A lot of ya’ll are granola lovers like moi, but struggle to find a decent granola that is higher protein and lower sugar per serving. As with many other food products like this, it’s best to make from scratch!
Before you get all huffy at me about how much time it takes to make your own granola, I will re-emphasize here that you get far more out of a DIY version. Plus you can customize to your liking and ummm, really, it doesn’t take all that long to throw together the mix. Remember, you are worth it.
The inspiration for this one came about from a recent convo with a client in which we talked about adding egg white to a smoothie and an oatmeal bowl to increase the protein content. I’ve seen egg white added to other packaged products like nutrition bars and wondered about using it in granola. Don’t roll your eyes again at the thought of using egg white… it is a fantastic pure protein source to incorporate!
Let’s get to the recipe!
Ingredients:
1 c (100 gm) old-fashioned oats, dry
1/2 c (70 gm) hemp hearts
1 c (~100 gm) almond flour
1/2 c (~65 gm) unsweetened coconut flakes
2 Tbsp (20 gm) chia seed
1 c (~150 gm) raw nuts of choice (I used almonds and cashews because that’s what I had in the pantry)
1 tsp sea salt, optional
1/3 c coconut oil
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 c (60 ml) pure maple syrup (you can omit or reduce this if desired)
1/3 c natural unsweetened peanut butter (or use almond butter)
1/3 c liquid egg white (you can find in the carton)
Preparation Steps:
Heat oven to 310F.
Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl (oats through the sea salt).
Soften the coconut oil so that it is mostly softened and liquidy. I often set it on top of the stove while the oven is heating up, but you can also do short bouts (10-20 seconds at a time) in the microwave to soften. Don’t keep it in very long or it will explode and splash everywhere. The coconut oil should not be hot, just soft enough to mix and stir!
Mix together the “wet ingredients” of coconut oil, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and peanut butter in a large bowl. It doesn’t need to be mixed perfectly and note that you are NOT mixing in the egg white just yet.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir to combine. Then add the egg whites to mix and stir again.
Grab a baking sheet and lightly oil or use parchment paper to cover. Spread the granola out and smash it down with a spatula (see picture below).
Bake for 20 minutes, then remove and stir. You should start to see some browning - try to get the less brown pieces towards the outer edges, press down and together and pop it in the oven for another 15-20 minutes. Check the oven to see if it needs a tad more time but don’t let the mix get too brown because it can burn on the bottom.
Turn off the oven and let the mixture sit for 10-15 minutes to cool before transferring to a container.
Before popping it into the oven
Basic nutritional info (yield of 18 servings at 1/3 cup each or ~35 grams):
approx 245 calories
14 grams carbohydrate (3.5 gm fiber, 4 gm sugar)
7 grams protein
17 grams fat
2:1 carb to protein ratio
Glimpse of the granola after baking - yum!
If you need more carbohydrate, you can add dried fruit once the granola is baked or pair this up with fresh fruit once you’re ready to enjoy. To get more protein, add this to a high protein yogurt or milk.
This is a mildly sweet granola with a good texture. It isn’t over the top like break your teeth off granola (which kinda bugs me at times). I’m excited to experiment with more egg white in the future! I will also be playing around with lower fat versions but if you’re mindful of fat content, consider combining this granola with a 0% fat yogurt or milk.
Wondering about Version 1 of my homemade granola? Go here to check out that one!
Your granola gal,
-Dina