This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
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 ❤️
Easy Granola Recipes
These tasty granola recipes are crunchy, full of clusters, and amazing! Try my grain free granola, delicious hemp granola, and this healthy almond butter granola.
Low Calorie Granola
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups brown rice crisp cereal
- 1/3 cup almonds, roughly chopped
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut chips, large shredded coconut
- ½ cup almond flour*
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt, optional
- ¼ 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!
Excellent! I’ve made this many times and is my go to recipe. Thanks!!
Woohoo! You’re so welcome, Nada!
Hi! I am super excited to try this recipe. Just wondering if you could recommend a substitute for the maple syrup?
Hi Sarah, I suggest using another liquid sweetener like brown rice syrup, date syrup, honey, or agave nectar. I haven’t tried these swaps, so just keep in mind that it might require a few tries and some tweaks to the proportions (for example, a tablespoon more or less of the liquid sweetener). Let me know how it turns out if you try it! 🙂
I used Pyure Sugar Free Maple Syrup and it turned out great. Significantly lower carbs and calories.
Oh that’s awesome! Good to know that worked for you. I’ve used that product before and I’m a big fan.
Hi Can i used puffed rice instead of the brown rice crip cereal?
Hi Neerah, that should work! Let me know how it turns out if you try it. 🙂
This recipe is really amazing . I can prepare this with Baked Granola with Cranberries & Almonds from True Elements- a clean label food brand which I have been using for a year and it really is great! One doubt whether we can use this recipe for all age groups? Please let me know. Can’t wait to try this recipe. YAYY !
As you may already know, I love crunchy things. I used this to top a favorite pear/ginger crumble. It was a magnificent way to cut some fat and sugar. Thank you so much (as usual)
Ooh I’ll bet that crumble was delicious! So happy you’re enjoying the recipe, Theron. 🙂
I have made this recipe over and over and it turns out perfect every time! I add this to my Greek yogurt/steel cut oats and fruit for breakfast and sometimes my husband catches me eating it out of the jar… I have passed this recipe onto many of my friends and they all love it too! Thank you for this!
Hi Kendra! Oh my goodness, this pleases me so! 🙂 Oooh, I love hearing about all the ways you enjoy my recipe. Drool! Thank you for sharing with your friends. Happy eating!
I have made this delicious recipe twice now and it will be a regular at my house as I am watching carbs, fat, and calories. My ONLY complaint is that the nutrition info is for 1/4 cup and seriously…who can eat just a 1/4 cup of this!??
LOL I know, it’s hard to stop one you start munching on this! I’m so glad to know you’re enjoying it Becky! 😊
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this recipe. I have made it so many times that I’ve lost count. It is the best crunchy oil-free granola I’ve ever tried. This should definitely be a cereal because it tastes great with milk.
Thank you so much, Bella! When you make a recipe over and over again–that’s how you know it’s a keeper! Such a good idea to eat this as cereal. Drool… Thanks for reporting back!
I would like to wake up with this. Sounds so easy to make it at home!
It’s super easy to make, and great for breakfast. I love it over some yogurt or just on its own. 🙂
My husband and daughter are going to love this recipe! I’m so excited to give this a try! Can’t wait!
Can’t wait to hear what they think!