Low Calorie Granola Recipe
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This homemade low calorie granola recipe is a great alternative to store bought granola. It’s easy to make and it keeps for several weeks, which means that you have a healthy breakfast ready to go on those busy mornings!
I love the idea of granola.
Sweet, crispy oats paired with nuts, seeds, and fruit – it feels like a treat for breakfast every day.
My only issue with granola is that it always ends up being super high in sugar and calories, because most store bought granolas are made with way too much sugar, unhealthy fats, and dried fruit that also has added sugar to it!
Luckily, it is super easy and quick to make your own granola at home, and it actually tastes even better than the store-bought variety. It also stores really well — you can keep it in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Tools and Equipment You’ll Need
- A good set of Mixing Bowls
- A large Baking Sheet
How to make Low Calorie Granola – Step by Step
Step 1: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread oats and quinoa on a parchment lined baking sheet, toast in the oven for 10 minutes, stirring once.
Step 2: Remove oats/quinoa from the oven, pour into a bowl and add all of the remaining ingredients.
What Makes this Low Calorie Granola Healthy?
- Low in Fat and Calories: Typical granola can run you 200 calories for a tiny serving and over 10g sugar (as much as a fun sized Milky Way bar!) This healthy granola recipe has less than 130 calories per serving making it a guilt-free way to enjoy granola!
- Low in Added Sugar: This recipe has only 6g sugar per serving, and only about 3g of that is added sugar (the rest is naturally occurring sugar from the dried fruit!)
- Whole Grains: Quinoa and oats are both heart-healthy whole grains, and the quinoa is a complete protein which is an added plus!
- Healthy Fats: This particular granola has a variety of healthy fats thank to the almonds, pecans, pistachios, ground flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, and coconut oil!
Will kids enjoy this Low Calorie Granola?
This granola is perfectly sweet and has a bunch of fun mix-ins to keep kids happy. If your kids happen to be on the pickier side, here are some tips to help them enjoy this granola:
- Let your kids pick out their own toppings and mix-ins
- Get them involved in the granola making process! Little hands are great for stirring up the granola, spreading it on the baking sheet, etc.
- Let them divide up the granola into individual portions (I like using these cute little containers) for them to grab on their own in the morning.
Is eating granola for breakfast healthy?
Since most store-bought granola is loaded with extra fat and sugar, eating it for breakfast every day may not be the healthiest option. But luckily, this low calorie granola is both low in sugar and fat, making it a great healthy option for breakfast in the morning!
What do I serve with Granola?
Granola can be a great snack on its own, but my favorite way to serve granola is with greek yogurt and fresh fruit to make a healthy and well rounded breakfast or snack. The proportions I recommend are:
- 1-1.5 cups of low-glycemic fruit (chopped apples, pears, and/or berries).
- 1/4 cup of granola
- 6-8oz of low fat plain Greek Yogurt.
This combination amounts to about 300 calories which is the perfect amount for a healthy breakfast!
Is granola vegan?
Because this granola is made with maple syrup instead of honey it is vegan friendly. To keep it 100% plant based, you can serve it with an unsweetened non-dairy milk, such as coconut or almond, or your favorite unsweetened vegan yogurt.
Top tips for making Low Calorie Granola
- Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
- Use your favorite dried fruits in this recipe.
- To save time, get a bag of mixed nuts and chop them up (that way you don’t have to add each type of nut individually!)
- Serve with unsweetened Greek yogurt for more of a protein hit
- If you don’t have coconut oil you can use olive oil
- When you add the pre-cooked granola to the baking sheet, press it down with a spatula to create a uniform layer. This helps keep the granola from burning and also helps to create those little granola clumps that are so fun to eat!
Be sure to check out these other healthy breakfast recipes!
- Grab and Go Breakfast Cookies Recipe
- Breakfast for Dinner: Warm Berry Quinoa
- Oatmeal Sunflower Pancakes
- Blueberry Banana Blast Smoothie
- Low Carb Superfood Breakfast Bowl by Vegetarian Gastronomy
- Berry Oat Smoothie with Coconut Milk by Slow The Cook Down
If you have tried this healthy low calorie granola recipe, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!
Low Calorie Granola
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 1/2 cups Rolled Oats
- 2 Tbsp ground flax seed
- 1/4 cup Pumpkin Seeds
- 8 Tbsp Sliced Almonds/Cashews/Pistachios
- 1/4 cup Chopped Pecans
- 1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
- 2 tbsp Coconut Oil
- 1/2 cup Dried Fruit Raisins, Cherries, Cranberries – just make sure there is no sugar added
- Pinch of Salt
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- Pinch ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread oats and quinoa on a parchment lined baking sheet, toast in the oven for 10 minutes, stirring once.
- Remove oats/quinoa from the oven, pour into a bowl and add all of the remaining ingredients.
- Spread back onto a baking sheet, pressing it down into a uniform layer, and bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes or until it's just starting to get golden brown. Let it cool for at least 10-15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
- Use your favorite dried fruits in this recipe.
- To save time, get a bag of mixed nuts and chop them up (that way you don’t have to add each type of nut individually!)
- Serve with unsweetened Greek yogurt for more of a protein hit
- If you don’t have coconut oil you can use olive oil
- When you add the pre-cooked granola to the baking sheet, press it down with a spatula to create a uniform layer. This helps keep the granola from burning and also helps to create those little granola clumps that are so fun to eat!
If I want to leave out the oil, can I use applesauce instead? How much?
Thank you.
Hi Stuti! Unfortunately the applesauce won’t crisp up the oats the way the oil will – it will likely make them a little soggy. You could try using olive oil cooking spray which will cut the oil way down in this recipe and should still achieve that nice crispiness of the granola!
This looks so good, your pictures always make me want to try out your recipes
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that Natalia!
I can’t wait to serve my granola like this… Love it!
You will love it Courtney!
This tastes great! Thank you for sharing it!
So happy you liked it!
Hi,
Thanks for the healthy, low-calorie granola recipe. I’ve made it several times and it sure is good! On the second line of your instructions, you instruct us to add all the remaining ingredients to the oats and quinoa. I wonder if you intended for us to add the dried fruit at this time. Perhaps it should be added after everything else has baked. What do you think? Thanks again.
Hi James! I’m so glad you liked this recipe!! To your question – you can actually add the dried fruit at the second line of the instructions or at the end of the recipe! It’s really just personal preference (the dried fruit added to the granola before baking will have a chewier texture vs. adding it at the end). Hope that helps!
Thanks! I have made your granola in the two ways you described. Either way, the taste is terrific!!
That’s awesome!! I’m so happy to hear that!
I always make my own granola because i find the shop-bought ones too sugary. Your recipe looks lovely, especially with the quinoa addition…will definitely try it.
Thank you so much! I know you will love this recipe! 🙂
This looks great. The perfect morning breakfast with some yogurt.
Totally! It’s one of my favorites!
This looks so delicious! I love granola too, but I have the same concerns as you… the store-bought stuff is always super sugary and super fatty! Can’t wait to try your version out!
Yay! Thanks so much Valentina – I’m sure you will love this recipe!
I can’t wait to make this! I wonder how it would be with Kefir?
Hi Amy! I think this would taste great with Kefir! Hope you love this recipe!