Easy Homemade Low Sugar Granola Recipe

The best easy low sugar granola recipe

You might think it’s too much trouble to make your own granola, but it really isn’t. This low sugar granola is very quick and easy to make with only 6 to 7 natural ingredients. Once you’ve gathered everything together, you only need 10 minutes to make it. Then pop it into the oven and it’ll be ready just 25 minutes later. Oh, and your house will smell amazing!

With its yummy maple syrup and dried fruit, this granola contains only around 12 grams of unrefined sugar per portion. Add coconut oil – or olive oil if you prefer – and lots of whole grains and you’re looking at a nutritious breakfast or snack.

This granola may be full of the good stuff, but it doesn’t taste boring (like most of the commercial granolas I’ve tried!). Almonds, puffed rice, coconut and dried fruit make this crunchy, crispy, nutty, sweet, and completely delicious. It’s also very easy to change things up in the recipe if you like. Nut allergy in the house? Run out of coconut? Replace with sunflower or pumpkin seeds, different nuts or dried fruit, or whatever you like.

About the ingredients

You’ll find a full list of ingredients with amounts in the recipe card below. But here’s a summary of what you need to know.

• Oats: The recipe always begins with good quality rolled oats or old-fashioned oats (NOT instant or quick oats). If I can get organic, I go for it, but that’s up to you. Try getting a good deal in the bulk section of your local supermarket or bulk buy store (you know, the ones with the bins and scoops – you’ll be amazed what you find there!). Like the idea of baking with oats? Try these rhubarb bars as well!
• Almonds: Use unsalted almonds – any you like. I use whole almonds but chopped or flaked work, too. Feel free to substitute with different unsalted nuts and seeds.
• Puffed rice: I love to add a half cup of puffed rice for a different texture. Feel free to skip this, use plain old Rice Krispies instead or replace with more oats or a different whole grain. I usually find puffed rice in a local bulk buy store.
• Salt: Not essential, but I find adding just half a teaspoon helps to bring out all the other flavours.
• Coconut oil: I like to use coconut oil because it adds a bit of subtle flavour. Use extra-virgin olive oil, rice bran oil or even canola oil if you prefer. Or any healthy oil!
• Maple syrup: Just make sure it’s real maple syrup and not a pancake syrup ‘fake’! If you prefer, you can replace some or all of it with honey, brown rice syrup, date syrup or agave syrup.
• Coconut and dried fruit: I usually use coconut flakes, but other types are fine too. Add the coconut half way through so that it doesn’t burn. Feel free to skip the coconut and add extra dried fruit, nuts, seeds or grains. Make sure the dried fruit is unsweetened. We don’t want to add extra sugar if we don’t need to!

How do you make low sugar granola?

It’s ridiculously easy to make in around 10 minutes (hands on time). Here are the basic steps:

Step 1: Line a large baking tray with baking paper (this step is important). Also preheat the oven at this point.

Step 2: Grab a large mixing bowl. Mix together all of your dry ingredients apart from the coconut and dried fruit (if using!). This includes any spices or flavors.

Step 3: Warm the oil and maple syrup together in a small saucepan or in the microwave. Then pour this mixture all over the dry ingredients and stir until really well combined.

Step 4: Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the tray from the oven and stir through the coconut for the last 10 minutes.

Step 5: Take the granola out of the oven and let it ‘set’ and clump as it cools. Press it down lightly all over to help with the clumping! When it’s cool, stir through the dried fruit. Raisins, cranberries, or chopped apricots or mango pieces are all favorite additions!

How to make it your own

There are endless ways to change things up. Granola is like a blank canvas of breakfast foods!

Here are a few examples of ways to change things up. Just remember to keep your ratio of wet ingredients to dry ingredients roughly the same. For example, swap the puffed rice for extra oats, mixed grains or extra nuts, seeds or fruit.

• Different nuts, seeds, dried fruit, grains: You’ll be amazed what you can find in a bulk buy or health food store, but basically anything goes! Just swap out the suggestions in my recipe with your own favourites. Try dried cherries or mango, chopped dried orange slices or candied orange slices, freeze dried fruit, a sprinkle of seeds such as sesame, chai, hemp or flax, and alternative grains such as rye, spelt or quinoa.
• Dark chocolate chips: Shh, don’t tell anyone. This is a favourite addition of mine. Get some with a high cocoa content (70% plus) and who will care about the tiny bit of extra sweetness. Just remember to add these after baking, not before.
• Flavors: How about adding a quarter to a half teaspoon of vanilla extract, or the zest of a lemon or orange? Nut butter works well, too. Just melt a quarter cup (peanut butter, almond butter, or any nut butter you like) into the oil and maple syrup mixture. Mmm!
• Spices: Add up to a teaspoon of cinnamon or ground ginger for an interesting spicy kick. A little chopped candied ginger is good, too.

What to eat with granola

I LOVE GRANOLA! It’s crunchy, nutty, filling, and full of super healthy things. I like to sprinkle it over my morning oats for a bit of texture. And, let’s be honest, I also like to eat big handfuls of it straight out of the jar. Mr. Scrummy is more civilised and prefers to eat it neat with milk as an evening snack.

Off the top of my head, more ways to enjoy it for breakfast or a snack could include:

• sprinkled over Greek yogurt with honey and fresh fruit (yogurt and granola are a match made in heaven!). Try this 5-minute Greek yogurt parfait recipe for an easy 4-ingredient take on this!
• sprinkled over baked apples for a healthy dessert. Yum!
• sprinkled over a salad. Why not?
• added to English pancakes, healthy waffles or healthy ‘nice cream’. Mmm!
• mixed through chocolate (put the mixture in little stacks on a baking sheet to make a healthy-ish treat!).
• mixed with peanut butter and a little more maple syrup to make some quick energy bites.