5 Guilt-Free Granola Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Why is my homemade granola not crunchy? ›

Higher temperatures can cause ingredients like nuts, seeds, and coconut to burn before the batch has a chance to properly dry out and crisp up, Perry says. Stick with a low temperature, keep an eye on your mixture, and stir it from time to time to help it brown evenly.

But the best bet is to choose a granola with minimally processed sweeteners such as maple syrup, honey and agave. Dried fruit will also add fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Granolas fortified with extras like flaxseed and chia seeds are fabulous for a post-workout snack or for a dose of Omega-3 fats.

Smoothie with Granola

Try adding it to your favorite smoothie to give it an extra boost of fiber from the whole grains, healthy fats and added flavor. It's also an easy way to increase calories in a smoothie. Personally, I think it would be a delicious addition to my Strawberry Peanut Butter Smoothie!

Clumpy Granola Method: Add Whole Wheat and Almond Flour

First, it adds a combo of whole wheat flour and almond flour (or almond meal), which act as a binder to hold the oat mixture together.

Not only can you transform that soggy, chewy granola back to being blissfully crunchy, but it's easier than you might think. All it takes is spreading the granola in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and heating it in a 400 degree oven for five minutes — essentially re-baking it.

Granola may prompt weight gain if eaten in excess, as it can be high in calories from added fats and sugars. What's more, sugar is linked to chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

Which One Is Better for Breakfast? Both oatmeal and granola make for a healthy, nutritious breakfast, but the winner for us is granola—the added nuts, seeds, and dried fruits give you a source of fiber and healthy fats that oatmeal can't quite compete with.

Storing and Serving Homemade Granola

When stored in an airtight container, this granola will keep for up to a month. Eat it like cereal with milk or sprinkle over yogurt for a simple breakfast you can take anywhere.

High-fiber foods, like the oats and whole grains found in granola, fill you up and keep you feeling fuller longer. Dietary studies have found eating a high-fiber diet can help you lose weight. Dried fruit and nuts also contain antioxidants, like vitamin E, which can lower inflammation in the body.

You can use any kind that you like, but my favorite low sugar vanilla yogurts are Two Good, Chobani Less Sugar, or Siggi's. If you prefer to sweeten your own, you can use plain Greek yogurt and use either honey or maple syrup.

Is granola better with milk or yogurt? ›

The best blend is Greek yogurt with granola, which is high in protein and fiber.

Use yogurt and cream cheese as your base, then add fruit like kiwi, banana, orange and frozen berries. A bit of honey and cinnamon rounds out the flavors and excites the taste buds! If you're in a hurry, you can also try this Maple Sea Salt Granola Parfait, which calls for just two ingredients!

Add an egg white.

The whites act as a kind of glue that binds the ingredients together. To ensure that the egg whites coat all the ingredients, I beat them with a whisk until foamy and increased in volume, which makes it much easier to fold into the granola.

NOTE: The granola will clump and harden while cooling - not during baking. Allow to cool before stirring in the raisins, cranberries, or craisins. If stored in an airtight container, your granola could last for 2 weeks.

You need fat. If you're not using some type of fat to make granola, you're going to have a pile of dry oats. We use olive oil at Marge, and it gives the granola a toasty quality I really love.

Using a low oven temperature helps dry out the granola without over-baking it. Keep in mind that the granola won't be dry right out of the oven — it will dry as it cools. So take it out of the oven when it looks lightly toasted and smells like cooked honey.

One of the most difficult parts about making homemade granola bars is cooking them enough so that they get dried out all the way through, but not so long that they start over cooking. Toasting the oats first means that the bars start out dry and crispy, so they don't need to cook as long and start overcooking.