Easy small-batch sugar-free granola | No honey or maple syrup
This sugar-free granola recipe is made with applesauce to give a guilt-free enjoyable breakfast treat. It is chewy and is made with naturally sweet ingredients like apricots, cranberries and coconut flakes to control the sweetness and provide a lovely refreshing flavour. It is easy to prepare and can be customized. Enjoy this delicious granola with fresh yogurt and a warm cup of coffee.
AUTHOR : KHUSHALI PATEL
PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes
BAKING TIME: 30 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 50 minutes
*For the best results, read the entire post & follow the instructions.
Have you ever eaten granola that was meant to be sugar-free, but wasn’t truly sugar-free?
Granola was invented many years ago to improve bodily functions using healthy ingredients. At that time, granola did not consist of any amount of sugar. But as the years passed and we changed, so did the traditional healthy granola.
We are now at a time when granola is prepared with high quantities of healthier alternatives of sugars such as honey and maple syrup that sweeten the granola. But they aren’t healthy to consume every day.
So, do you feel guilty or worried if you are making the right choice?
Being in a similar situation myself, I decided to make a granola that is sugar-free using an ingredient that consists of minimal amount of naturally occurring sugars. And after many recipe experiments, I am excited to share this special guilt-free recipe with you.
But before that, let’s understand this delicious cold-breakfast cereal.
What is Granola?
Granola is a cold-breakfast cereal made from whole grains, nuts, sweeteners and other healthy ingredients. It was first invented in 1863 by Dr James Caleb Jackson. It was invented when he set out to fulfil his goal of preparing a healthier breakfast option to replace the traditional breakfast consisting of meat and eggs. He called this cereal granula.
He got this name from the granules of the cereal made from Graham flour. The cereal consisted of only these granules that were prepared using a handmade yet lengthy process.
Granula was first intended to include ingredients that help you to have a healthier digestive system. But as time changed, so did granula.
By the 1870s, Dr John Harvey Kellogg made his version of this innovative cold-breakfast cereal with the same name. However, he was sued by Dr Jackson which led him to change the name to the now famous, Granola.
As granola became well-known, people began adding ingredients such as nuts, seeds, grains and sweeteners. Although the quantity of sweeteners added was much lesser before, people began adding even more of them, along with a high quantity of fat. This defeated the original intention of being a healthy breakfast alternative.
Other than this, different variations of granola were also invented, such as granola bars, corn flakes and other multigrain flakes and cereals. Each with its ratio of ingredients, sugars and fats. But as you know, we are becoming even more aware of the ingredients we consume and making healthier choices of ingredients such as sugar.
But are these sugar replacers good for your health?
To understand the use of sugar in granola, we should first know the functions of sugar.
What is the function of sugar in granola?
You may think that sugar is only added to food to increase sweetness. Yes, that is correct, but sugar does a lot more than that when it comes to baking.
These are some of the essential functions of sweeteners:
- Do you wonder what gives the lovely brown colour to baked dishes? The answer is sugar.
- Sugar also provides a delicious caramel-like flavour to baked dishes.
- Like butter, sugar is also responsible for the moistness and tenderness of cakes, cookies and other baked items.
- They also add air into a dough or batter when creamed with butter.
- They help increase the shelf life of food. For instance, jams.
So, you might be wondering why sugar is used while preparing granola.
Sugar provides a lovely dark colour to the granola and provides stickiness making it dessert-like. It also helps to form granola clusters. But yes, it can be enjoyable to consume. However, consuming it every day isn’t healthy.
These days, healthier alternatives of sugar such as honey, maple syrup, etc. are being used. But, when you purchase granola from the store, you have no control over the quantity of sugar you will be consuming. To control this, I found the perfect ingredient that does the job of sugar. It gives a lovely flavour, crunch and chewiness which you get from traditional granola.
And the best part? It is healthy for daily consumption. Yay!
Key Ingredients in this sugar-free granola recipe
In an attempt to not only make a sugar-free granola but also granola with seasonal flavours, I used the following ingredients:
Applesauce
This is the winning ingredient that has a minimal amount of naturally occurring sugars that is healthy to consume, as it replaces the sugars often used to prepare granola. You can easily customize the applesauce according to the sweetness you prefer and also the flavour. To control the sweetness, you can make the applesauce using apples with low sugar. Read this in-depth tutorial that will teach you how to make the best applesauce.
Extra-light olive oil
With applesauce, this ingredient helps to moisten the granola. It also provides a lovely flavour and incredible freshness. You can use regular olive oil or light olive oil, if you don’t enjoy a strong olive oil flavour.
Cinnamon, ginger and vanilla
Ground cinnamon and ginger provide flavours and warmth to the granola. However, you can use any spices you enjoy.
Roasted coconut flakes, dried apricots and cranberries
These not only contribute to the flavour where cranberries give a tanginess, coconut flakes give a roasted flavour and dried apricots a citrusy freshness, but also provide a minimal amount of natural sweetness to the granola.
Almonds
Almonds are one of the most highly consumed nuts in the world. This granola, gives a nice flavour that blends with the flavours from the other ingredients, making it even more enjoyable.
Seeds
In this recipe, I used chia seeds and melon seeds. Both are highly nutritious and flavourful.
Whole Rolled oats
This is the main whole grain ingredient in this recipe. Use good-quality whole rolled oats in this recipe.
Why is this sugar-free granola recipe the best?
Freedom to add no sweetener at all or the sweetener of your choice
After being frustrated that sugar-free granola wasn’t sugar-free, I began searching for an ingredient that helped me make a similar version of granola without adding any sugar. All my questions were answered when the idea of using applesauce came to me.
” An apple a day makes the doctor stay away “
Apples, this widely eaten fruit is healthy and delicious. It is nutritious, promotes gut health, supports the heart, and also supports the immune system.
There are different varieties of apples all around the world, all with their flavours and sugar content. To help you make the best applesauce using apples that give minimal sweetness and loads of flavour, this in-depth tutorial will surely help you.
Chewy rather than being sticky
Using applesauce to replace the sugar in this granola recipe did provide some challenges such as lack of colour and texture. However, after changing the ratio of the ingredients and the correct technique, this granola has a lovely brown colour, with toasted flavours, chewy texture and minimal sweetness. Applesauce also does not give that annoying stickiness in your mouth after consuming.
Can be customized with ingredients that are in season
The best part about this granola is that it can be easily customized to the flavour profile you enjoy eating from spicy, to sweet, fresh and more. By changing the ingredients and adding natural flavourings to your applesauce and granola, you can prepare this granola that is unique to you.
04 tips to make the best sugar-free granola
Make sure to check your ingredients
Before purchasing these ingredients, especially cranberries and apricots, check the label as they are usually coated with sugar. It’s important to use the best quality ingredients to make this guilt-free granola.
Stir it often
As this granola uses applesauce, you can achieve a crispy and chewy texture by baking the granola for a longer time. Because of this, it is essential to stir the granola every 10 minutes so it bakes evenly and does not burn.
Transfer it into an air-tight container
As mentioned above, once the granola is baked and cooled, transfer it to an air-tight container immediately. If not, the granola will absorb air and become soft faster. So, keep an eye on the granola. However, after a few days, it may become soft just like other granolas, so you can easily bake it for about 5 to 10 minutes till crisp.
Make a smaller batch so it stays fresh for longer
We all love baking a huge batch of granola, and although it can be time-saving, the disadvantage of doing so is a granola that becomes soft extremely fast. So, make a smaller batch to avoid this.
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How to prepare this sugar-free granola recipe?
While preparing granola, it is essential to know which ingredients have to be baked and which do not. For easy understanding, you can divide these ingredients into pre-bake and post-bake.
1. Pre-bake ingredients – Whole Grains such as rolled oats, puffed rice, nuts and seeds are all pre-baked ingredients.
2. Post-bake ingredients – dried fruits such as cranberries, apricots, raisins, and goji berries are post-bake ingredients. If these are baked, they burn instantly.
How can you eat this sugar-free granola?
There are many ways you can consume this granola. Here are some ideas:
1. Eat it as is.
2. Add it to your smoothie bowl or make a granola bowl with fresh fruits and nut butter.
3. Sprinkle it on top of your yoghurt for a healthy gut-friendly treat.
4. With a scoop of ice cream for a healthy-ish treat.
5. Like a traditional cold-breakfast cereal – with milk.
Let me know how you love eating your granola in the comments box below. I love new ideas!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I customize this granola?
Yes! This granola is easily customizable. However, do not change the quantities and I recommend using the applesauce. You can substitute the olive oil with an oil you prefer.
Why did my granola burn?
I suggest using an oven thermometer to know the real temperature of your oven. Read more about this here. Granola also needs to be stirred occasionally while baking. If your granola becomes golden brown way before the below-mentioned baking time, remove it from the oven and taste it to see if its crunchy.
Can I customize the whole grains and nuts?
Yes, feel free to customize your granola. However, I do not recommend avoiding the rolled oats completely. You can substitute 30% of the rolled oats with another type of grain. But make sure that the quantity of the dry ingredients (pre-bake) is 349 grams.
Can I add in more or reduce the post-bake ingredients?
Yes, you can easily reduce or add more of the post-bake ingredients.
Step-by-step instructions
Preparation
- Prepare your applesauce using the instructions found in this post.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Weigh and chop the following ingredients in a bowl – apricots, cranberries or the ingredients of your choice.
- Weigh and chop the almonds.
- Roast the coconut on gentle heat on low heat till lightly browned.
- Weigh the whole rolled oats, melon seeds, chia seeds, ground Cinnamon, ground ginger and salt to a bowl and mix well. Add in the chopped almonds.
- In a saucepan, weigh the olive oil, applesauce and pure vanilla extract or vanilla beans and whisk till almost combined.
Easy Sugar-free Granola
Equipment
- 01 Knife
- 01 Chopping Board
- 01 Spatula or wooden spoon
- 01 Big Bowl
- 01 Sauce pan
- 01 Baking tray lined with parchment paper
- 01 Air-tight container or Glass Jar
Ingredients
Pre-bake granola ingredients
- 201 grams Whole rolled oats (Pre-bake)
- 90 grams Almonds, chopped (Pre-bake)
- 21 grams Melon seeds (Pre-bake)
- 21 grams Chia seeds (Pre-bake)
- 5 grams Ground cinnamon (Pre-bake)
- 4 grams Ground Ginger (Pre-bake)
- 4 grams Salt (Pre-bake)
- 5 grams Pure Vanilla extract (Pre-bake)
- 60 grams Extra-Light Olive Oil (Pre-bake)
- 150 grams Unsweetened applesauce (Pre-bake)
Post-bake granola ingredients
- 60 grams Dried apricots, roughly chopped (Post-bake)
- 60 grams Dried Cranberries, roughly chopped (Post-bake)
- 42 grams Unsweetened coconut flakes, roasted (Post-bake)
Instructions
Preparing the ingredients
- Prepare your applesauce using the instructions found in this post.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Weigh and chop the following ingredients in a bowl - apricots, cranberries or the ingredients of your choice.
- Weigh and chop the almonds.
- Roast the coconut on gentle heat on low heat till lightly browned.
- Weigh the whole rolled oats, melon seeds, chia seeds, ground Cinnamon, ground ginger and salt to a bowl and mix well. Add in the chopped almonds.
- In a saucepan (you can use the same saucepan that you used for roasting the coconut flakes), weigh the olive oil, applesauce and pure vanilla extract or vanilla beans and whisk till almost combined.
Making the sugar-free granola recipe
- Preheat your oven to 180°C.
- Heat the wet ingredients till they sizzle.
- Add into the dry ingredients and mix well with a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Bake at 180°C and stir every 10 mins till brown and crisp. (total 30 mins).
- Once baked, add the post-bake ingredients and mix well.
- Transfer the granola into an air-tight container when completely cooled.
Notes
- Storage Instructions – This granola stays fresh for about 2 weeks. However, if the granola becomes soft, bake it for 10 mins and then consume it. Store it in a glass air-tight container, once cooled.
- Applesauce – Read the in-depth tutorial on how to make applesauce for baking here.
- Coconut Flakes – Use good quality unsweetened coconut flakes.
- Olive oil – Use extra-light olive oil for best results.
- Ingredient Substitution & Weighing Guide - Read it here
HI! I'M KHUSHALI
Hi! I'm Khushali Patel, a cookie-loving professional pastry chef, recipe developer and content creator whose aim is to guide you to find more happiness in your baking journey every step of the way.
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