During my freshman year of college, I lived in the dorms and ate many of my lunches and dinners at the Dining Commons (or DC, as we called it!). Because I only wanted a small bowl of cereal for breakfast and the DC didn’t stock my favorite (this one from Trader Joe’s!), I bought milk and poured my own morning meal back in our suite.
The DC published its menu on our college campus’s website, so each day, my roommates and I logged on to check out our options ahead of time. With seven different entrée stations, they typically offered plenty of delicious options—everything from traditional burgers and pizza to more exotic ethnic meals of Mexican tacos and Asian rice bowls!
But every once in a while, nothing on the menu sounded appealing, so we headed straight to the salad bar on those evenings. We loaded up our plates with lettuce and spinach, along with a plethora of fresh chopped vegetables, and set those down at a table before walking back to the salad bar.
On our second trip, we each grabbed a bowl and filled it with yogurt (yes, the DC kept their yogurt right next to the ranch and bleu cheese salad dressings… which looked rather confusing at first!). We marched all the way across the DC to the cereal bar to top our yogurt with a scoop of locally made granola, and on stressful days with midterms or term papers, we stopped by the ice cream bar for a sprinkle of chocolate chips, too.
When I made this Healthy Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Granola last week, those college memories came flooding back… Except this granola turned out even better than the local one we added to our yogurt! That one never contained peanut butter (one of my vices!). Plus this healthier granola has tons of crunchy clusters and no butter, oil, or sugar!
This homemade granola is so simple to make. You just need 6 ingredients, most of which you already keep in your pantry and fridge!
You’ll use a mix of old-fashioned oats and brown rice cereal as the base. I know—brown rice cereal probably sounds like a strange ingredient for granola! It actually adds a big crunch without the extra calories from butter or oil. I use it in all of my granola recipes for just that reason! This is the kind that I buy because it only contains brown rice without any strange or artificial ingredients, and you can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores. My local Safeway even stocks it!
Next, you’ll combine egg whites, homemade peanut butter, and a bit of honey for sweetness. The egg whites help hold together the clusters, and they give your granola a protein boost! As for the peanut butter, I highly recommend my easy blender peanut butter. It just takes 5 minutes to make and tastes even better than store-bought. Plus it doesn’t have any added sugar or artificial ingredients, like many store-bought jars do! However, if you do need to use store-bought, make sure it’s the natural drippy-style kind where the only ingredients are “peanuts” and “salt.”
I have a special trick to always get big crunchy clusters in your granola… I actually learned it from my friend Phi’s 5-ingredient recipes cookbook! You’ll spread your granola into a thin layer on a silicone baking mat, rather than baking it in a regular cake pan. That thinner layer helps it bake faster and more evenly, which means you’ll only need to stir it once or twice. Less stirring = more clusters!
And finally, my favorite part… The mini chocolate chips! These are the kind that I buy because I love their rich flavor—and they melt really well in cookies!
Time for breakfast! Or snacks… Or yogurt parfaits… Well, let’s just say there’s a reason granola never lasts long with me around! ? And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your granola and feature it in my Sunday Spotlight series!
| Healthy Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Granola | | Print |
- 2 large egg whites
- 2 tbsp (32g) homemade creamy peanut butter
- 3 tbsp (45mL) honey
- 1 ½ cups (45g) crisp brown rice cereal
- 1 cup (100g) old-fashioned oats (gluten-free, if necessary)
- 3 tbsp (42g) miniature chocolate chips
- Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg whites until broken up and slightly bubbly. Stir in the peanut butter until smooth and creamy. Stir in the honey. Pour in the oats and rice cereal, and gently stir until the cereal is evenly coated.
- Spread the mixture evenly onto the prepared pan. Bake at 325°F for 20 minutes. Gently stir and move the clusters around the pan to break up the granola and prevent the bits closest to the edge from burning. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, then gently stir again. Bake for an additional 4-6 minutes (for a total of 34-36 minutes), or until the granola is golden and crunchy. Cool the granola completely to room temperature on the pan before sprinkling the chocolate chips on top and transferring to an airtight container.
I highly recommend using my easy blender peanut butter. It just takes 5 minutes to make! If you substitute store-bought, make sure it’s the natural drippy-style of peanut butter. The only ingredients should be “peanuts” and “salt.” Do no substitute crunchy peanut butter.
Pure maple syrup or agave may be substituted for the honey.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy 5-Ingredient Trail Mix Granola
♡ Healthy Almond Joy Granola
♡ Healthy 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Granola
♡ Healthy Honey Nut Granola
♡ Healthy Carrot Cake Granola
♡ Healthy Cranberry Gingerbread Granola
♡ Healthy Double Chocolate Brownie Granola
omg i have done this recipe 4 times it has turned out great!! thank you amy for this, you are amazinggg! i have been obsessed with your recipes and can’t wait to try more of them. also do you have any tips on how to make it less dry?? mine usually comes out a bit dry and yours looks like it may not be as dry as mine.