Granola that doesn’t suck!

Any time I’ve ever eaten a granola bar that I liked, it was filled with artificial sweeteners and chocolate, which kind of defeats the purpose of eating granola.

But then again every recipe for healthy granola I’ve ever seen is centered around cranberries, raisins, dates, or other dried fruits, all of which are a hard “no” for me.

I had all but accepted that granola was yet another healthy snack option unavailable to the likes of me (add it to the list with avocado toast, hummus, and anything with cottage cheese), until I came across Lindsay Maitland Hunt’s Healthyish recipe for peanut butter granola.

Thank God for organic peanut butter because that s*** is delicious. As soon as I found this peanut-forward recipe, I knew I needed to try it. After all, oats were never my major problem with granola!

A messy mixing bowl and 45 minutes in the oven later, I had a sheet of baked granola ready for crumbling over my Greek yogurt for lunch.

The verdict

Delicious! And perfect for weekday lunches or snacks. Besides the dominant peanut butter flavor, the granola is sweetened with pure maple syrup, and we know how I feel about sweeteners (I’m a fan). The oat-and-peanut base provide the perfect solution to my mid-day hunger.

Over the last week, I’ve enjoyed this granola several times on top of plain Greek yogurt—a flavor (or lack thereof) that I wouldn’t normally choose (I’m more of a mixed berry kind of gal—NO CHUNKS). But the tanginess of the yogurt perfectly complements the sweet-and-saltiness of the granola topping, making for a lunch that is much greater than the sum of its parts.

I’ve also added honeycrisp apples to the mix with much success (and more sweetness!). In her book, Lindsay Hunt also suggests pouring your favorite non-dairy milk over the granola and eating it like cereal.

This is too far for me. At least for now. I’ve put almond milk in smoothies. I’ve now put this granola in my lunch for four consecutive days. But mixing the two (and leaving them so naked, without any other flavors or textures!) is not something I’m ready for. I hope to someday be brave enough for this kind of endeavor, but not yet.

I’m excited to have this granola in my lunchtime repertoire. I’ve always struggled to find a healthy lunch that actually leaves me feeling satisfied, and this definitely gets the job done. And although not exactly the healthiest, I can speak from experience that dark chocolate chips are not a bad addition to this mix (we’ll call that one a snack).

What other ingredients do you like in your granola? Besides dried fruit. Leave that s*** at the door. Let me know in the comments below or on Instagram @thepickyeaterchronicles!