This low carb granola is an easy and delicious sugar-free breakfast option. Packed with healthy fats, protein, and plenty of crunchy goodness, it's sure to satisfy that craving for cereal. 
A big pale green bowl filled with low carb granola, with more pieces scattered around.

This low carb granola is an easy and delicious sugar-free breakfast option. Packed with healthy fats, protein, and plenty of crunchy goodness, it’s sure to satisfy that craving for cereal.

Low carb granola in a white ramekin on a brown table.

This low carb peanut butter granola was one of the first recipes I created for All Day I Dream About Food, almost 10 years ago now. I daresay it’s one of the first keto cereal recipes ever. There were so few of us writing recipes back then!

It’s certainly a recipe that has withstood the test of time, as it remains one of my most popular.

Even in my own house! My whole family loves this grain-free and sugar-free cereal recipe, and I make it at least once a month. It never lasts longer than a few days.

Believe me, keto breakfast never looked, or tasted, so good!

A big pale green bowl filled with low carb granola, with more pieces scattered around.

Grain-Free Granola Love

I’ve been making homemade granola since I was a young teen. My mother did a number of Outward Bound courses after her divorce, including a mountaineering course in the Canadian Rockies and a dog-sledding course somewhere in the Yukon. All very important in her quest to become a confident, self-assured single woman in her forties.

But all her kids really cared about is that she brought home a spectacular granola recipe that we ate on an almost daily basis. It was hearty, filling, and absolutely delicious.

And completely jam-packed with sugar, carbs, and grains.

So when I embarked on a low carb diet, I thought I was saying goodbye to granola forever.

But the more I played around with my low carb ingredients, the more I realized that crunchy granola didn’t have to be made with oats. Chopped nuts, flaked coconut, and healthy seeds could mimic that same texture in a much more keto-friendly way.

A small bowl of peanut butter granola on a white plate with a cup of coffee.

How To Make Low Carb Granola

It’s astonishingly easy to make your own low carb granola. Here are my best tips for getting it right.

Mixed nuts and seeds

If you think granola can only be made with oats, think again! Chopped nuts and seeds are perfect for making that crunchy breakfast treat. The combination you use doesn’t matter much, although I do recommend using a mix for better texture. I like a combination of almonds, pecans, and sunflower or pumpkin seeds.

Shredded coconut or almond flour

Adding in something with a finer texture, such as shredded coconut or almond flour, helps bind the granola together a little more. You can also use flax seed meal or ground hemp seeds.

Stir in some nut butter

This is an egg-free recipe so stirring in a thick nut butter helps to hold the other ingredients together and create clusters. You don’t have to use peanut butter, as any nut butter will do.

Consider your sweetener

It’s important to understand that different keto sweeteners will give you different results. If you want a crunchy texture, you need to use Swerve or another erythritol based sweetener. Allulose, BochaSweet or xylitol will make your granola much softer. If that’s okay by you, then go for it!

For a better understanding of how all the various sugar alternatives work in baking and cooking, check out my Ultimate Guide to Keto Sweeteners.

Can you skip the protein powder?

You can skip it but I recommend it for both flavor and a boost of nutrition. You have plenty of options, since you can really use any protein powder here. I have noticed, however, that collagen protein makes the end result a little less crispy and more chewy.

How to make it crunchy

Aside from the ingredients I specified above, the other important trick to getting crunchy low carb granola is how firmly you press it down. You will notice in the instructions that I have you press it down firmly before and during baking. This helps it clump and stick together, and bake crisp against the hot pan.

You also need to let it cool completely after baking. Keto baked goods always continue to firm up and crisp up as they cool.

Can you make this dairy-free?

You bet! Switch out the butter for any non-dairy oil and away you go.

A white jug pours almond milk into a bowl of low carb granola

How do you serve low carb granola?

The same way you serve conventional granola! I like mine with heavy cream but it’s great with non dairy milk too.

And sometimes we just like grabbing a handful of dry granola to snack on.

How long does low carb granola last?

The best part about a recipe like this one is that it’s good for several weeks. It has no eggs or anything that spoils quickly and it’s baked until it’s very dry. So it’s fine on your counter in a covered container for up to two weeks or possibly longer.

That is assuming, of course, that your household doesn’t devour it in a few short days like mine does!

More delicious keto cereal recipes

A big pale green bowl filled with low carb granola, with more pieces scattered around.
4.66 from 84 votes

Low Carb Peanut Butter Granola

Servings: 14 servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
This low carb granola is an easy and delicious sugar-free breakfast option. Packed with healthy fats, protein, and plenty of crunchy goodness, it's sure to satisfy that craving for cereal. 

Ingredients
 

  • 1 1/2 cups (214.5 g) almonds
  • 1 1/2 cups (148.5 g) pecans
  • 1 cup (112 g) shredded coconut or almond flour
  • 1/4 cup (33.5 g) sunflower seeds
  • 1/3 cup (60.67 g) granulated Swerve Sweetener
  • 1/3 cup (36 g) vanilla whey protein powder, (or egg white protein powder)
  • 1/3 cup (86 g) peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup (56.75 g) butter, (use coconut oil for dairy-free)
  • 1/4 cup (59.15 g) water

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 300F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a food processor, process the almonds and pecans until they resemble coarse crumbs with some larger pieces. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in theshredded coconut, sunflower seeds, sweetener, and vanilla protein powder.
  • In a microwave safe bowl, melt the peanut butter and butter together. Pour the melted peanut butter mixture over the nut mixture and stir well, tossing lightly. Stir in the water - at this point, the mixture should begin to clump toether.
  • Spread the mixture out evenly on the prepared baking sheet and press it down firmly with your hands. Bake 30 minutes, stirring halfway through and re-pressing it down. Remove and let cool competely.
  • Break up any large clumps with your hands.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving = 1/3 cup | Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 8.3g | Protein: 9.5g | Fat: 27.1g | Fiber: 4.1g
I’d love to know your thoughts, leave your rating below!

 

 

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4.66 from 84 votes (25 ratings without comment)

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474 Comments

  1. I was going to try this, then I looked at vanilla whey protein powder in the store and it seems to only come in a huge container with a rather high price. Too much to spend to try something. What sort of things can be substituted for the vanilla whey protein powder? (I have no idea what egg white protein powder is or where to find it.) I DO have powdered peanut butter, could that be used in place of ALL the whey powder? How about dried milk powder (instant or non-instant)?
    Are there smaller containers of whey powder available somewhere?
    It looks like an amazing recipe, I hope I can figure out how to try it.

    1. Look online, it’s much easier to find smaller amounts.

  2. Debra Duquette says:

    Love, love, love this!! Use it as cereal, mixed with yogurt and as my go to Trail Mix. Delish!!!!!!!!!!

  3. 5 stars
    I love this recipe. It’s easy and crunchy, and goes well with my homemade yogurt. I was hoping for a bit more peanut butter-y flavor though. Maybe a little powdered peanut butter would give it the flavor I’m looking for?

    1. You can certainly try that! Use it in place of the protein powder… the trouble is the more regular PB you add, the less crunchy it is.

      1. Thank you very much for the feedback/response. I definitely like the crunch, so perhaps I’ll just sprinkle the peanut butter powder on just before I eat it with my yogurt. Thanks so much for all you do.

  4. 5 stars
    Another fabulous recipe! we both loved this served with cream or coconut milk and berries, along with adding a few pieces to our yogurt. So yummy!

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