Healthy Granola Recipe No Refined Sugar

Hi Bold Bakers! WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: Learn how to make our Healthy Granola Recipe (No Refined Sugar), and you’ll have a week’s worth of satisfying, toasty, nutrient-rich cereal for you and your family. This addictively delicious granola is loaded with clean ingredients and layers of flavor and texture. Store-bought granola can get really pricey. This is a way to have nutritious, budget-friendly granola that’s ready in 40 minutes! Already have an account?

No refined sugar: The warm sweetness in our homemade granola recipe comes from natural maple syrup, which has a lower glycemic index than granulated sugar. That means it causes a slower rise in blood glucose levels, reducing sugar crashes. Miles ahead of grocery store granola: Did you know store-bought granola can have up to 20 grams of sugar per serving? That’s as much as a Snickers bar! A hearty two-thirds-cup serving of our granola has 39% less sugar.

We all want to make healthy food to fuel ourselves and our loved ones, but I think you know by now that if I’m taking the time to cook something, it has to be delicious! Our Healthy Granola Recipe ticks all the boxes. For more nutritious recipes that are absolutely yummy, check out My Mum’s Healthy Banana Muffins, Blueberry Muffin Smoothie, and Healthy Breakfast Crisp.

What is a Healthy Granola Recipe (No Refined Sugar)?

Our Healthy Granola Recipe is a baked cereal made with old-fashioned rolled oats, nuts, and fruit and flavored with natural unrefined sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. It’s crunchy, toasty, and a touch sweet. This crunchy granola is packed with pecans, coconut, and golden raisins which not only make it addictively delicious granola, but boost its nutritional profile with protein, vitamins, fiber, and healthy fat. The first granola (then spelled “granula”), consisting of small pieces of graham cracker, was made in 1863 by New Yorker Dr. James Caleb Jackson. John Harvey Kellogg (founder of the cereal company) changed the ingredients to oat, wheat, and corn and marketed it as a breakfast food. Granola gained a second wave of popularity in the U.S. in the 1960s when home cooks added nuts and fruits to the mixture.

Tools You Need

Mixing bowl Measuring cups Measuring spoons Kitchen scale (optional) Two rimmed baking sheets Whisk

Key Ingredients and Why

Old-fashioned rolled oats

Hearty old-fashioned rolled oats are sturdy enough to keep their shape and make this homemade healthy granola recipe toothsome and satisfying. Old-fashioned oats are high in fiber, which benefits digestion and heart health.

Raw pecans

Pecans add substantial crunch and heft to the granola. Their buttery, rich, mild sweetness elevates the overall flavor profile. Pecans add nutritional value to the cereal. They contain healthy fats, Vitamin E, magnesium, and zinc, which are linked to boosting the immune system.

Shredded coconut

Coconut flakes add crunchy texture and tropical flavor. Unsweetened coconut is fiber-rich and high in copper, which benefits bone health.

Coconut oil

The mild coconut flavor of this oil adds a subtle, pleasant taste without being overwhelming. The oil helps the granola bake up crispy. Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which the body uses as energy.

Maple syrup

Maple syrup has a mellow, earthy, slight caramel sweetness that gives the granola a distinctively delicious flavor. Because real maple syrup is minimally processed, this sweetener retains its naturally present minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. If you prefer, you can use honey or agave instead.

Vanilla extract

Natural vanilla extract accents each element of this multi-faceted granola.

Salt

A teaspoon of salt enhances the cinnamon, pecans, and vanilla, creating a delicious mixture of complementary flavors.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon infuses the granola with warm, slightly spicy flavor. Cinnamon is a good source of anti-oxidants that can protect the body from ills such as heart disease.

Golden raisins

Golden raisins give this granola mix chewy textural contrast and fruity sweetness. Golden raisins are high in B Vitamins, and Vitamin C and Vitamin K. You can substitute dried cranberries for the raisins if you prefer.

How to Make Healthy Granola Recipe (No Refined Sugar)

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

We love the flavor that pecans bring to this healthy homemade granola recipe, but you can replace them with any other nut of your choice. Hazelnuts, pistachios, cashews, walnuts, or almonds would work well here. Be sure to use only old-fashioned rolled oats for this recipe, and not quick oats (they will get to mushy) or steel-cut oats (which are too hard). Do NOT mix the dried fruit into the granola before baking because they get too hard when baked. Make a double batch and vacuum seal some to extend its shelf life. Small jars of granola make thoughtful and very appreciated gifts for friends, teachers, and neighbors!

Make Ahead & Storage Instructions

Store Healthy Granola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four weeks.

Is this granola gluten-free? Oats are naturally gluten-free, although they can become contaminated with gluten during processing. Look for certified gluten-free oats. Additionally, the nuts and fruit can be contain gluten if they’re processed in a plant with gluten-containing foods. Be sure that all of the ingredients you use are labeled as gluten-free. What can I use in place of nuts? Sunflower seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, or banana chips are crunchy alternatives to nuts. What can I use if I don’t have coconut oil? You can substitute a very mild olive oil for the coconut oil. How do I cook this if I don’t have a fan-assist (convection) oven? If you have a conventional oven (without a fan), the granola will take longer to bake. Check on the granola after 30 minutes, and remove it from the oven when it’s browned and toasty.