Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola

Alright, time for a serious granola discussion. A) It's a great health food, however B) it's loaded with crap when you buy it off the shelf. (Generally speaking, of course.) Quick lesson to learn: Not all granola is good. Or good for you. But it couldn't be easier to make in the privacy of your own kitchen. That's why so many private brands are popping up in health food stores and farmer's markets across the country. People are figuring it out and consequently creating some competition for the big brands. But for real—I've made many a batch of my own and they've all been so good to me.

For a while now, I've been sitting on a granola recipe from Eat, Live, Run. Jenna calls it "Elvis granola," however I'm not sure why. The main ingredients are peanut butter and chocolate chips. Obviously oats, too. So I think I'll call it Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip granola. You know, just because.

It's certainly worthy of the name:

Salty meets sweet in a satisfying way, I'd say.

It's great on Greek yogurt, but also delicious right out of the jar. Or bag. Jenna's recipe makes a ton, so you might have to store it in something large. Or divide it among a series of jars and bags—a bag full of homemade granola makes for a great addition to the desk drawer snack bar. Speaking of Jenna, I made two small changes to her recipe. Feel free to print the original, or use mine which is below.

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP GRANOLA
Inspiration: Elvis Granola, Eat, Live, Run

Ingredients
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup Maple syrup
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 4 cups oats
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 1 cup raw almonds, coarsely chopped
• 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 275F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2) Simmer oil through cinnamon in a sauce pot over medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes. While simmering, mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl—except for the chocolate!

3) Pour sauce over dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined. Spread granola across the two cookie sheets and bake 40 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom at the 20-minute mark.

4) Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Add the chocolate.

Enjoy!

Question: Do you like to eat granola dry, or do you prefer to mix it with yogurt or milk? Do you have a favorite granola recipe? If so, link me!