Crunchy, chewy, sweet and salty…this peanut butter and jelly granola is absolutely addicting! Filled with perfectly toasted oats, almonds, and coconut, along with chewy dried berries and peanuts, it’s bursting with texture and flavor. This peanut butter and jelly granola is reminiscent of classic PB&J, but can be eaten so many different ways! As cereal with milk, on top of fruit and yogurt, and simply by the handful.

It’s been WAY too long since I’ve shared a granola recipe with you! First we had this delicious grain-free almond joy granola (seriously, I need to make that recipe again ASAP)! Next, we had this classic, basic, which is super versatile. I love it topped on smoothie bowls. It’s about time we had another granola recipe around here!

I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but I honestly rarely buy store-bought cereal anymore because I much prefer homemade granola! I love everything about it; it’s cheaper than store-bought, fun yet easy to make, makes your entire house smell delicious while it’s baking, and the best part is that YOU get to pick exactly what you want to put in it! Chocolate, plain, PB&J…you name it!

I have so many granola recipes saved on Pinterest , and when we first got married I went through a long season of making one new granola recipe after another. I remember a making peach almond version, apple cinnamon, cherry pistachio, chocolate cherry, oatmeal raisin cookie, etc. So many options to fit your personal preferences, tastes, dietary needs, and use what you have on hand.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Oats

So little story: first time I tested this recipe I thought I would be creative and resourceful and use steel-cut oats that were rather forgotten in the back of my pantry. That was a fail. LOL. The granola was extremely crumbly and difficult to chew. Never again. Anyways, I’d recommend using whole rolled oats (old-fashioned) for this granola for the best texture! Quick oats will be too flour-like and not give you the clumps or texture we are looking for here!

Ground flax

Flax seeds (ground or whole) are filled with healthy omega-3 fatty acids and fiber and are very heart healthy! If you don’t have ground flaxseed on hand, you could substitute ½ cup of oat flour in place (which is simply ground-up oats). Or you could try an additional ½ cup of whole oats too!

Sliced almonds

Feel free to use any chopped nuts you prefer! Pecans, walnuts, etc. I love the almonds in this recipe though.

Coconut

I used the large flaked (unsweetened) variety. Trust me, this recipe is sweet and delicious with the other ingredients that sweetened coconut isn’t needed! If you don’t have the large flake (which I think adds some fun texture to this recipe), you can use shredded coconut.

Pure maple syrup

I have tried honey before in granola recipes, but wasn’t a huge fan of it in granola (I thought the maple syrup got the granola more crisp/crunchy without burning). You could try using honey or agave syrup in place of the maple syrup! Make sure you use pure maple syrup and not pancake syrup for the best results!

Jam or Jelly

You can literally use any flavor you want! I believe I used blueberry jam, but strawberry, grape, peach, fig jam, or homemade chia jam will all work!

Coconut oil

I love the slight coconut flavor the coconut flakes and coconut oil give this granola, but feel free to use a vegetable/canola/light olive oil/avocado oil, etc.  in place of the coconut! I’ve used many different varieties of oil in granolas before and they all work well!

Add-ins

I used dried blueberries, freeze-dried strawberries, and chopped peanuts to go with our PB&J theme, but feel free to mix and match! Any dried fruit and nuts will work. Just make sure you add them in AFTER baking the granola.

Serving Suggestions

I love eating this on top of berries and Greek yogurt for breakfast, or by the handful as a snack! It’s also delicious eaten as a cereal with milk. You really can’t go wrong with how you eat it…honestly, I have to say my favorite way it simply eating it plain!

This peanut butter and jelly granola will last well, tightly covered at room temperature for up to a month…but I doubt it will last that long! I usually store mine in a gallon plastic bag or Tupperware container.