High Protein Granola

Made with oats, nuts, seeds and sweetened with maple syrup, this easy to make High Protein Granola gets a boost of protein from vanilla protein powder. It’s vegan, gluten-free, and the perfect breakfast with yogurt or milk and fruit to kick off your morning with an energetic start! 

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Looking for a high protein granola to start off your day right? Look no further! This granola is full of all things good for you and will keep you satisfied and full!

We have:

• Heart healthy wholegrain oats.
• Crunchy toasted pecans, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds. 
• Maple syrup as our natural sweetener.
• A plant based vanilla protein powder to bump up the protein content.
• Dried cranberries and figs for more sweetness and fiber!

It’s super easy to make, great for meal prep, and tastes better than most sugar-laden store-bought high protein granola in the supermarkets. It’s also a lot more cheaper to make than buy readymade granola too!

Enjoy it with yogurt or milk and fruit in the morning or as a healthy feel-good midday snack!

Why This Recipe Works

• Easy to make. All you need is 5 minutes of prep time and then the oven does most of the work!
• Plant based vanilla protein powder gives this granola a boost of protein. Protein fills you up and this granola makes for a satisfying breakfast or quick snack.
• Full of healthy fats, proteins, and fiber. It makes for a great breakfast because the healthy fats are good for the heart and the high protein content keeps you full till lunchtime. The fiber from the oats, seeds and dried figs aid in digestion too.
• Big clusters. Avoiding stirring the granola midway during baking results in desirable big crunchy clusters.
• Customizable. You can customize it with your favorite nuts and seeds and dried fruit.
• Better than store-bought granola. Store-bought high protein granola can be pricey and sometimes have too much added sugars. This homemade granola won’t puncture a hole in your wallet and is not overly sweet. It tastes so much better than store-bought granola!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutes

• Oats: Be sure to use wholegrain old fashioned rolled oats, not instant, steel cut or the quick cooking kind. Use gluten-free rolled oats if needed.
• Nuts: I used raw unsalted pecan halves. You can swap all or some for almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews or any other type of nuts you like. Chop into smaller pieces if desired.
• Seeds: My favorite combination of seeds in granola is pumpkin seeds (pepitas) and sunflower seeds. However, you can swap them for or add hemp seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, etc.
• Vanilla Protein Powder: This will aid in bumping up the protein content as well as sweeten it with vanilla flavoring. Use a plant based vanilla protein powder for a vegan granola or a vanilla whey protein powder if you’re fine with consuming dairy/milk products.
• Almond Extract (optional): I love having a hint of almond essence in my granola, but you can leave it out if it’s not your thing or you haven’t got it on hand. You can also add some vanilla extract instead if you prefer.
• Spices (optional): I didn’t add any additional flavoring, but you’re welcome to add ground cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice or any other warm spices if you like. Omit the almond extract if doing so.
• Fine Sea Salt: Use half the amount if using iodized table salt, which is saltier.
• Pure Maple Syrup: It naturally sweetens the granola without the need for added sugar. You’re welcome to use honey if you prefer. Note that using honey will not make this granola vegan.
• Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil: Or you can use melted coconut oil, or any other type of neutral flavored oil. Some other great options are avocado, grapeseed, and vegetable oil.
• Dried Fruits: For more sweetness and to boost the fiber content, I used sweetened dried cranberries and chopped dried figs. You can use unsweetened dried cranberries if you prefer, or any other type of dried fruit you love.

Full ingredient list and amounts are in the recipe card below.

How to Make High Protein Granola

Preheat your oven to 165°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Grab a large rimmed baking tray (half sheet pan) and line it with parchment paper or nonstick cooking paper.

1. Combine everything. Combine everything except the dried cranberries and figs in a large mixing bowl. Mix well until everything is combined well and lightly coated with oil and maple syrup.

2. Spread. Pour the granola mixture onto the prepared tray. Use a silicone spatula or a large flat backed spatula to spread and press down the granola mixture into an even layer.

3. Bake. Bake for 22-26 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through so that that the back of the tray is facing the front. The granola should be slightly crisp and golden brown.

4. Cool. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. The granola will continue to crisp up as it cools even if it still appears slightly wet and soft at first.

5. Break and stir through dried fruit. Once completely cool, break into clusters stir through the sweetened dried cranberries and figs.

Serve! You can enjoy the granola immediately with milk or over Greek yogurt. Or have it on its own as a snack. 

Or transfer to a sealed airtight container. Store in a cool dry area and consume within 3 weeks.

Full detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.

Cook’s Tips

• Cool the granola completely before breaking into clusters. Warm granola will crumble if you try to break it and stir in the dried fruit too soon. Wait for it to be fully cool and firm so that you can break it up into clusters. Note that stirring in the dried fruit will cause the clusters to break a little, but not as much as if you were to attempt to break the granola into clusters when it’s still warm.
• Add oil before adding maple syrup. Use the same measuring cup to add both to the mixing bowl but add the oil first. It will stop the maple syrup (or honey) from sticking to the cup and allow it to flow out easily. 
• Keep your eye on the oven after the 20-minute mark. Depending on how your oven runs, the granola may be close to being done. Remove from the oven if needed to prevent it from burning.
• Add unsweetened coconut flakes or shredded coconut. This will not only add some lovely coconut flavors, but also give this high protein granola a boost with some healthy fats. I recommend baking the granola for 20 minutes, rotating the tray at the 10-minute mark. Then sprinkle the coconut flakes on top and bake for 3-5 minutes more until lightly toasted.

FAQS

More Granola Recipes

• Tropical Coconut Pecan Granola
• Pumpkin Spice Granola
• Apple Pie Granola

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• Or browse the entire Breakfast & Brunch recipe collection.

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High Protein Granola

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Made with nuts, seeds, and sweetened with maple syrup, this easy to make High Protein Granola gets a boost of protein from vanilla protein powder. It’s the perfect breakfast with yogurt or milk and fruit to kick off your morning with an energetic start! 

• Author: Lavina
• Prep Time: 5
• Cook Time: 26
• Total Time: 31 minutes
• Yield: 16 1x
• Category: Breakfast
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 4 cups Wholegrain Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (use gluten-free oats if needed)
• 1 cup raw Unsalted Pecan Halves
• ¼ cup raw Unsalted Pumpkin Seeds (pepitas)
• ¼ cup raw Unsalted Sunflower Seeds
• 50 grams / ½ cup Plant Based Vanilla Protein Powder (note 1)
• 1 TSP Almond Extract (optional – or use vanilla extract)
• ½ TSP Fine Sea Salt (use less if using table salt)
• ⅓ cup Pure Maple Syrup
• ½ cup Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil (or melted coconut oil)
• ¼ cup Sweetened Dried Cranberries
• ¼ cup Dried Figs – chopped (note 2)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Prep: Preheat oven to 165°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Line a large rimmed baking tray (half sheet pan) with nonstick cooking paper (parchment paper).
2. Combine the ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, vanilla protein powder, almond extract, fine sea salt, maple syrup, and extra light tasting olive oil. Mix well until everything is evenly combined until everything is lightly coated with the oil and maple syrup.
3. Spread: Pour the granola mixture onto the prepared tray. Use a flat backed spatula or silicone spatula to spread into an even layer and press down on the mixture to flatten it.
4. Bake: Bake for 22-26 minutes, rotating the tray at the 12 minute mark so that that the back of the tray is facing the front. The granola should be slightly crisp and golden brown.
5. Cool: Transfer the tray to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely (about 40-45 minutes). The granola will continue to crisp up as it cools.
6. Break and stir through dried fruit: Once completely cool, break into clusters stir through the sweetened dried cranberries and dried figs.
7. Serve or store: Enjoy immediately with milk or over Greek yogurt, or on its own as a snack. Or transfer to a sealed airtight container and store in a cool dry area for 3 weeks.

Equipment

Plant Based Vanilla Protein Powder

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Silicone Spatula

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Large Mixing Bowl

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Notes

1. Vanilla Protein Powder: You can use a plant-based vanilla protein powder to make this granola 100% vegan or a whey protein powder if you’re fine with consuming dairy/milk products. Make sure it is one that you like the taste of as some can be overpowering.
2. Dried Figs. Feel free to use more dried cranberries or other dried fruit of your choice instead if you prefer.
3. Spices: I didn’t add any additional flavoring because I like the simple vanilla and almond extract combo. However, you’re welcome to add ground cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice or any other warm spices if you like. Omit the almond extract if doing so.
4. To Freeze. Transfer to freezer friendly bags and freeze for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing in individually portioned freezer bags so that you only thaw individual servings at a time. Thaw at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 245
• Sugar: 7.4g
• Sodium: 73.6mg
• Fat: 13.7g
• Saturated Fat: 2g
• Unsaturated Fat: 11.2g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 23.7g
• Fiber: 3.7g
• Protein: 6g
• Cholesterol: 0mg

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