Crunchy Salted Peanut Butter Granola with Figs

This crunchy salted peanut butter granola recipe makes for an addictive yet nutritious snack or breakfast. In just 30 minutes you can have all the crunchy, pb coated oats, almonds and pecans tossed with figs and apricots.

If you’re trying to avoid foods that a super crunchy but both sweet and salty, full of nuts and dancing with dried fruit, you know the definition of addicting, then this crunchy salted peanut butter granola is NOT for you. Especially if you have an aversion to making things that only take 30 minutes, are easy to clean up, and provide you with a nourishing breakfast every morning for 2 whole weeks. Don’t do it! Just stay away. Close your browser and walk away now! Because once you make this granola, you’ll kinda be hooked!

Boxcar Granola

I wanted to call this “boxcar granola” because that’s what I call it. But then you would have no idea what this was. This recipe for crunchy salted peanut butter granola is inspired by a granola bar you can purchase at the café by partner manages here in Toronto, called Boxcar Social (hence the name “boxcar granola”). Other than the fact that Boxcar makes the best coffee in Toronto (should I even get into their whiskies, wine and local beer?) they have some insanely delicious treats. For instance, every Friday there are homemade poptarts and on a daily basis they have croissant loafs stuffed with everything from chocolate ganache to goat cheese and walnuts. Insane. But if you’re trying to be a little more health conscious, they have chronic granola bars.

I have eaten a great number of Boxcar granola bars and have picked them apart incessantly trying to figure out how they make them. And I did. I have made my interpretation of these granola bars numerous times. I think I nailed it. But you know what, it’s a big hassle. You have to toast the oats in the oven, soak and purée dates in a food processor, warm the peanut butter on the stove, press into bars, partially freeze and then cut them. Too much work. So I tried a regular old granola version of them, and it’s even more addicting with half the work.

What Makes Crunchy Salted Peanut Butter Granola So Good?

I will tell you!

• Nuts: This granola gets a lot of it’s crunch factor from the plethora of toasted almonds and pecans that are utterly coated in a peanut maple mixture. The nuts on their own are just so good.

• Salt: Just like salted peanut butter cookies and salted chocolate are far superior to their unsalted, former selves, a little extra sea salt really enhances all the flavors going on in this granola.

• Texture: I have made a lot of granola in my life and often times the oats can be too chewy and lack crunch. The oats in this granola are tossed with peanut butter, maple, and coconut oil and the result of the combo has miraculously resulted in a very coated, crunchy oat. The combination of this, the toasty nuts, and the chewy, sweet, dried apricots and figs makes this granola texturally interesting.

The addiction trifecta is complete. Need more breakfast ideas? Try this or this !

Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You.

I’m serious, you won’t want to stop. But you should because if can manage to not eat the entire batch of crunchy salted peanut butter granola right off the bat then you won’t have to think about breakfast for two weeks. Store in air tight, dry container and you can enjoy boxcar granola bliss for a long time. Make a double batch and give to someone (without nut allergies) if you’re in desperate need to make a friend. Cuz it will work!

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Recipe

Crunchy Salted Peanut Butter Granola with Figs

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup natural peanut butter (salted if possible)
• ⅓ cup maple syrup
• 3 tbsp coconut oil (you can use other mild flavored vegetable oils)
• ¾ tsp sea salt
• 3 cups gluten free rolled oats
• 1 cup raw almonds, whole
• ½ cup raw pecans, halves
• 2 tbsp cane or coconut sugar
• ¼ cup hemp hearts
• ½ cup dried apricots, chopped
• ½ cup dried figs or dates, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 340 F/170 C/4 gas. Put on Man Forever’s newest album “Play What They Want”. It will take about as long to listen to this album as to make this granola, and the beat is just as addictive.
2. First, in a small sauce pan, warm the peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, and salt over medium heat until the coconut oil melts and the peanut butter just starts to thin out and easily mixes together. It should take about 2-3 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, toss together the oats, nuts, hemp seeds, and sugar until everything is nicely combined. Pour the peanut butter mixture over the oats. With clean hands toss everything together until the oats and nuts are evenly coated with beautiful, peanut buttery delight.
4. Spread the granola evenly over a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, taking the granola out to stir it up about halfway through. If you have a small oven like I do, it will take about 20 minutes. If you have a large, standard oven, more like 25. You want the oats and nuts to be golden but not dark brown.
5. While the granola is baking, chop the figs and apricots. When you take the granola out of the oven toss it together with the dried fruit right on the sheet pan. Allow the granola to completely cool before eating. Store in a dry, airtight container and enjoy for as long as 2 weeks.