Keto Friendly Granola

Granola is something I have always loved. Granola bars, clusters or cereal - I'll eat it all. But when you're trying to cut carbs, one glance at the nutrition label for traditional granola will make you put it back on the shelf. Thankfully, keto granola is here fill that need!

The Best Low Carb Granola

Looking at the nutrition label for my favorite store-bought granola, the top 3 ingredients are: oats, sugar, rice. Can you say Carb City?

By using a variety of nuts to provide the wonderful crunch we want and expect from our granola, we substitute healthy fats for all those carbs.

What You'll Love About This Low Carb Granola Recipe

If you've been following a low carb diet and missing granola, or even just missing crunchy snacks, this recipe is for you. It's crunchy, lightly sweet, and full of flavor, with no oats or added sugar. It's so easy to throw together with pantry staples, and it's endlessly customizable. Whether you like it as is, or with a little cinnamon spice or coconut, you can make it your own. Plus, it's perfect for breakfast, snacks, or whenever you need something a little sweet that won't spike your carbs.

Keto Granola Recipe Ingredients

The priority with this granola is nutrient-rich ingredients that are naturally low in carbs. Here's what you'll need:

• A mix of nuts: I use almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans
• Seeds: pepitas and sunflower seeds
• Sugar-free sweetener - I use Swerve (erythritol) or Truvia (Stevia-erythritol blend)
• Flaxseed meal
• Egg white
• Butter
• Vanilla extract

How to Make Keto Granola

This recipe is adapted from Wholesome Yum, and the original uses a food processor to do all the chopping and mixing. And I tried it that way. But I definitely have a tendency to over-process when I do, which results in a mixture that is much too fine. I like CRUNCH in my granola!

So instead, I just use already-chopped nuts. My local grocery store always has them, and sometimes there might be one of the nut types I end up chopping myself. No biggee! This gives me complete control over the size of the nuts, and keeps it all nice and crunchy.

1. Mix the chopped nuts in a big bowl with the seeds (sunflower and pepitas). Then add flaxseed meal and erythritol and mix together.
2. Then add the wet ingredients: egg white, melted butter and vanilla. (I like to whisk the egg white very well before adding it, so I don't end up with a big glob of egg white in one spot and nowhere else.) Once this is mixed well, all the nuts and seeds will be evenly coated and slightly damp.
3. Transfer to parchment paper-lined baking sheets - I use 2 to be able to really spread out the granola. We are trying for crunch, after all. 😀

5. Allow the granola to cool completely before breaking it apart. It will crisp up significantly as it cools.

Keto Friendly Granola Variations

There are many ways you can make this your own! Use whatever combination of nuts and seeds you prefer, just keep about the same proportions. For instance, for one batch I didn't have any sunflower seeds, so I doubled the amount of pepitas. Here are a few more ideas:

• Macadamia nuts
• Walnuts
• Flaxseeds (whole)
• Chia seeds

I also got stuck once in the middle of making this and realized I did not have any flaxseed meal in the house. A quick trip to my local grocery store was unsuccessful, so I substituted ¼ cup chia seeds plus ¼ cup whole flaxseeds in place of the flaxseed meal. Turned out great!

Granola Keto Friendly Tips

Here are a few tips to help keep your granola low-carb and delicious:

• You can substitute other mix-ins but be aware of their sugar content. Dried fruit is a popular (and delicious) choice, but it will commonly be high in sugar, both natural and added in.
• Use your favorite sugar free sweetener. I started out using the recipe with erythritol, but my current favorite is a Stevia-erythritol blend which is also fabulous.
• To keep it chunky, press the wet mixture on to the baking sheets and do not stir it during the bake. This helps the chunks to hold together
• Watch your bake time. Nuts can go from browned to burnt very quickly, and every oven is a little different. So keep an eye on your granola and pull it out of the oven as soon as the edges are starting to brown.
• Let the granola cool completely on the baking sheets before you try to break it apart. This will ensure a crisp and crunchy texture which you're going to find irresistible!

Ways to Enjoy This Low Carb Granola Recipe

Granola makes a great cereal, with a little milk and fruit. Just remember, this keto version is very calorie-dense, so eat just ¼ cup serving. It does fill you up! Pour a little almond milk over for a quick keto-friendly breakfast.

For a non-keto breakfast, it's great with yogurt and fruit, or to garnish a dragon fruit smoothie bowl. I even sometimes sprinkle a little on a dragon fruit smoothie.

But to be honest, I usually just eat it as a snack. Just the granola, it's enough for me!

How to Store Keto Granola

Once the granola is completely cool, store it in an airtight container at room temperature. It'll stay fresh for up to 2 weeks, though it rarely lasts that long in my house!

📖 Recipe

Other keto friendly snack ideas:

• Nutella fat bombs
• Keto snack crackers
• Tuna salad boats
• Pecan clusters

What is erythritol and is it considered safe to eat?

Erythritol differs from most other sugar alcohols in that most of it is absorbed into the bloodstream before reaching the colon. This avoids the bloating and digestive upset caused by many other sugar alcohols. Multiple studies on erythritol indicate that it is safe to eat. (Healthline)