Sweet) Peanut Butter Granola to Batch-Bake, Stat —Lindsay Maitland Hunt

Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients

1 cup(260 g) smooth, unsweetened peanut butter (preferably natural)
²/₃ cup(155 ml) pure maple syrup
¹/₂ cup(120ml) canola oil
2 teaspoonspure vanilla extract
1 teaspoonground cinnamon
1 teaspoonkosher salt
3 cupspacked (12 oz/340 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
3 cupspacked (11 oz/310 g) quick-cooking oats
2 cups(10.5 oz/300 g) unsalted peanuts, half roughly chopped
Almond milk (or another milk you like) and fresh fruit, for serving

Directions

Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C), with racks positioned in the top and bottom thirds of the oven.
Whisk the peanut butter, maple syrup, oil, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl until smooth. Add both oats and the peanuts and stir with a spatula to combine.
Divide the granola evenly between two rimmed baking sheets and spread with the spatula into a at layer. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through, until the granola is dry looking and beginning to turn golden brown. Do not stir! (This ensures you’ll have big chunks of granola.)
Cool completely on the baking sheets and then transfer to an airtight container or zip-top bag. The granola will keep at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, or up to 2 months in the freezer. Serve with almond milk and fresh fruit. I like apples or fresh strawberries.

Tags:

American
Peanut Butter
Granola
Maple Syrup
Milk/Cream
Oat
Bake
Food52 Pantry
Breakfast

See what other Food52ers are saying.

Lucy Friedman-Bell
Taylor Stanton
Stacey Rowe
Heidi Katterhenry
Sarah Jampel

Popular on Food52

23 Reviews

trvlnsandy January 26, 2022

I've been messing with granola recipes for some time so decided there was enough background to mess with this recipe from what I've learned. As I had almost all the ingredients (only regular oats) decided to try it with some modifications. I always reduce the sugars, and since am using agave reduced even more (about 1/3 c). Had some almond butter I wanted to use up, so there's another subs. Always prefer almonds, so used the same weight. Have another recipe that uses bran so substituted 1 c of oat bran for oats (did it by weight), and the other recipe uses powdered milk. I love cinnamon so upped it to 1 T and used some almond flavoring in addition to the vanilla (the other recipe uses 1 T vanilla and 1 t almond oil for approximately 6 c oats etc). Usually use olive oil in my granola, but went with the canola. Added about 1/4 c coconut per pan a the first stirring. Will reply to my comment when I finally taste.

trvlnsandy January 26, 2022

I can see that this recipe basis -- nut butter -- is going to be part of my mix. I think I could have added more cinnamon (ok, I'm addicted) and I think the sweetness is almost perfect. Might up the salt as well next time. Looking forward to my yogurt tomorrow (make it in the instant pot and strain to my desired thickness).