We have gone through an alarming amount of granola at my house during this pandemic. And at $7.99 per bag, at 2 per week, it is seriously starting to add up. More troubling, this high carb, low protein, sugar-bomb granola is adding up around my waist too. In an attempt to cut costs, cut weight gain, limit our number of grocery runs, and boost nutritional value… I’ve created this crunchy sweet and salty protein-packed granola using ingredients we all have in our pantries.
The basis of this granola is simple..
Oats: for fiber, antioxidants, blood sugar regulation
Quinoa: for complex protein, b-vitamins, essential amino acids, fiber
Coconut oil: for digestion, liver health, energy
I added a scoop of vegan protein powder…
for an extra boost of protein, but you could add as much as you like to get to your desired grams per serving. I use Naked Nutrition pea protein because it is free from added flavors and ingredients. It is simply the pea protein! I have been trying to cut back on my stevia use and opting for natural sweeteners like grade A maple syrup and honey lately. They add a more complex flavor and a boost of nutrients that you just don’t get with stevia. Most of the other protein powders in my pantry contain some combination of stevia and natural flavors, so I use Naked for baking and cooking to add just the protein without any of the extras.
I also add chia seeds…
for omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants, fiber, protein, bone health and their anti-inflammatory properties. From there, everything that is added is all for flavor and texture.
There are endless add-in options…
From baking in peanut butter, honey and peeled apple pieces to chopped apricots, dates and banana. Whatever combination of fruit, dried fruit, sweetener, jam, nuts, nut butter, seeds, and chocolate you have works. If your dried fruit is too tough (like figs can be), it might behoove you to soak them for 20 minutes before adding ’em to the cooked granola. I always soak my dried fruit to give the granola a soft chewy texture in contrast to the crunch of the oats, nuts, quinoa and chia seeds.
To make this recipe more ‘keto-friendly’…
There is already a healthy dose of good fats in this nutrient dense granola, but to even out the macros to make it more keto-friendly, I suggest adding 4-5 scoops of protein and an extra heaping of coconut oil.
To make this recipe ‘no sugar added’…
In addition to subbing out the maple syrup or honey for stevia or monkfruit, make sure to check the packaging of your add-ins. Some manufacturers sneak added sugars into dried fruits and cacao nibs can often come sweetened. Craisins, for example, always have added sugars! To keep the recipe tasting sweet, add some chopped dates and banana pieces!
To make this recipe with more clusters…
For those big granola clusters, simply add more sugar. It will blend with the coconut oil and act as glue for your granola chunks. It’s also helpful to let the granola cool completely before breaking it up and transferring to an airtight container (or your mouth, hehe). Sugar can be anything from coconut sugar to jams and spreads to fresh fruit baked in to extra syrup and honey to good old fashion cane sugar.
To slash recipe calories…
Those little chia seeds and quinoa add up calories fast. You can play around with cutting down on how much you add to the recipe and increasing the quantity of oats. You can similarly cut back on coconut oil too, which adds up fast. Lastly switching from dried fruit to fresh fruit baked in will help reduce calories per serving as well.
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