Low Calorie Granola (Low Carb, Low Sugar, Low Fat)
Low Calorie Granola: 5 mins of prep for the best low carb, low sugar, low fat granola! Crispy, crunchy and perfectly sweet.
The best low calorie granola: only 74 calories, 3.6g of sugar and 7g carbs per serving.
Why You’ll Love this Low Calorie Granola
Granola: so good, so healthy… so easy to OVEREAT! At that point, it basically becomes super unhealthy and totally guilt-ridden because you’ve eaten like 10x more than you probably should’ve…
So when I started brainstorming ideas for the new year, I figured NOW would be the time for finally cracking a low sugar, low calorie granola recipe that all of us could enjoy—without the guilt, without the high carbs.
One of my favorite food blogs from way back in the day, was Oh She Glows. Angela, the amazing blogger behind OSG, taught me the importance of volume! Like… who wants to eat a tiny bowl of granola?
And as long as we make sure the ingredients are healthy and whole (and keep an eye on the amount of sugar in it, etc.), we can go to town on a big friggin’ bowl of granola! <– Volume, baby!
So are you ready to bake this? Let’s do it!
Low Calorie Granola Ingredients
- Brown rice crisp cereal – a super low calorie, yet healthy ingredient
- Almonds – a nutritious and filling component of this recipe.
- Unsweetened coconut chips – this ingredient adds crisp texture and crunch
- Almond flour – I use a finely ground, blanched almond flour that works as a sort of low carb replacement for all purpose flour.
- Ground cinnamon + salt – both for delicious flavor, but feel free to leave out the salt if you’d like
- Pure maple syrup – the only sweetener used in this low calorie granola.
How to Make Low Calorie Granola
Making your very own low calorie granola is super easy! Check out how easy it is below:
Preheat
Make sure to preheat your oven to 325°F before you get started with anything else. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix all Ingredients
Add all low calorie granola ingredients to a large bowl: vegan gluten free brown rice crisp cereal [here is where I get mine], almonds, coconut, almond flour, cinnamon and maple syrup. Stir and fold it all together until clusters form and everything is well mixed.
Pour
Pour your low calorie granola mixture onto your prepared baking sheet. Nudge the granola to create empty space between so air can circulate through during baking—this will make your granola crispy!
Bake, Cool and Enjoy
Bake your granola for about 15 minutes, flip, then bake again for about 5-10 additional minutes. Cool, then enjoy the tastiest low sugar, low fat and low calorie granola ever!
I love using this granola as a topping for yogurt parfait, packing some for an afternoon snack when I’m on the go, or using it as a topping in these 3 Ingredient Frozen Yogurt Bites.
Low Cal Granola: Nutrition Facts
Granola Calories: 74 cal
Granola Carbs: 7g
Granola Sugar: 3.6g
Testimonials
Jacqueline says, “I went looking for a low calorie granola recipe to have on top of homemade vegan yogurt and found your post. I tried it and shared some with a friend who is also cutting calories. She has already requested more! It is a simple and super tasty granola, so thank you!”
Donna says, “This will now be a staple recipe for me! It is so quick and easy to make. It tastes delicious. I also added some sugar free chocolate chips. Thanks so much for the recipe.”
Amanda says, “Made this last night and it’s delicious! Had to sub regular unsweetened coconut for the large flake, and it still turned out great. Lots of crunch and big clusters. Thanks for this recipe!”
My sister Penny: our Resident Granola Expert, simply loves this low calorie granola. No bias or anything… especially since my blog is only her 2nd favorite food blog (damn you, Deb of Smitten Kitchen!!). Lol. J/k! 🙂
Storing and Freezing Your Low Calorie Granola
Great news! After cooling completely, you can store your low calorie granola for 1-2 weeks at room temperature or 1-3 months in the freezer. Isn’t that awesome? I love making a double or even triple batch so I can have it on hand for months to come.
Simply delicious low calorie granola that crispy ‘n crunchy with a cozy toasted flavor. Low Fat, Low Sugar.
I’m SO excited to hear what you think of my low calorie granola recipe! You know I seriously look forward to hearing your comments, seeing pics (!!) on Instagram, and reading feedback on Facebook. Are you ready to do this? You grab the brown rice crisps cereal, I’ll grab everything else. Meet ya in the kitchen! Sending you great, big hugs & gratitude for enjoying these kitchen adventures with me.
Sending you all my love and maybe even a dove, xo Demeter ❤️
more delicious granola recipes
Low Calorie Granola
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 14–20 1/4 cup servings 1x
- Diet: Low Calorie
Description
Low Calorie Granola: 5 mins of prep for the best low carb, low sugar, low fat granola! Crispy, crunchy and perfectly sweet. Only 74 calories, 3.6g of sugar and 7g carbs per serving.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups brown rice crisp cereal
- 1/3 cup almonds, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut chips (large shredded coconut)
- 1/2 cup finely ground, blanched almond flour*
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or greased foil. Set aside for later.
- Add all ingredients to a large bowl. Using a rubber spatula, fold until clusters form and mixture is well mixed.
- Pour onto the prepared baking sheet. Using the rubber spatula, gently nudge granola into an even layer, making sure to keep clusters intact. Create empty pockets at regular intervals to let air through to crisp up the granola.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes—until granola clusters are just solid enough to flip. Using a heatproof spatula, gently flip granola, making sure to keep clusters intact. Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until edges are a deep golden brown and granola is just slightly soft. Mine took a total of 25 minutes. Granola will crisp up while cooling.
- Place baking sheet on a cooling rack. Allow low calorie granola to cool for about 30 minutes, or until completely cooled. Enjoy! Storing instructions below.
★ Last Step: If you made this recipe, leave a comment and review. It truly helps our small business keep running and it helps readers like you!
Notes
*You may substitute this with unblanched almond meal.
Here’s the brown rice crisp cereal that I use in this recipe.
Storing Instructions: Store in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks at room temperature.
Freezing Instructions: Store low calorie granola in an airtight, freezer-friendly container in the freezer for 1-3 months.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Granola, Breakfast, Snacks, Gluten-Free, Low Carb, Vegan, Refined Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
This post may contain affiliate links, which allow me to make a small commission for my referral, at no additional cost to you.
Like this recipe? Share it with friends!
Did you make this recipe? Take a pic and share it on Instagram with the hashtag #beamingbaker & tag @beamingbaker. I’d love to see it!
More granola recipes to try: or hemp granola, keto granola, and…
Thank you forever for this recipe!!! The first time I made it, I didn’t have maple syrup or coconut on hand, so used an equal portion simple syrup with added maple flavouring and left out the coconut altogether — turned out perfect. The second time, I still didn’t have maple syrup, and while it still turned out delicious, it was a little less clumpy than I hoped (no problem — fantastic filler in Greek yogurt and berry parfaits). Just made it a third time, and silly me, I still haven’t gotten around to getting that sweet maple… This time, I made the “syrup” with a combination of honey, water, and a ginger/red sugar blend I buy at a local Asian market. I googled some hacks for making it clump better, and went with a mini cup of unsweetened fieldberry apple sauce as a binding agent. I also spread it out on the sheet in a single thin layer, baked at 300 for about 25 minutes, then gently broke it into large pieces, flipped them and baked for another 10. Verdict on this batch: phenomenal. Haha all this to say, this recipe seems perfect both as is AND as an endlessly customizable base. Very easy to tweak to anyone’s personal preferences and pantry supplies! (Those rice puffs are an absolute must for me, though — I bought the brand you recommended, and it’s a godsend.) Thank you again! …And I promise, maple syrup is on my next shopping list. Can’t wait to try it. 😉
LOL I am so so happy to hear how much you’re enjoy the granola, Susan! Don’t worry, I’ve definitely been there before with ingredients I swear I have and somehow never seem to be in my pantry. I’m so glad that you’ve been able to customize it—-that’s half the fun of cooking, isn’t it? And I’m happy you’re enjoying the rice puffs! Aren’t they the best? Here’s to many more batches of yummy granola, with or without the maple. 😉
Looks amazing! Can I sub the cereal for soy protein crispies?
Thanks! Hm, interesting idea. I haven’t tried it myself, but it should be fine. I’d love to hear how it turns out for you!
I was wondering, what can I put in the granola instead of coconut if I don’t enjoy the taste of it? Really want to try this, thank you!
This is the best recipe ever! I’ve made it at least 20 times and my whole family craves it!
Woohoo! That’s so awesome to hear! 😊 I’m truly so pleased that the fam is enjoying the granola so much, Valerie.
I’m going to try this recipe as soon as I can find the cereal. Does anyone have any idea what the calories, sugar, carbs, etc. would be if I made the granola with sugar free syrup instead of maple syrup.?
this granola recipe is amazing. it tastes way better than any store bought granola, highly recommend this for eating it just as a snack or topping it on an açaí bowl
Yes! I am a huge proponent of using the granola to top pretty much anything. 😂
the best granola recipe ever. tastes way better than any other store bought granola
I’m so thrilled to hear it, Natalie!