Healthy Granola

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit obsessed with this Healthier Homemade Granola. It’s healthy, satisfying, easy to make, and super customizable. Whether you like your granola sweet, salty, nutty, fruity, or crunchy, this is the sort of dish that you can tweak to fit any craving.

This healthy granola recipe is easily my favorite granola recipe I’ve tried so far. It’s made with simple, wholesome ingredients that taste amazing and make you feel great. I love munching on this by the handful or adding it to Greek yogurt bowls.

Store-bought granolas tend to be incredibly deceptive, with loads of hidden sugars and artificial ingredients. However, you can save money and make a much healthier version by making granola at home. This delicious granola is sweetened with applesauce and made from ingredients that you most likely already have in your pantry.

Granola is also perfect for meal prep. You can make a big batch on Sunday and store it for breakfasts and snacks throughout the week. Sprinkle it on top of yogurt bowls and smoothies, mix it into a bowl of fresh fruit, or add almond milk for a healthy cereal. The options are endless!

Why You'll Love This Healthy Granola

• Sweetened with applesauce: Instead of being packed with sugar like traditional granola, the secret to making a lighter but still sweet granola is to use applesauce. It adds sweetness and a delicious apple flavor that is perfect for fall.
• Customizable: Make this granola with all your favorite combinations of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, chocolate chips, coconut, spices, and more. The options are endless.
• High protein options: Traditional granola is usually low in protein, but this recipe can easily be customized to add protein.

Key Ingredients

To make this 30-minute healthy granola, you will need the following key ingredients:

• Old-fashioned oats: Also referred to as rolled oats, these are a fantastic source of protein and fiber. They’re also the main ingredient in almost any granola recipe! Make sure to old fashioned rolled oats and not quick cooking, instant, or steel cut oats. 
• Nuts: For tons of healthy fats, feel free to use any kind of nuts you prefer. Some of my favorite choices include almonds, pecans, walnuts, and pistachios.
• Chia Seeds: These tiny seeds are full of beneficial nutrients, omega-3s, fiber, and protein, making them a wonderful addition to our homemade granola. You could also add flax seeds.
• Applesauce: Unsweetened applesauce is a fantastic source of soluble fiber and helps to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. It also adds a delicious, naturally sweet flavor!
• Coconut oil: Not only is this a wonderful source of healthy fats, but it also helps the rest of our granola ingredients stick to each other. Feel free to swap in olive oil.
• Maple syrup: This natural sweetener adds the perfect touch of sweetness to enhance the flavors of our granola ingredients. Feel free to swap it out for honey or agave, if needed.
• Dried fruit. This is where it gets fun! You can add any kind of dried fruit you like. Some of my top choices include cranberries, blueberries, cherries, shredded coconut, dates, apricots, and pineapples.
• Spices: Dried spices are a great way to add flavor to homemade granola. Add cinnamon, dried ginger, cardamom, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, or chai spice.

How to Make Homemade Granola

Follow these steps to make crunchy, delicious granola every time.

1. Prepare the Wet Ingredients

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the applesauce, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until smooth and well combined.

Tip: Avoid boiling the mixture—just warm it enough to melt the coconut oil and blend the ingredients.

2. Mix the Dry Ingredients and Combine with Wet Ingredients

In a large bowl, toss together the oats, nuts, chia seeds, cinnamon, and salt. Pour the applesauce mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until everything is evenly coated.

Tip: Use a spatula or your hands (once cooled) to ensure thorough mixing.

3. Spread the Granola and Bake

Spread the granola evenly onto the prepared baking sheet in a layer about ½ inch thick. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned and fragrant.

Tip: Stir halfway through for even toasting, or leave it undisturbed for chunkier clusters. Watch the edges as they brown faster.

4. Let It Cool and Add Dried Fruit

Let the granola cool on the baking sheet for at least 30 minutes to harden and become crispy. Once fully cooled, break it into chunks and toss with dried fruit like raisins or cranberries.

Tip: Don’t stir while cooling to help form those crunchy clusters.

5. Store Your Granola

Transfer the granola to an airtight container, where it will stay fresh for about two weeks.

Tip: Freeze for up to three months and thaw before serving for longer storage.

How do I keep my granola crunchy?

Hot temperatures cause nuts, oats, and seeds to burn before they have a chance to get nice and crispy. If you’re having trouble keeping your granola crunchy, try baking it at a lower temperature and stirring it often.

Also, make sure you’re letting your granola cool entirely before eating. Almost all granola comes out of the oven on the softer side, but it will continue to crisp as it cools.

Adding Protein to Granola

1. Add Nuts and Seeds

Incorporate protein-packed nuts, such as almonds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, pepitas, walnuts, or cashews, and seeds, such as pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, or hemp hearts. These not only boost protein but also add crunch and healthy fats.

Tip: Add the nuts and seeds to the dry ingredients before baking to ensure they roast evenly and become extra crunchy.

2. Mix in Nut Butter

Stir peanut, almond, or cashew butter into the wet ingredients. This adds protein and helps bind the granola, giving it a rich, nutty flavor.

Tip: Heat the nut butter slightly with the wet ingredients so it combines smoothly before mixing with the dry ingredients.

3. Use Protein Powder

Mix protein powder into your dry ingredients before combining them with the wet ingredients. This ensures the powder is evenly distributed throughout the granola. If the protein powder tends to be chalky, add it to the wet ingredients so it fully dissolves. 

Tip: If using whey protein or other sensitive powders, bake at a lower temperature (around 300°F) to prevent the protein from denaturing or giving the granola a burnt flavor. 

4. Add Quinoa

Pre-cooked quinoa adds a crunchy texture and extra protein. You can mix it into the dry ingredients or sprinkle it over the granola before baking.

Tip: Make sure the quinoa is fully cooked and dry before adding it to avoid sogginess.

5. Incorporate Greek Yogurt After Baking

Serve your granola with a dollop of Greek yogurt. This protein-packed treat pairs perfectly with the crunchy texture.

6. Stir in Collagen Peptides

Collagen peptides are a tasteless protein source that dissolve easily. Stir them into the wet ingredients for a protein boost without altering the texture.

7. Add Pulsed Lentils or Chickpeas

Roasted, pulsed lentils or chickpeas add a surprising amount of protein and crunch to granola. Simply pulse them lightly in a food processor and mix them in with the oats.

Tip: Roast the chickpeas or lentils separately before adding to the granola to ensure they are crispy and not mushy. Or use store-bought crunchy chickpeas. 

8. Toss in Protein-Rich Grains

Grains like amaranth, buckwheat, or teff contain more protein than oats alone. Mix these into your granola to boost its protein content.

Tip: Toast the grains lightly before adding to the mixture to enhance their flavor and crunch.

Healthy Granola Recipe Tips

Here are some of my top tips to help you make the best homemade granola:

• Make it clumpy: My favorite parts of granola are all of the big clumps of delicious oats and nuts. So, to ensure this dish comes out extra clumpy, combine the oat mixture into a single cluster about 1 inch thick. Bake for about 15 minutes, then break the cluster into smaller, chunky clumps and continue baking.
• Wait to add your fruit. Nothing will ruin a batch of granola faster than a mouthful of crispy, burnt fruit. If you stir your dried fruit into the granola after it’s cooling, it will stay soft and chewy.
• Give it time to cool. I know how tempting it is to start munching when your granola comes out of the oven. However, it will continue to crisp as it cools, so you’ll want to leave it alone for about 15 minutes. This will ensure that your granola turns out extra crispy and extra delicious.
• Add chocolate chips. Do I really need to elaborate on this one? Let’s be honest, chocolate makes everything better.
• Don’t skip the salt. Salt is the key to enhancing this dish's other flavors, so don’t leave it out. Sea salt is my preferred option or kosher salt. 

How to Serve Healthy Granola

I love this dish because of how versatile it is. Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy homemade granola:

• As a yogurt bowl topping: Healthy granola adds the perfect amount of crunch to a breakfast yogurt bowl or parfait. Try sprinkling some on top of this Chunky Monkey Banana Peanut Butter Yogurt Bowl or this Tropical Yogurt Bowl.
• Mixed into milk: You can drown this granola in coconut, almond, oat, or any other kind of milk and eat it like a bowl of cereal.
• As a snack: I love eating this granola by the handful. Because it’s full of protein, fiber, and other macronutrients, it’s the perfect afternoon snack to keep you feeling full and energized.
• Over a salad: Homemade granola is the perfect summer salad topping. Try it on this Strawberry Spinach Salad or this Watermelon and Avocado Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette.

Homemade Granola Storage Tips

This healthy, homemade granola dish is the perfect make-ahead recipe. Because it’s so easy to make, I highly recommend doubling the batch and saving the rest for later. To store, allow your homemade granola to cool completely, then seal it in an airtight storage container. 

• On the counter for up to 2-3 months.
• In the freezer for up to 3 months.

I don’t recommend refrigerating your homemade granola, as the moisture can cause your granola to become soggy.