Best recipe for low calorie granola

This recipe makes a staple at home. Not only you will end up having low-calorie granola, but you will be rewarded with a delicious homemade condiment that you can add to your meals.

If you love granola as much as I do, then you have landed at the right blog. I don’t remember going anytime to the supermarket without passing by the granola and cereals aisle. However, truth is that I do not end up buying a pouch or box of granola every time. The reason is that I do not find a healthy or light granola every time I do the grocery shopping. Hence, I decided to invest some of my time and energy to produce one of the best healthy recipes that you can ever prepare at home: low-calorie granola.

This recipe of low-calorie granola makes a perfect snack if served in bars or an important add-on ingredient to any breakfast or dinner meal. It is a great combination of healthy ingredients such as natural sweeteners, unrefined oils, and whole grains. It is also vegan and gluten-free which contributes to classifying it as an ideal choice for healthy diets and weight loss. Not only it is preservatives-free, but it is also super easy to prepare and fun to customize to suit your taste buds. Once you prepare it at home, you will do it more often saying goodbye to store-bought granola.

Is granola good to lose weight?

The answer is twofold. Yes, granola is healthy and contributes to weight loss if you choose the right combination of ingredients. I am referring here to ingredients like whole grains, naturals sweeteners saturated fat-free. Granola is usually loaded with fiber content, which is best in letting you feel full for a long time and accordingly saves you from craving snacks and meals and emotional eating.

Can granola be high in calories?

About the previous question, this is the opposite side. Although granola in the best scenario helps you lose weight, some versions or brands of store-bought granola are loaded with saturated fats, artificial sweeteners or sugar, and carbohydrates. Such a combination makes the calorie meter strike leaving you with an unhealthy alternative to your snacks or meals. Therefore, if you still want to buy granola from the store, read carefully your labels.

What ingredients make a low-calorie granola?

• Oats: Whole-grain or rolled oats (old-fashioned) oats are one of the basic ingredients in a granola recipe. They are rich in fibers and heart-healthy. Some oat brands offer as well a gluten-free option for a healthier diet.
• Nuts and Seeds: Walnut, almonds, pistachios, cashews, peanuts, and macadamia are all nuts options rich in omega 3 and make important ingredients in a granola recipe. Seeds such as sunflower or pumpkin seeds are a great add-on to this recipe as well.
• Oil: we are talking here about unrefined coconut oil or canola oil. The aim here is to use oil that has the lowest amount of saturated fat if any, yet contributes to making granola temptingly crispy. If you are afraid of the coconut oil, wash off your worries as you will barely taste the flavor of coconut if any in the granola. Olive oil is another healthy option if you want to avoid saturated fat. Just take into consideration that olive oil might slightly affect the flavor.
• Natural Sweetener: Here I am referring to the use of maple syrup or honey. Both ingredients make the perfect natural sweeteners. They boost as well the flavor of the granola unlike sugar or artificial sweetener. Honey and maple syrup play as well a pivotal role in this recipe by bringing ingredients together and helping them stick to each other.
• Salt: if you want flavorful granola, then you have to add salt. If you want a healthier option, just add Himalayan salt.
• Spices: Surprisingly some spices work wonderfully with granola. Adding turmeric, ginger, or cinnamon to granola turns the flavor 180 degrees taking it to another level.

Optional add-ons:

• Chocolate: if you are making granola flakes, then let the granola cool first then add the chips. If you are using melted chocolate to top it top, then you can add it right after taking the granola outside the oven.
• Dried Fruit: I usually decrease the amount of honey or maple syrup a bit if I am planning to add dried fruit to avoid an excess of sweetness. Dried fruits such as cranberry, raisins, cherry, blueberry, and strawberry make a perfect blend with this recipe. Remember to soak them in water for 15 minutes before adding them to the granola. Otherwise, they will get burnt.
• Flaky coconut: If you love coconut, then you are about to have delicious granola by adding shredded coconut into this recipe. 

How to produce clumpy granola?

If you love clumpy granola, then you need to take the below tips into consideration:

• Crowd the pan with oats, but make sure they can all still toast evenly.
• Line a baking sheet on the tray to avoid the sugar or other sweeteners from sticking to the tray
• Press the granola to have an even layer in the tray.

• Remove the tray from the oven when the color of the granola becomes slightly gold. The color will eventually become darker once the granola cools completely.
• Do not cut or cover the granola before it cools completely.
• If your granola is stirred or broken during the baking process, try putting it in the microwave for 30 seconds. This may help the granola to clump again.

What variations can I prepare with this low-calorie granola recipe?

Think outside the box. As I mentioned earlier, this recipe can be easily modified to satisfy your taste buds. Follow the above tips to enjoy low-calorie granola across the different variations and have a healthy meal:

• Honey oat granola
• Peanut butter granola
• Maple & peanut granola
• Maple almond granola
• Mixed berries granola
• Chocolate and oats granola
• Orange and almond granola
• Cinnamon & raisin granola
• Plain granola

How to store homemade granola?

Repeated statement: do not cover or cut the granola before it cools completely. Granola can stay in perfect condition in an air-tight container for a month. You only need to cut it after it cools and store it to enjoy.

Looking for more healthy snacks and meals recipes? I grabbed some for you. Check them out:

• Energy balls
• Peanut butter oat bars
• Molasses sponge cake
• Lemon cookies

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