Protein Granola (Healthy Breakfast or Snack)

Name: Protein Granola (Healthy Breakfast or Snack)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 cups rolled oats; 1 cup mixed nuts and seeds - I've used almonds, walnuts, cashews and pumpkin seeds; ½ cup vanilla protein powder - I've used vegan protein; ¼ cup natural creamy peanut butter; ¼ cup coconut oil; 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup; ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder; Good pinch of salt

JUMP TO RECIPE

This high Protein Granola makes the perfect healthy breakfast or snack to fuel you for the day. It's delicious, nutty and crunchy with 10 grams of protein per serve, and tastes great with yogurt, overnights oats, or even on its own 😊

Protein granola in a bowl with yogurt and berries

Once you start making your own granola, you’ll never buy it again! Its so much healthier and cheaper to make, and you can really make it the way you like with your favorite flavors. I’ve been making my homemade granola clusters for years and love making a batch for meal prep to add to my breakfast and snacks during the day. I wanted to increase my protein, so this time I've made a high protein granola which I’ve been loving! My favorite ways to eat it is a sprinkle on overnight oats, with yogurt and fruit, or with milk as a healthy cereal.

This high protein granola recipe is crazy easy to make within 20 minutes and has 10 grams of protein per serve. It’s so delicious, the only problem is I can't stop snacking on it throughout the day 😋. It’s crunchy and nutty, made with wholesome ingredients, so it's healthier than the granola you buy at the store which can be high in added sugars and too much oil. Here I’ve made it with a base of rolled oats, mixed nuts and natural peanut butter with protein powder for an extra boost of protein. I’ve also used organic honey or maple syrup for a natural sweetener.

You can also play around with this protein granola recipe and add your favorite nuts or seeds. I personally don't like adding dried fruits to my granola as I prefer it on the nutty side. But you can add dried raisins, cranberries, or even mini chocolate chips and coconut. The options are endless really, it's super versatile.

Table of Contents

Why you'll love this Protein Granola
Ingredients and Substitutions
How to make Protein Granola
Tips and Tricks
Storage Instructions
What to serve with Protein Granola?
FAQs
More Granola Recipes
More High Protein Recipes
Recipe
Comments

Why you'll love this Protein Granola

Quick & Easy: Simple ingredients and steps made in 20 minutes. Anyone can make it
Packed with Protein: Get a daily protein fix with the addition of protein powder, peanut butter and mixed nuts
Customizable: Feel free to add your favorite nuts, dried fruits or additions to suit your taste
Versatile: Enjoy it as a topper on your overnight oats, with milk as a healthy cereal or snack on its own as a trail mix

Ingredients and Substitutions

Rolled oats are the base of our granola, providing whole grains and fiber. Traditional rolled oats are best, rather than using quick oats or steel cut oats. You can also substitute with gluten-free oats as needed
Mixed nuts and seeds add extra protein, crunch and healthy fats. I’ve used a mix of almonds, cashews, walnuts and pumpkin seeds. You can also use peanuts, pecans, hazelnuts or sunflower seeds. Take your pick
Protein powder will give you a protein boost. I’ve used a vegan vanilla protein but you can also use whey protein if preferred
Natural peanut butter adds extra protein, healthy fats and a delicious taste. Always opt for natural nut butters that only use 100% of the nuts without any added oils, sugars, or preservatives. You can substitute with almond butter, cashew butter or you can try sunflower seed butter or tahini to keep it nut-free
Honey or maple syrup are my preferred natural sweeteners without any added sugars which add a yummy natural flavor
Coconut oil adds healthy fats and also helps bind the granola mixture together along with stopping it from burning. Avocado oil is another great option
Cinnamon adds a warm aroma and flavor and salt balances all the sweetness
Additions, feel free to add extra additions once the granola has baked, such as mini chocolate chips, dried fruits or cranberries and even coconut flakes

How to make Protein Granola

Make this Protein Granola at home in no time at all. Follow my simple steps below.

Preheat oven to 325℉/ 170℃. Add dry ingredients: rolled oats, mixed nuts, protein powder, cinnamon and a good pinch of salt to a large bowl

Stir well to combine

Wet ingredients prepared in a small bowl with whisk

Add wet ingredients to a small bowl: peanut butter, coconut oil and honey. Put in the microwave for 20-30secs to achieve a runny consistency then whisk to get rid of any clumps

Dry and wet ingredients mixed together in a bowl

Pour the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir well. *Note oats and proteins have different absorption levels, so if you find its still very dry or have too much protein powder visible, add 1-2 extra tablespoon of oil or maple syrup

Mixture spread out on a sheet pan ready to be baked

Add the mixture to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread it out evenly and bake for 8-10 minutes

Granola mixture being mixed at the half way point of the cook

Remove from oven, give it a mix and spread it our evenly. Bake for 5-8 minutes and keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn. Remove from oven and leave in the tray to cool down completely (this helps it get more crunchy!)

Tips and Tricks

Always use traditional old-fashioned oats for the best texture rather than quick oats or steel cut oats which are too fine
Always heat the wet ingredients so they become a runny consistency, especially in winter and the cooler months. It will be much easier to combine this way
Each oats and protein brands have different absorption levels, so if you find its still very dry or have too much protein powder visible, add 1-2 extra tablespoons of oil or maple syrup
Keep your eye on the granola so it doesn't burn and ensure you stir it half way to ensure even cooking
Let the granola cool completely before serving and storing. The longer it cools, the crunchier it will become

Storage Instructions

Store your homemade protein granola in an airtight container or glass jar in a cool place at room temperature such as kitchen cupboards
It will keep crunchy and fresh up to a month, but it probably won't last that long 😉

What to serve with Protein Granola?

Overnight oats or Protein overnight oats
Greek yogurt bowl with fresh fruit
Frozen yogurt bark
Smoothie bowls
Acai bowls
Overnight Weetabix
Protein smoothies
Milk of choice
Yogurt parfait
Enjoy alone as a trail mix

FAQs

What makes this granola high in protein?

The addition of protein powder, nuts and seeds along with natural peanut butter gives the granola a protein boost! Enjoy with Greek yogurt for another protein source

How to make this protein granola nut-free?

Substitute the nuts to seeds such as pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and flax seeds. Also switch the nut butter to a seed butter or tahini

Is granola healthy?

Making your own homemade granola is much healthier than store-bought as it won't have any preservatives or additives and you can control the ingredients. Always opt for whole-foods such as whole grain oats, raw nuts, natural oils, nut butters and opt for organic honey or maple syrup rather than added sugar

What toppings can I add?

Feel free to add extra toppings such as mini chocolate chips, dried fruit such as raisins and cranberries, coconut flakes and banana chips. Wait until the granola has cooled then stir in your favorites

Protein granola in a bowl with yogurt, berries and banana

More Granola Recipes

More High Protein Recipes

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

I love seeing your creations and remakes, so be sure to rate the recipe, comment and share your Protein Granola photo on Instagram so I can share the love!

Recipe