Enjoy delicious, crunchy granola clusters flavored just as you like without all the calories and without the unhealthy sweeteners!
How to Get Crunchy Granola Without the Carb Overload
Most commercial and homemade granola (even the so-called “healthy” ones) are typically made using unhealthful sweeteners like sugar or corn syrup or healthy ones such as maple syrup or honey. While I have nothing against either maple syrup or honey, they unfortunately aren’t the best for achieving a trim waistline.
These sweeteners are great for making the granola cereal taste amazing, but they also serve an important function: they cause the granola to become crunchy and formed into clusters.
Cutting out these high carb sweeteners and subbing a healthy low glycemic sweetener such as xylitol, erythritol, or stevia is easy enough to do and succeeds at making the granola sweet. But now you’ve lost your crunchiness.
Enter: egg whites. Egg whites are void of both carbs and fat and, when used towards making crunchy granola, do an amazing job! The resulting granola is crunchy, in clusters, and tastes amazing!
What to Add to Your Granola
The recipe I’m sharing today is mainly a method for achieving crunchy granola clusters without overdoing carbs or fat. So you get to jazz it up however you like!
Below are some add-in ideas. I’ve divided them according to fuel type as is the Trim Healthy Mama way. With each add in, I give the amount you’ll need per recipe of granola.
Carbalicious (THM E)
Pick one or the other. Adding both will make the carbs too high.
- dried fruit (any kind, unsweetened, 2 tablespoons)
- fresh fruit (any kind, 1/4 cup; add after baking)
Neutralific (THM FP)
These can be added generously because their fuel source is neutral (FP). However, keep in mind that the result dish will still be Carbalicious (THM E) because it is made with healthy carb oats.
- cocoa powder (1 tablespoon)
- carob powder (1 tablespoon)
- Just Like Brown Sugar (use 3 tablespoons worth instead of the Super Sweet Blend)
- Homemade Honey or Nature’s Hollow Sugar Free Honey (use 3 tablespoons worth instead of the Super Sweet Blend)
- Homemade Sugar Free Maple Syrup or Nature’s Hollow Maple Sugar Free Syrup (use 3 tablespoons worth instead of the Super Sweet Blend)
- salt to taste
- ground cinnamon (1/2 teaspoon)
- ground cardamom (1/4 teaspoon)
- pure vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
Fusiontacular (THM XO)
Adding these additional fatty items to the oatmeal will take it into the THM XO mode. This is not conducive to weight loss, but it is perfect to just eat healthfully or maintain weight and it is good for kids and pregnant mamas.
- shredded coconut (unsweetened, 3 tablespoons)
- additional nuts and seeds (up to 1/2 cup; you might need to add an extra frothy egg white if you add a lot more nuts or seeds)
- chocolate chips (85% or darker OR stevia sweetened; add after baking)
Crunchy Granola
Ingredients
- 2 large egg whites (or 4 tablespoons)
- 2 cups dry old fashioned oats
- 4 teaspoons raw nuts and seeds of choice
- 1 tablespoon Super Sweet Blend (more or less to taste)
- add-ins of choice, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300° Fahrenheit. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy.
- Add the oats, sweetener, nuts, and add-ins. Stir with a rubber spatula until evenly coated in the egg whites.
- Spread in an even layer over the baking sheet.
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, stirring about halfway (be careful to retain clusters), or until the desired golden brown crunchiness is achieved.
- Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Only THM granola recipe I use (I tried a lot of them…) because it is, actually, crunchy. And I love the flexibility of all the different add-ins!
Made this and it tastes great! Do you recommend storing in the refrigerator or not? Thanks!
Hi, Jenny. I don’t necessarily recommend it, but it might last a bit longer if stored in the fridge. I never have stored it in the fridge, but I live in a dry climate so never have problems. If you live somewhere with more humidity it might be necessary.
Hi TJ, how long does it last in an airtight container outside the fridge ?
Thanks
Hi, Ellie. I would say till it starts getting stale, smelling funky, or growing something. 🙂
I have the carton of egg whites so how much would you suggest for me to use of them?
Hi, Michelle. 4 tablespoons. 🙂
Love this!
When adding say, 2 T strawberries– is that per recipe or per serving?
Thank you! I finally found a THM Granola that I love. I used walnuts because that is the only nut I had on hand. Added a teaspoon of cinnamon and maple extract.
How much do you consider one serving to equal? I was thinking half a cup? Thanks
Yes, about 1/2 cup. 🙂
Oh my goodness! Today I was looking for recipes to use up some of the extra old fashioned oats that I have on hand and I came by your site via Pinterest! Beside finding this recipe, I read your bio and was so blessed! I had been to your MeasuringFlowers.com site a couple of years ago and am sooooo excited about your current focus at this site! I want to commend you on the easy to follow site, the option to go right to the recipe (and read the blog when I have more time) and, most important (for this 60-something lover of food), the large print when I print out the recipes! Wow!! I also appreciate the nutritional facts at the end! Thank you sooooo much! I can’t wait to get back to the site when I have more time!! God bless!!
I’m glad you like it. 🙂 Thank you kindly!
This was delicious! My 3rd try at a THM granola, and by far the best. Brilliant to use the egg whites to make it crunchy (also adds protein – yay!) Thank you so much!
Hi there!
Great recipe!
If i have the FP option with almond milk does it remain FP?
how about Fat free on plan yogurt?
Yep, both add-ins would remain FP. 🙂 The granola itself stays E. So adding the FP add-ins keeps it an E.
Thanks for the recipe. Just made this. The whole kitchen smelled amazing. It was easy and took about 30 minutes on my fan assisted oven. I added 1 tsp of both chia and flax seeds as well as 2 tsp of chopped almonds. I also added 1 tbs of cinnamon ( we are big fans) and a pinch of nutmeg.too. Have a feeling it would be delicious with chopped apple but we topped off our strawberries and greek yougurt for a delicious morning parfait. Best of all, it wasn’t full of unnecessary sugar, and my 11 yr old cleaned her glass.! WINNER!!
Sounds yummy! 🙂