Peanut Butter Granola

Perfect Peanut Butter Granola

Summer break. Every teacher's goal for 9 months of the year. I made it.
Honestly, though, I do love my job, and for perhaps the first time in my working history, I have not counted down impatiently for summer to come. I am blessed to have a job I love AND to get a loooong summer break as well.
Summer, to me, means that I get to cook and blog to my heart's content. Unfortunately, though, my oven is in need of repair, and I must endure another week or so of not having a working oven.
I do have a wonderful sister-in-law, though, who lives just down the street, so I baked up this tasty granola in her oven this afternoon.
If you've ever had Nature Valley Peanut Butter Granola Bars then you know what this granola tastes like. It is crunchy, toasty, and full of peanut butter goodness. It's very easy to make and it's much less expensive than buying ready-made granola. 
Seriously, so easy. You really must try making it on your own.


Peanut Butter Granola

Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 cup corn syrup or honey
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups old fashioned rolled oats

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
• In a medium or large bowl, completely mix the egg whites, corn syrup (or honey), vegetable oil, brown sugar, peanut butter, kosher salt, and vanilla.
• Stir in the rolled oats until everything is incorporated.
• Spread mixture evenly over the prepared pan.
• Bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the granola in there for another 15 minutes. 
• Then remove from the oven and stir. Allow to cool completely before eating or placing in a gallon sized zip top bag.
• Try to enjoy it within two weeks for best flavor.

Makes about 5 cups of granola.