Peanut Butter Nutella Granola

I’ve mentioned before that I go through ridiculous food phases. For instance, in high school I would eat an Asiago bagel with plain cream cheese for lunch every day. And I mean literally every day. For the past two years, my phases have been concentrated on breakfast; Until recently, I’ve eaten old-fashioned oats with almond butter and honey every single morning. I’d bring it to work, I’d eat it on the weekends, I’d feel sad when I went out to brunch instead of having my oats at home. It was kind of sick, really.

The thing about these phases is that when they stop, they STOP , and are replaced with an aversion. In an instant I’ll be left without a go-to meal.

After my almond butter oatmeal phase abruptly ended, I was left scrambling for my next big breakfast thing. Enter Greek yogurt, fruit, and granola. Simple? yes. Expensive? ugh, yes. Greek yogurt is already twice as expensive as regular yogurt (because they need to use twice the milk), fruit is never cheap (especially if you try to buy organic), but granola? Why does granola think it should be so expensive? Get off your high granola horse.

Since my food phases are long-running and borderline obsessive, I knew I needed to cut the cost of at least one of the three elements of my new breakfast equation. So, here it goes…

Dear expensive boxed granola: You’re too into yourself. We’re done.

Dear Homemade Peanut Butter Nutella Granola: This is the start of something real and lasting. Can’t you feel it?

Peanut Butter Nutella Granola

Adapted from Earth Balance.

2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, divided
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons creamy natural peanut butter
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons Nutella
2 tablespoons salted peanuts, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Pour 1/2 cup of the oats in a food processor and pulse until you have oat flour, then pour the flour into large bowl. Add the remaining oats, flaxseed, wheat germ, and salt. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the peanut butter, oil, honey, and vanilla over low heat, whisking until it melts. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Nutella.

At one of my sister’s bridal showers this summer, the hosts handed out these cute little jars of honey as favors. Since the wedding was this past weekend, I figured it was the perfect time to make use of the jar. Plus, what would make a better vehicle for fancy-pants honey than peanut butter Nutella granola?

Pour the peanut butter mixture into the dry mixture, making sure all of the oats are covered by the peanut butter sauce. Fold in the peanuts.

Spray a cookie sheet, or line with parchment paper, and spread the granola in a thin layer. Bake for 10 minutes, stir, and then bake for another 8-10 minutes. Let it cool completely and then store in an airtight container.

So much peanut butter chocolate hazelnut crunchy oat deliciousness. The peanut butter/Nutella sauce forms some of the granola into clusters, so you have some big chunks, some little chunks, and then the crunch of the salty peanut pieces.

What we have here, folks, is an easy, inexpensive, and WHOA YUM granola to satisfy any breakfast craving. What could possibly be better than the combination of peanut butter, Nutella, and oats?

I have an idea…peanut butter, Nutella, and oats with a chopped banana on top of some Greek yogurt. Which is exactly what I am eating around 8:30 tomorrow morning. And every morning after that for the foreseeable future.