Hey granola fans! Ready for your new go-to granola recipe? This maple pecan healthy granola has been a favorite at our house for years. Now: most granola is not healthy. Store-bought and homemade granola recipes can be full of sugar and oil, and very high in calories. How does granola get away with being “healthy person food”? We’re not sure. So Alex and I set out to make a recipe that was actually healthy. It turned out so delicious: perfectly crunchy, warmly spiced, and just the right amount of sweetness. We’ve been making it on repeat to this day.
What’s healthy when it comes to granola?
This recipe came about because our son Larson loves granola with his yogurt every morning. Alex and I realized that so many brands and recipes out there are too full of sugar and oil. Many recipes are also high calorie. Some of them are 500 calories per ½ cup serving! Our goal for making a healthy granola recipe was to stay around 200 calories per serving. The following tricks helped us to create a nutrient-rich healthy granola that met our calorie goal:
Puffed rice is a great way to add texture to a granola using a low calorie whole grain! Puffed rice is actually a minimally processed whole food: it’s simply rice that’s been puffed so that it’s crunchy. You should be able to find puffed rice cereal at your local grocery store.Lowering the ratio of nuts helps reduce the calories in a healthy granola. It’s just the right amount of nuts to be a texture contrast and pack the granola with protein, but not so much that it overwhelms the granola. Reduced oil and maple syrup versus other granola recipes also helps to reduce the calories and sugar. Together, all these components work out to make a delicious and healthy granola recipe!
How to make a healthy granola recipe (basic steps)
How to make this healthy granola recipe? If you’ve never made homemade granola: now is the time to start! It’s so easy, and you know exactly the ingredients that go into it. No sneaky additives or preservatives here! Here are the basic steps to making granola at home:
Mix the wets. In a large bowl, mix together the wet ingredients: neutral oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Add cinnamon and allspice: the allspice is optional, but adds a nice warmth to the granola. Add the dries. Then stir in the dry ingredients: oats, puffed rice cereal, and pecan halves. You can use any type of nut, but we especially love the flavor of pecans in granola. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (this helps with cleanup). Then spread the granola in an even layer on top. Bake! Pop it in the oven and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, stirring once. Cool. Once you remove the granola from the oven, it will feel a bit soggy to the touch. Allow it to cool completely, and it will become crispy as it cools. Then place it in a sealed container: we store ours in a jar on our counter.
Ways to serve healthy granola
This healthy granola recipe is our new go to! I don’t think we’ll ever make another recipe again (really). It’s super crunchy, with just the right texture, warm spices, and light sweetness from the maple. The puffed rice brings in a crunch without adding too many calories, and the toasted pecans are cinnamon-y sweet. There are so many ways to serve it:
On yogurt. Try plain Greek yogurt, with a bit of honey or maple syrup stirred in. Top with berries! With milk or plant-based milk. This works well as a vegan breakfast idea or snack, with almond milk or oat milk (our favorite).On a smoothie bowl. Try on our Homemade Acai Bowl, or use it to top an Easy Smoothie Bowl.Sprinkle on muffins before baking. Use up leftovers on our Blender Muffins or Banana Blueberry Muffins.On apple crisp. Did you know can make Instant Pot apple crisp with granola? Or saute some apples with cinnamon, then throw the granola on top (vanilla ice cream optional!).
Or, use it as a homemade gift idea!
A more thing about this healthy granola recipe: it’s also a fun homemade gift idea! Throw it in a glass jar and it’s a gift idea for new moms, or a housewarming gift for friends or neighbors. It’s the perfect homemade gift–or breakfast–or snack–that’s wholesome at the same time. Let us know if you try it out in the comments below!
This healthy granola recipe is…
Vegetarian, gluten free, plant-based, dairy-free, vegan, naturally sweet, and has no refined sugar.
Looking for breakfast recipes?
Outside of this healthy granola recipe, here are a few healthy breakfast recipes we love: 5 from 7 reviews
The Best Cup of Coffee: Chemex, Aeropress, Cold Brew & Iced Coffee Everyday Baked Oatmeal or Baked Apple OatmealBreakfast Vegetable Scramble Oven Hash BrownsBanana Oatmeal Pancakes Gluten Free Banana Muffins Healthy Banana BreadBest Fluffy Gluten Free Waffles Homemade Acai Bowl Chocolate Muesli Recipe Best Instant Oatmeal Recipe Honey Almond GranolaApple Gluten Free Oatmeal Muffins Coconut Strawberry Smoothie Fluffy Scrambled Eggs with Goat Cheese Make Ahead Breakfast RecipesVegan Breakfast Ideas 28 Day Plant Based Diet Meal Plan Gluten Free Breakfast IdeasEasy Breakfast Ideas
Last updated: April 2020
