My 1-Ingredient Secret to Easier, Better Granola

In my house, weekends are for making granola. Most Sunday afternoons, you'll find me in the kitchen making a big batch of homemade granola to feed my family throughout the week. My kids love eating it with yogurt and fruit for breakfast, and they sprinkle it on top of smoothies for after-school snacks. Sometimes I grab handfuls straight from the jar when I'm hungry.

Making granola lets me use up those last bits of leftover nuts, seeds, dried fruits, oils, and natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup—items that would otherwise linger in my pantry. But there is one ingredient I always make a point of adding, and that is nut butter.

Nut butter is a super flavorful fat that serves multiple purposes in granola. It acts as a binding agent—along with additional coconut oil and whatever natural sweetener I've chosen—helping to pull the dry ingredients together into a wet, sticky mass for baking. Nut butter contributes to browning in the oven, which adds crunchiness and aesthetic appeal. 

And, of course, it adds a delicious, nutty flavor to the granola. You get some of that flavor from chopped nuts, but having the nut butter blended into the liquid ingredients helps to spread it through every bite. My favorite nut butter to use is natural crunchy salted peanut butter, but sometimes I use almond butter. Seed butters like tahini and sunflower butter are also great. Of course, regular peanut butter will do the job too!

There are numerous variations on granola—it's one of those wonderfully versatile recipes that can be whatever you want, using whatever is on hand. Have fun and find what works for you! But I highly recommend adding nut butter to the mix to see how it turns out. You won’t be disappointed!

My Basic Granola Formula

Ingredients

• 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 4 cups add-ins, such as dried shredded coconut, chopped or sliced nuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, wheat germ, etc.
• 1 cup honey or maple syrup
• ¼ cup nut butter
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil, coconut oil, or melted butter
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 cup dried fruit, such as raisins, chopped dates, chopped dried apricots, dried cranberries, etc. (Optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (163 degrees C) and lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Combine rolled oats and add-ins in a large bowl. 
3. Combine honey, nut butter, oil, and cinnamon in a 2-cup liquid measure. Heat in the microwave until loosened and warmed, about 1 minute. Mix thoroughly and pour over rolled-oat mixture. Toss to coat thoroughly. Pour granola onto the prepared baking sheet and spread into a shallow layer.
4. Bake in the preheated oven, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes, until desired color is reached, about 15-25 minutes total. (Don't let it burn! It will get crunchy as it cools.)
5. Remove granola from the oven and let cool completely. Stir in dried fruit (if using).
6. Store in a sealed container.