Is granola actually healthy?

Granola is a nutritious, filling cereal . However, many varieties are high in calories and packed with excess sugar, which can harm your health. Be sure to carefully read labels, choosing products with whole ingredients — like raisins, seeds, and nuts — that are high in protein and fiber.

Is it OK to eat granola every day?

Yes, granola can be eaten daily . As part of a balanced diet and if the portions are checked. Go for healthier options with less added sugars and saturated fats to get the most out of it.

How do I choose the best granola?

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.

What is better than granola?

Without anything added to it, muesli is healthier than granola in the sense that it has less fat and sugar. However, if it's prepared with juice or contains a lot of dried fruit, muesli gains the sugar, calories, and carbohydrates that already exist in granola.

What granola does Chick-fil-A use?

Harvest Nut Granola – Chick-fil-A® Outlets at San Clemente.

What is the healthiest way to eat granola?

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!

Is granola better for you than oatmeal?

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.

Is Greek yogurt and granola healthy?

High Fiber, Nutritious Oats Keep Your Gut Happy Things like oatmeal and granola provide that signature contrast of fiber and crunch when it comes to choosing the perfect pairing for yogurt. Fiber helps to slow everything down in the body during digestion, preventing a blood sugar spike after eating.

Why is my homemade granola not crunchy?

I aim to let it hit room temperature, whatever that may be; the real point is to give it ample time to shed excess heat and steam . This should take about 45 minutes; if left out indefinitely, the granola can turn sticky or soft, so do try to put it away as soon after cooling as you can.

Why is homemade granola better?

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 . Freezer Friendly: It will keep for months in the freezer, stored in a freezer safe bag.

Do you eat granola with milk or yogurt?

It tastes great with milk, or by the handful, but is also super tasty when sprinkled over lemon or blueberry yogurt for a burst of flavor . There's also Coconut Spice Granola, which is made with whole grain oats, real maple syrup, coconut and wholesome seeds.

What to look out for when buying granola?

Here are 5 things to look out for when buying granola: Check your portion size. Don't eat your granola in access. ... Check the fat. Fat in granola helps to bind the granola pieces together. ... Check your additional toppings. Check out what fillers have been added to your granola. ... Check for whole grain. Nov 20, 2019

Is granola better for you than Oatmeal?

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.

The Very Best Granola (2024)

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Do you love granola? Me, too! Today, I’m sharingmy “basic” granola recipe, which is also the best granola recipe. Granted, I’m partial, but it really is the best and I use that term sparingly. Over two hundred five-star reviews agree!

In fact, I love this recipe so much that I shared it in my cookbook,Love Real Food. This granola makes a wonderful snack or breakfast (add your milk of choice and maybe some fresh fruit). It also stores beautifully, so it makes a great homemade gift.

Once you try homemade granola, you won’t go back to store-bought granola. It’s so much better!

This granola recipe is also a far more healthy granola option, since it’s made with whole grains, unrefined oil and naturally sweetened. You just can’t beat freshly baked granola packed with delicious and good-for-you ingredients.

Plus, homemade granola is super easy to make. You’ll only need one bowl and some basic pantry ingredients. Ready to make some?

Watch How to Make Healthy Granola

Now that you have my base recipe, you can play around with the mix-ins and spices to make it your favorite granola.

By the way, you can preserve that freshly baked flavor by storing this granola in the freezer. Just let it warm to room temperature for a few minutes, and enjoy.

Healthy Granola Ingredients

Oats

Heart-healthy, hearty, whole-grain old-fashioned oats keep their shape during baking. Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats if you need gluten-free granola.

Nuts and/or Seeds

I used pecans and pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) to make this batch. Other options include walnuts, which are rich in Omega-3s, whole or slivered almonds, cashews, peanuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts and sunflower seeds.

Unrefined Oil

Oil helps make this granola crisp and irresistible. I prefer unrefined coconut oil, which is delicious (you can barely taste the coconut, if at all) and produces the perfect texture.

You can use extra-virgin olive oil instead, if you’d like your granola to be a little more on the savory side. If you’re watching your saturated fat intake, olive oil is a better choice!

Natural Sweetener

I love using real maple syrup in my granola. Honey works great, too. As a bonus, these natural sweeteners infuse your granola extra-delicious flavor that sugar would not.

Salt and Spice

For flavorful granola, don’t skip the salt! Too little and your flavors won’t sing. I prefer using fine-grain sea salt in this one (I always cook with fine-grain sea salt), but regular salt will do, too (just use a little less).

I added cinnamon to this batch for some subtle warming spice. Ground ginger (use half as much) and pumpkin spice blends are other options.

Dried Fruit

Dried fruit lends some extra sweetness, chewy texture and irresistible fruity flavor. I used dried cranberries for this batch. I also love tart dried cherries, raisins and chopped dried apricots.

Optional Mix-Ins

For fresh citrus flavor, stir fresh citrus zest (up to 2 teaspoons) into the mixture before baking. I love adding orange zest, in particular.

You can add chocolate chips after the granola has completely cooled (otherwise, they’ll melt).

If you’d like to add unsweetenedcoconut flakes, you can add it halfway through baking for perfectly toasted results (see recipe note).

Chunky Granola Tips

Some of you, like me, love big clumps in your granola. Here are my tips to achieving the best clumps:

Your oats need to be a little crowded in the pan so they can stick together, but not so crowded that they don’t toast evenly. I recommend using a basic half sheet pan(affiliate link) for this granola recipe. It’s the perfect size and the rimmed edges make sure no granola falls overboard.
Be sure to line the pan with parchment paper so the sweetener sticks to your oats rather than the pan.
For maximum clumps, gently press down on the granola with the back of a spatula after stirring the mixture at the half-way baking point. Then put the pan back into the oven to finish baking.
Don’t bake the granola too long—just until it’s lightly golden on top, as described. It might not seem like it’s done yet, but it will continue to crisp up as it cools. Over-baking the granola seems to break the sugar bonds.
Lastly, let the granola cool completely before breaking it up. I’ve even left it on the pan overnight, covered.

Even with all those techniques in place, I occasionally end up with a batch of granola that isn’t as clumpy as my others, for reasons that I can’t explain. It’s always delicious, though!

Granola Variations

This recipe is my favorite, go-to granola recipe. Over the years, I’ve played around with it to create a bunch of fun variations. Here they are for inspiration:

Healthy Granola

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Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 21 mins
Total Time: 26 minutes
Yield: 8 cups 1x
Category: Breakfast
Method: Baked
Cuisine: American

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star

4.9 from 2571 reviews

This delicious healthy granola recipe is naturally sweetened with maple syrup (or honey). It’s made with oats, coconut oil and your favorite nuts and fruit. Make it your own! Recipe yields about 8 cups granola, enough for about 16 half-cup servings.

Scale

Ingredients

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (use certified gluten-free oats for gluten-free granola)
1 ½ cup raw nuts and/or seeds (I used 1 cup pecans and ½ cup pepitas)
1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt (if you’re using standard table salt, scale back to ¾ teaspoon)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup melted coconut oil or olive oil
½ cup maple syrup or honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅔ cup dried fruit, chopped if large (I used dried cranberries)
Totally optional additional mix-ins: ½ cup chocolate chips or coconut flakes*

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, nuts and/or seeds, salt and cinnamon. Stir to blend.
Pour in the oil, maple syrup and/or honey and vanilla. Mix well, until every oat and nut is lightly coated. Pour the granola onto your prepared pan and use a large spoon to spread it in an even layer.
Bake until lightly golden, about 21 to 24 minutes, stirring halfway (for extra-clumpy granola, press the stirred granola down with your spatula to create a more even layer). The granola will further crisp up as it cools.
Let the granola cool completely, undisturbed (at least 45 minutes). Top with the dried fruit (and optional chocolate chips, if using). Break the granola into pieces with your hands if you want to retain big chunks, or stir it around with a spoon if you don’t want extra-clumpy granola.
Store the granola in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks, or in a sealed freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. The dried fruit can freeze solid, so let it warm to room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Recipe adapted Meg Gordan’s granola, which I’ve tweaked over the years.

Make it gluten free: Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats.

Make it nut free: Use seeds, like pepitas or sunflower seeds, instead of nuts.

*If you want toasted coconut in your granola: Stir the coconut flakes into the granola halfway through baking. They’ll get nice and toasty that way.

Serving suggestions: This granola is awesome on its own, with milk or yogurt and fresh fruit, and you can even throw a couple handfuls into a salad for granola “croutons.”

▸ Nutrition Information

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #cookieandkate.

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