Healthy Granola Recipe (4 Ingredients!) (2024)

FAQs

What is a healthy version of granola? ›

Some brands offer unique varieties such as quinoa and spelt. Granola without some sort of sugar would taste like cardboard. 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.

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.

And when I'm feeling extra, it's an essential topping on my Pitaya smoothie bowls or my toast with peanut butter, thinly sliced apple and a sprinkle of cinnamon and granola. YUM! More reasons to obsess over homemade granola: Healthier: it has less sugar and is lower Calorie than anything you'll find at the store.

The binder is what helps the base ingredients clump together into clusters. Traditionally this is usually a sugar syrup, but it's possible to use any ingredient that has the power to bind. Egg - Egg whites are a great binder for granola if you are trying to avoid sugar.

While other granolas, even more "natural" ones, contain a little to a lot of added sugars in every form imaginable, Struesli doesn't contain added sugars or sweeteners of any kind.

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.

Nut butter is a super flavorful fat that serves multiple purposes in granola. It acts as a binding agent—along with additional coconut oil and whatever natural sweetener I've chosen—helping to pull the dry ingredients together into a wet, sticky mass for baking.

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.

Advantage homemade. Both granolas have whole oats as their main ingredient, but the Kellogg's is high in refined sugar and contains palm oil. The homemade version contains protein-rich pecans and uses only a small amount of honey, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. It took me an hour to make granola from scratch.

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.

Is it worth making your own granola? ›

Is Homemade Granola Cheaper? Initially, you'll have to spend more money on homemade granola than store-bought. However, over the long run (depending on your recipe) you'll most likely spend less on making your own granola.

Because granola contains carbohydrates, it can spike blood sugar levels in some people with diabetes. However, whether or not granola spikes your blood sugar levels, and how quickly it may cause a blood sugar spike, will vary depending on what type of granola you eat and what you pair it with.

Sugar may not sound as exciting as honey or maple syrup, but those comparatively high-fructose sugars are eager to burn in the oven, making the granola bitter and dark.

Clumpy Granola Method: Add Chickpea Flour

This no-stir approach calls for spreading the granola in an even layer on the baking sheet so it will naturally clump together as it bakes.

If your granola bars are falling apart or seem too crumbly, here are a few tips. Make sure you use honey or another sticky sweetener such as maple syrup in the liquid part of the recipe; this recipe calls for honey. This will help bind together the ingredients and keep that signature bar shape.

Granola and muesli have many similarities, including most of their ingredients and health benefits. The main difference is how they're made. Granola is baked and usually contains added sweeteners — such as honey or syrup — along with dried fruits, while muesli is enjoyed raw and sweetened with dried fruits only.

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.

Nut and seed butters work with yogurt, too, so go ahead and add a swirl of almond butter, tahini or even hummus. Instead of sweet granola, try raw or toasted rolled oats, or an unsweetened puffed grain cereal. Leftover cooked whole grains or quinoa can be a nice, chewy addition as well.

Dried Fruit and Nuts

Dried fruit and nuts are the dynamic duo that will add fruity sweetness to your morning breakfast. The dried fruit is chewy and the nuts are crunchy, so this combo is bound to please.