Peanut Butter Chocolate Granola Cookies Recipe
These cookies are the kind I make on a weeknight when I want something chewy, nutty, and comforting without a long ingredient list or fuss. They’re anchored by smooth peanut butter and dark brown sugar, with granola for chew and chocolate chips for the happy moments between bites. They come together fast, and they hold up well in a container for days.
I love that this recipe leans on pantry basics—peanut butter, an egg, brown sugar—then gets personality from whatever granola you choose. Use a cranberry-almond granola for a little tart lift, a honey granola for mellow sweetness, or a nut-packed granola for extra crunch. The cookies bake quickly and finish soft in the center, which is exactly how I prefer mine.
No frosting. No rolling. Just scoop, bake, and let them rest briefly before moving to a rack. If you’re short on time, these feel like a treat without ceremony. If you want to dress them up, there are small, seasonal tweaks you can make without changing the basic method.
Ingredients at a Glance
- 1 cup smooth peanut butter — the binding fat and main flavor; smooth keeps the texture even.
- 1 large egg — binds the dough and provides structure.
- 1 cup light or dark brown sugar — I used dark; gives moisture, caramel notes, and chew.
- 1 cup granola cereal — I used Fiber One Granola Cereal in Cranberry Almond; adds chew, texture, and flavor contrast.
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips — pockets of melty chocolate; semi-sweet keeps the sweetness balanced.
Step-by-Step: Peanut Butter Chocolate Granola Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), add 1 cup smooth peanut butter and 1 cup light or dark brown sugar.
- Mix on medium speed about 30 seconds, until the peanut butter and sugar are combined and the mixture loosens slightly. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Add 1 large egg and continue mixing on medium until the dough is smooth and homogenous, about 20–30 seconds.
- Add 1 cup granola cereal and ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. Mix on low speed just until the granola and chips are evenly incorporated; avoid overmixing.
- Using a 1½-tablespoon scoop or measuring spoon, drop rounded scoops of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 9–10 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops look slightly firm but the centers are still a bit soft.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5–7 minutes (they will be fragile while warm).
- After 5–7 minutes, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
What Makes This Recipe Special
It’s the pairing of creamy peanut butter with granola that changes the cookie from ordinary to interesting. The peanut butter gives you rich, savory-sweet depth while the granola contributes chew, occasional nutty crunch, and bits of dried fruit if your granola has them. That contrast—soft, slightly fudgy center with chewy granola bits—is the reason this recipe stands out.
Another thing: there’s no flour. That keeps the crumb dense and moist. The recipe is forgiving, too. The egg and peanut butter create enough structure that you won’t need precise flour measuring or chilling for shape. If you’re pressed for time, toss everything together, scoop, and bake.
Budget & Availability Swaps
If you’re trying to save or working with what’s on hand, here are practical swaps that won’t derail the cookie.
- Peanut butter: If smooth isn’t available, you can use creamy-style natural peanut butter—expect slightly looser dough. Stir the jar well before measuring.
- Brown sugar: Use either light or dark brown sugar as the recipe indicates. Dark gives more molasses depth; light makes a milder cookie.
- Granola: Any granola will work. Plain oats-based granola keeps costs down; fruit-and-nut blends add flavor without extra steps.
- Chocolate chips: Semi-sweet chips are the call here, but chopped chocolate or milk chips will work in a pinch—use what you have.
Before You Start: Equipment
Gathering tools first saves time and keeps baking calm.
- Large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl — for combining peanut butter, sugar, and egg.
- Hand mixer or stand mixer — mixes quickly and evenly, but you can stir by hand if needed.
- Measuring cups and spoons — measure peanut butter and sugar accurately for best texture.
- 1½-tablespoon scoop or measuring spoon — keeps cookies uniform in size so they bake evenly.
- Baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat — helps cookies release cleanly.
- Wire rack — for finishing and cooling so bottoms don’t sweat.
Errors to Dodge
Small mistakes change these cookies quickly. Here’s what I see most often, and how to avoid them.
- Overbaking: The cookies will look slightly underdone in the center when you pull them. Remove at 9–10 minutes as instructed. Residual heat finishes them while they rest.
- Overmixing after adding granola and chips: Mix only until evenly incorporated. Overworking the dough crushes granola and makes the texture one-note.
- Using runny, oil-separated natural peanut butter: That can make the dough too loose. If your peanut butter is thin, stir thoroughly and you may need to chill the dough briefly to firm it up before scooping.
- Skipping the 5–7 minute rest on the baking sheet: They’re fragile warm. Letting them set prevents breakage when transferring to the wire rack.
Holiday & Seasonal Touches
These cookies are a great base for small seasonal tweaks that add festive character without extra fuss.
- Fall: Stir in a pinch of cinnamon and swap the granola for a maple or spiced variety. Top with a few extra chocolate chips while warm for a glossy finish.
- Winter holidays: Fold in chopped toasted pecans or walnuts with the granola. A light sprinkle of flaky sea salt after baking heightens the chocolate and peanut butter.
- Summer: Use a fruit-forward granola like cranberry-almond (as I did) for bright notes. Let cookies cool completely, then stack with a sheet of wax paper for picnics.
Recipe Notes & Chef’s Commentary
I favor dark brown sugar here for the deeper caramel flavor; it keeps the cookie tasting rich and slightly molasses-like. The recipe indicates you can use light or dark, so pick according to how pronounced you want that note.
Granola choice matters more than you think. A fruit-and-nut granola adds chew and occasional bursts of tartness. A plain oat granola gives texture without competing flavors. If your granola has big clusters, break a few up so they incorporate more evenly into the dough.
Texture tip: aim for slightly soft centers. These cookies firm up as they cool. If you prefer a crisper cookie, leave them in the oven for the full 10 minutes and let them cool longer on the sheet before moving them.
Store, Freeze & Reheat
The recipe itself says to store the cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days. That’s practical and accurate: keep them at room temperature, stacked with a sheet of parchment between layers to prevent sticking.
Freezing options:
- Baked cookies: Freeze on a sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. They’ll keep well for a month. Thaw at room temperature for 30–60 minutes before serving.
- Dough balls: Scoop and freeze the raw rounds on a sheet, then bag them. Bake from frozen adding a minute or two to the bake time. This is a great make-ahead trick.
Reheat briefly in a low oven (300°F for 5–7 minutes) to refresh the texture and warm the chocolate. A quick microwave zap (10–15 seconds) will soften them but can make them slightly chewier.
Reader Q&A
Q: Can I use crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth?
A: Yes. Crunchy peanut butter will add extra nut texture. It may make the cookie slightly more textured overall. If the peanut butter is very chunky, give the mixer a few more seconds to integrate it.
Q: What if I’m out of brown sugar?
A: Brown sugar contributes moisture and molasses flavor. If you must substitute, a mixture of granulated sugar plus a tablespoon of molasses per cup approximates brown sugar, but that’s a small tweak you’d make at your own discretion.
Q: Can I make these vegan or egg-free?
A: The recipe relies on 1 large egg for structure. I haven’t tested specific egg substitutes here. If you try a swap (such as a flax or commercial egg replacer), expect some differences in texture and structure.
Q: My dough was sticky or too soft—what went wrong?
A: Often that comes from very soft peanut butter or over-stirring. Chill the dough briefly before scooping, or firm it by refrigerating for 15–30 minutes.
Before You Go
These Peanut Butter Chocolate Granola Cookies are a dependable go-to: few ingredients, quick assembly, and a texture that keeps them interesting bite after bite. Keep the granola creative and choose a chocolate you love. The rest is simple—measure, mix, scoop, and bake.
If you make these, I’d love to hear what granola you used and whether you kept them soft or went for crisp. Small swaps can lead to big flavor discoveries, and sharing them helps other readers find their favorite version.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Granola Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 cupsmooth peanut butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 cuplight or dark brown sugarI used dark
- 1 cupgranola cerealI used Fiber One Granola Cereal in Cranberry Almond
- 1/2 cupsemi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), add 1 cup smooth peanut butter and 1 cup light or dark brown sugar.
- Mix on medium speed about 30 seconds, until the peanut butter and sugar are combined and the mixture loosens slightly. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Add 1 large egg and continue mixing on medium until the dough is smooth and homogenous, about 20–30 seconds.
- Add 1 cup granola cereal and ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. Mix on low speed just until the granola and chips are evenly incorporated; avoid overmixing.
- Using a 1½-tablespoon scoop or measuring spoon, drop rounded scoops of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 9–10 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops look slightly firm but the centers are still a bit soft.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5–7 minutes (they will be fragile while warm).
- After 5–7 minutes, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
- large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer
- Stand mixer (optional)
- Spatula
- 1 1/2-tablespoon scoop or measuring spoon
- Wire Rack
