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In This Post
- Why You’ll Love This Keto Granola Cereal Recipe
- How To Make Keto Granola
- Tips For The Best Keto Cereal
- Flavor Variations
- Storage Instructions
- Ways To Use Keto Granola
- More Keto Breakfast Recipes
- Tools To Make Low Carb Granola
- Recipe Reviews
Missing cereal on your keto diet? Not anymore, with this keto granola recipe! You’ve probably noticed there aren’t a lot of clean-ingredient keto cereal options out there. So when I made sugar-free candied pecans a few years ago, it occurred to me that crushed nuts tossed in the same coating would make a low carb granola — and it worked. This keto nut granola is grain free, super low carb, and will satisfy your crunchy cravings!
Why You’ll Love This Keto Granola Cereal Recipe
- Crunchy texture
- Nutty, lightly sweet flavor with a hint of vanilla
- Easy to make in less than 30 minutes
- Just 2g net carbs per serving (almost no carb granola)
- Low carb, gluten-free, and grain-free keto cereal
- Quick and easy grab-and-go keto breakfast or snack
- Versatile — easy to customize and use in so many ways!
Cold cereal was a foreign concept when I moved to the U.S. as a little girl. Eastern Europeans eat hot cereal, but the American version with crunchy cold cereal and milk was totally unfamiliar. Once I tried it, though, it quickly became a favorite throughout my childhood — and the granola clusters were the best part. (This was back when I didn’t worry about finding cereals without sugar or whether there were carbs in granola.) So as an adult, creating a keto granola recipe brought back those nostalgic memories!
Although this is a low carb cereal, it’s just as sweet as regular granola, thanks to Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend. Unlike other sweeteners, this one tastes and dissolves just like regular sugar, but has zero net carbs. It’s the perfect replacement for your low carb granola! I used to make this recipe using erythritol, but I like the flavor and texture much more with Besti.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for keto granola, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Nuts & Seeds – The base of this grain free granola is made with almonds,hazelnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds (pepitas), and sunflower seeds, instead of traditional oats or other grains. You can really use any combination of keto nuts here. Feel free to use walnuts, macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, or any combination you have on hand. My nuts and seeds were salted, but unsalted are also fine. You can also add flax seeds, chia seeds, or sesame seeds, but they don’t make a good replacement for the other nuts and seeds here, since they are so tiny. If you can’t use nuts at all, trythis nut-free cerealinstead.
- Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – This sweetener is going to give the best results, but other keto sugar substitutes will also work. I’ve made a simple sweetener conversion chart for reference if you need it.
- Flax Seed Meal – Helps bind the keto friendly granola together. (I also use this as a binder for cauliflower hash browns.) I recommend golden flax seed meal, which has a milder flavor, but the regular kind also works.
- Egg White – Acts as a binder as well. I have not tried any egg substitutes, but aquafaba or a flax egg would probably work in this keto granola recipe.
- Unsalted Butter– Melted butter adds flavor and helps with browning. If you need a dairy free option, you can use coconut oil, butter-flavored coconut oil to get a similar flavor, or ghee if that works for your restrictions.
- Vanilla Extract – Use high quality vanilla for the best flavor in your keto cereal.
How To Make Keto Granola
This section shows how to make low carb granola cereal, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Process the hard nuts. Pulse the almonds and hazelnuts in a food processor intermittently, until most of the nuts are in chopped into large pieces.
- Process the soft nuts. Add the pecans and pulse again, stopping when they are in large pieces.
- Add the pumpkin and sunflower seeds, Besti, and flax seed meal. Pulse just until all the dry ingredients are mixed well.
- Add the wet ingredients. Add the egg white to the food processor. Whisk together melted butter and vanilla extract in a small bowl, and evenly pour that in, too. Pulse a couple times, mix a little from the bottom toward the top with a spatula, then pulse a couple times again. Repeat as needed until everything is coated evenly.
- Bake. Transfer the nut mixture to a large baking tray, or two small ones, lined with parchment paper. Press into a thin, uniform thin rectangle. Bake the keto cereal until lightly browned.
- Cool. Let keto granola cool completely before breaking apart into pieces.
Tips For The Best Keto Cereal
- Process hard nuts first. Pecans, walnuts, and macadamias are softer than almonds and hazelnuts. It’s best to process harder nuts first and then add the softer ones, otherwise your soft nuts will turn into flour before the hard nuts are broken up.
- Don’t over process. You want to have plenty of nut pieces remaining, and most of the seeds should be intact. Keto nut granola tastes best when there are some pieces in it!
- You can use a large mixing bowl for mixing in the wet ingredients. Sometimes this is easier than using the food processor for that step, but I often use the processor anyway to avoid washing another bowl. 😉
- Spread in a thin, even layer. The ideal thickness is 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick. If you make the layer thicker, it won’t crisp up, and if the thickness is uneven, you’ll end up with burned spots.
- Cool completely to get crispy. The keto granola will be soft when you remove it from the oven, but will crisp up as it cools.
Flavor Variations
This easy keto granola recipe makes a classic flavor with a hint of vanilla, but you can easily customize it! Try these variations:
- Chocolate – Get the recipe for chocolate keto granola with cocoa powder in my Easy Keto Carboholics’ Cookbook! You could also mix in ½ cup of sugar-free chocolate chips into the regular version below after cooling.
- Berry – Mix in dried berries, like sugar-free dried cranberries, blueberries, or strawberries to add a burst of fruity flavor to your grain-free granola.
- Peanut Butter – Melt 1/4 cup of peanut butter together with the regular butter in this low carb granola recipe.
- Pumpkin Spice – Add 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, or more to taste, at the same time that you add Besti.
- Cinnamon – Add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon into the mixture, at the same time that you add Besti.
Storage Instructions
- Store: This keto granola recipe makes a big batch! The best way to store it is in airtight containers in the pantry or cupboard (out of sunlight). I like to use glass jars for mine. It will last at least 3-4 weeks, maybe even longer — I’ve never had it last longer to find out!
- Freeze: If you want it to last for longer, transfer the keto cereal to an airtight freezer-safe container or bag, and store it in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Ways To Use Keto Granola
I have to be honest, sometimes I enjoy this low carb granola right out of the jar! But there are also so many other ways to eat it:
- Milk – Regular dairy milk is not keto, but you can make a bowl of keto cereal with almond milk, coconut milk, hemp milk, or watered down heavy cream. My personal go-to is almond milk with 1-2 tablespoons of heavy cream added.
- Yogurt – Sprinkle keto granola over keto yogurt, with or without fresh berries. This also works well with chia seed pudding.
- Smoothies – Add a sprinkle of keto nut granola on top of your low carb smoothie, or use it in a triple berry crisp smoothie parfait.
- Muffins – Incorporate grain free granola into your muffin batter or use it as a crunchy topping. Try it with keto blueberry muffins!
- Ice Cream – Sprinkle it on on your keto ice cream for a crunchy contrast.
- Pancakes & Waffles – Top your keto pancakes or keto waffles with low carb fruit, a dollop of sugar-free whipped cream, and a sprinkle of keto granola. It also works over a simpler pancake topping of butter and keto maple syrup.
- Oatmeal – Oats are not keto, but this keto nut granola is surprisingly delicious on keto oatmeal or keto overnight oats.
More Keto Breakfast Recipes
Are you looking to spice up your low carb breakfast routine? I got you! Try these popular keto breakfast recipes:
Keto Coffee Creamer
Chaffles
Keto Bagels
Keto Cinnamon Rolls
- Food Processor– I’ve had this one for years. It’s powerful, durable, and large enough to hold a double batch of low carb granola if you want to make more.
- Baking Sheet – This pan is the perfect size for this keto granola recipe. Even though I do recommend parchment paper here, the silicone non-stick surface is so good that I can often skip lining it for many other keto recipes.
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Recipe Card
Keto Granola Cereal (Low Carb & Easy!)
You'll love this fast, easy low carb keto granola recipe with nuts & seeds! It's crunchy, grain free, sugar free, and just 2g net carbs.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Author: Maya Krampf from WholesomeYum.com
Servings: 12 (adjust to scale recipe)
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Ingredients
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (163 degrees C). Line a large baking sheet (I used this size), or two small ones, with parchment paper.
Pulse the almonds and hazelnuts in a food processor intermittently, until most of the nuts are in chopped into large pieces (about 1/4 to 1/2 of the full size of the nuts).
Add the pecans. Pulse again, stopping when the pecans are in large pieces. (Pecans are added later since they are softer.)
Add the pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, Besti, and golden flax seed meal. Pulse just until everything is mixed well. Don't over-process! You want to have plenty of nut pieces remaining, and most of the seeds should be intact.
Add the egg white to the food processor. Whisk together the melted butter and vanilla extract in a small bowl, and evenly pour that in, too.
Pulse a couple times, mix a little from the bottom toward the top with a spatula, then pulse a couple times again. Repeat as needed until everything is coated evenly. Again, avoid over-processing. At the end of this step, you'll have a combination of coarse meal and nut pieces, and everything should be a little damp from the egg white and butter. (Alternatively, you can do this step in a large bowl instead to avoid over-processing.)
Transfer the nut mixture to the prepared baking sheet in a uniform layer, pressing together into a thin rectangle (about 1/4 to 1/3 in (.6-.8 cm) thick). Bake for 15-18 minutes, until lightly browned, especially at the edges.
Cool completely before breaking apart into pieces. (The granola will be soft when you remove it from the oven, but will crisp up as it cools.)
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/4 cup
The nuts and seeds I used were salted. If yours are not, you may want to add a little sea salt to the mixture in step 4, or use salted butter.
Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.
Calories278
Fat26g
Protein7g
Total Carbs7g
Net Carbs2g
Fiber5g
Sugar1g
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
Course:Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine:American
Keywords:grain free granola, keto granola, keto granola recipe, low carb granola, sugar free granola
Calories: 278 kcal
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Keto Granola Cereal
