Small Batch Peanut Butter Granola

This small-batch peanut butter granola is a fun and healthy-ish way to satisfy your sweet tooth. The crispy clusters are light, flaky, and completely irresistible – especially with a little melted chocolate on top!

Clusters of chocolate covered peanut butter granola in a small glass jar.

Wildly addictive, this small batch peanut butter granola tastes like a cross between a flaky Butterfinger candy bar and peanut butter oatmeal cookies.

Tim took two jars to his office and in less than an hour, ALL of it was gone. And that batch didn’t even have chocolate on it!

To Stir or Not to Stir?

I’ve always been taught that the trick to granola with lots of clusters is to not stir it while the granola bakes and cools.

Curious what happens if you stir a no-stir recipe?

We were, so I threw together a batch and baked it for 20 minutes.  First, I stirred it after 10 minutes and then every 5 minutes after that.

Once the granola was golden and toasty, I pressed it into a single layer in the pan and let it cool.

Flaky stirred granola in a glass bowl.

The result: Super flaky granola with zero clumps (like our Small Batch Almond Granola). It tastes great with milk and in yogurt parfaits.

My heart will always belongs to clumpy no-stir granola but if you’d like a more cereal-style option, feel free to stir away!

~ Keep scrolling for step by step photo directions after the recipe ~

Clusters of chocolate covered peanut butter granola in a small glass jar.

Small Batch Peanut Butter Granola

Yield: 3 Cups of Granola
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Cooling: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Crispy flaky cluster of peanut butter granola in a small batch recipe that perfect for just one or two people.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil (like canola oil)
  • 1/3 cup natural peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon light or dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut chips/large flake coconut
  • 1/4 cup dry roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional but highly recommended)

Instructions

  1. Adjust your toaster oven’s cooking rack to the bottom position and preheat to 325°F. Line the bottom of a quarter sheet pan with a silicone baking mat. If using a different metal pan, lightly grease the bottom and sides with oil.
  2. In a microwave-safe bowl combine the oil, peanut butter, maple syrup and brown sugar. Heat in the microwave until warmed and the peanut butter begins to melt, about 20 to 30 seconds. Stir the mixture well to combine and add the vanilla and salt.
  3. In a large bowl combine the oats, coconut, and peanuts.
  4. Pour peanut butter mixture over oats and nuts, stir well to make sure everything is coated. Pour into the prepared pan. Use a spatula or the bottom of a heavy measuring cup to press and compact the granola into an even layer.
  5. Bake at 325°F until the granola is light golden brown all over, about 18 to 22 minutes.
  6. While granola is still warm sprinkle with chocolate chips. After 1 minutes use an offset spatula to spread the melted chocolate around the top of the granola.
  7. Allow granola to cool in the pan for at least 1 hour, then break into clumps.

Notes

Store granola in a well-sealed glass jar for 7 days.

Cook time includes 1 hour cooling time.

The recipe makes about 12 ounces or 3 cups of granola.

Recipe adapted from our Maple Pecan Toaster Oven Granola recipe which is adapted from America's Test Kitchen Cooking for Two Cookbook.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 421Total Fat: 30.20gSaturated Fat: 8.2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 44mgCarbohydrates: 24.5gFiber: 6.5gSugar: 9.3gProtein: 12g

How To Make Clumpy Small Batch Peanut Butter Granola

Start by adjusting your toaster oven’s cooking rack to the bottom position and preheating to 325 degrees F.

Line the bottom of a quarter sheet pan with a silicone baking mat or lightly grease the bottom and sides with oil.

You can also use a metal 8 x 8 pan or 11 x 7 pan. 

Peanut butter, honey and maple syrup in an oven-safe ramekin.
Next, combine the oil, peanut butter, maple syrup, and brown sugar in a (non-glass) oven-safe ramekin. 

Oven-safe ramekin warming ingredients in a toaster oven.

Heat in your preheating toaster oven until warmed and the peanut butter begins to melt about 2 to 3 minutes. Also, you can microwave it for about 20 to 30 seconds.

Carefully remove the ramekin and stir the peanut butter mixture until smooth, heating for more time if need. 

Once the mixture is smooth, add the vanilla and salt.

Wooden spoon stirring a peanut butter mixture in a small ramekin.

Next, in a large bowl combine the oats, coconut, and peanuts (if using).

Pour the peanut butter mixture over the oats and nuts. Use a rubber spatula to stir and cut through the bowl to make sure everything (including ALL of the oats) gets coated.

Granola ingredients combined in a glass bowl.

Pour the granola into the prepared pan. Use the back of your spatula or the bottom of a heavy measuring cup to press and compact the granola into an even layer.

Bake at 325 degrees F until the granola is light golden brown all over, about 18 to 22 minutes.

If you’re using a quarter sheet pan the granola will be in a thinner layer and bake quicker about 18 to 20 minutes. 

Whenever we bake granola in our 11 x 7-inch pan or 8 x 8-inch pan the granola is in a thicker layer. So it takes longer about 20 to 24 minutes.

Warm small batch peanut butter granola cooling in a pan.

While the granola is still warm sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let the chips sit undisturbed for about 1 minute to get nice and melty.

Then use an offset spatula to spread the melted chocolate on the top of the granola.

Allow the granola to cool in the pan for at least 1 hour, then break into clumps.

Peanut butter granola broken into clumps on a baking pan.

The granola should stay crisp in a well-sealed glass jar for about 7 to 10 days. Though we’ve never made it past day 4 so I can’t say for sure!

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