Protein Granola

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5 from 169 votes
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Enjoy a healthy cereal for breakfast with this protein granola made with 4 ingredients! The addition of protein powder adds a whopping 22 grams of protein per serving but you’d never be able to tell- It tastes like any good granola! 

protein granola

Protein Granola

I love creating recipes with protein powder and my favorites include waffles and cookies. Say goodbye to a bowl of cereal leaving you hungry and say hello to this satisfying and delicious high protein granola.

If you are anything like me, you love cereal but need more than just one bowl to be satisfied. Growing up, it would be common for me to go through at least three bowls of cereal before leaving for school, and if it was a sugar-laden one (hello, fruit loops!), I’d be looking at a box finished in three days. 

Since I started paying more attention to my breakfasts (and making sure I could last until lunchtime), I made sure to have an adequate amount of protein in it. This meant that cereal was replaced with protein oatmeal or avocado toast with a side of eggs. However, I’ve been yearning to incorporate cereal back into my breakfast rotation, and the answer to that? Make protein granola. 

This protein granola recipe needs just 4 ingredients to make and is a foolproof way to have cereal for breakfast AND be satisfied after it. The addition of protein powder will keep you fuller for longer, and you won’t be thinking about food until lunchtime! It’s made with just 4 ingredients and takes minutes to make! Bonus? It packs in a whopping 22 grams of protein per serving AND is vegan and gluten free! 

Now, just because it has protein powder in it doesn’t mean it changes anything to what traditional granola is like. The texture is crunchy, chewy, and chunks and clusters throughout. It’s sweet and has a subtle peanut butter flavor, and can be customized with your favorite mix-ins.

I have a confession to make- Because this recipe boasts over 20 grams of protein in a serving, I’ve started replacing my post-workout protein smoothie with a bowl of this granola! I now eat this at least twice a day and I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon!

How do you make high protein granola?

The Ingredients

  • Rolled oats– Also known as old fashioned oats. Avoid using quick oats or steel cuts oats. The former will burn very quickly and be brittle and the latter will be undercooked and inedible. If you’d like this recipe to be gluten free, use certified gluten free oats. 
  • Protein powder– Use an unflavored or vanilla protein powder. You can use chocolate or other flavored protein powders, but you are limited with what to pair with it (besides milk!). 
  • Peanut butter OR another nut/seed butter– Smooth and creamy peanut butter with no added sugar. You can also use almond butter, cashew butter, or a nut free alternative, like sunflower seed butter. Regardless of which you choose to use, ensure that the texture is smooth and drippy. 
  • Maple syrup OR honey- Either liquid sweetener works. I used maple syrup to ensure it is suitable for vegans. 
  • Mix-ins of choice– Add your favorite dried fruits, nuts, seeds, or even chocolate chips!

The Instructions

Start by adding the oats and protein powder into a mixing bowl and setting it aside. In a microwave safe bowl, add the peanut butter (or nut/seed butter) with your maple syrup (0r honey) and microwave in 20-second spurts, until the peanut butter has melted. Whisk together, until smooth. Next, add the peanut butter/maple syrup mixture into the mixing bowl and mix with the oats, until fully incorporated. 

Now, line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Transfer the granola mixture on top of it and spread it out into an even layer. Bake the granola at 180C/350F for 13-15 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove the granola from the oven and stir once more, before letting it cool completely. Once cooled, transfer it to a mixing bowl and add your mix-ins of choice. 

high protein granola

Can I make this stovetop? 

While the oven is the preferred method, you can easily make this granola stovetop. Simply prepare the granola and add it to a non-stick pan and place it over medium heat. Once you hear the mixture starting to sizzle and toast, stir it around for 4-5 minutes, until golden. 

Tips to make the best homemade protein granola

  • Use a protein powder you like the flavor of. Some brands of protein powder can be quite overpowering in flavor or quite the opposite, be quite earthy and dry. Think of it this way- If your protein powder tastes good as a protein shake, it will be fine to use for this granola. 
  • Mix the granola halfway through. You must stir the granola halfway through or else you risk the edges being somewhat burnt while the middle portion of the granola being underbaked. 
  • If you like clusters, let the granola cool completely. If you enjoy granola with plenty of chunks and clusters, do not stir it once it has been removed from the oven. Instead, let it cool completely before breaking it apart with your hands into giant clusters.
  • Don’t add mix-ins until the granola has cooled down. Avoid adding your favorite nuts/seeds/dried fruit/chocolate chips until the granola has cooled down completely. If you bake your granola with your mix-ins, you risk them burning and making the granola inedible. 

Storing and freezing granola

  • To store: Protein granola should be stored at room temperature, in a sealable container or jar. The granola will keep well for up to 1 month.
  • To freeze: Place leftover granola in a ziplock bag and store it in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

protein powder granola

More high protein recipes to try

protein granola

Protein Granola (4 Ingredients!)

5 from 169 votes
This protein granola is a healthy breakfast made with just 4 ingredients! The addition of protein powder adds an extra 22 grams of protein per serving!
Servings: 8 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 13 minutes
Total: 18 minutes

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C./350F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add the oats and protein powder and mix well. In a microwave safe bowl, add the peanut butter and maple syrup and microwave in 20-second spurts, until the peanut butter has melted.
  • Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well, until fully incorporated.
  • Transfer the protein granola mixture onto the lined baking tray and spread out in an even layer. Place the baking tray in the oven and bake for 13-15 minutes, removing the granola halfway through to stir.
  • Remove the granola from the oven and mix once more, before letting it cool completely. Once it reaches room temperature, transfer into a large mixing bowl and add your mix-ins of choice.

Notes

*  Use vanilla or plain protein powder. I used a brown rice vanilla protein powder that is both vegan and gluten free. 
** Any smooth/creamy nut or seed butter of choice can be used. 
*** I used dried cranberries, cashews, almonds, and banana chips. 
TO STORE: Protein granola should be stored at room temperature, in a sealable container or jar. The granola will keep well for up to 1 month.
TO FREEZE: Place leftover granola in a ziplock bag and store it in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 175kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 22gFat: 7gSodium: 62mgPotassium: 186mgFiber: 3gVitamin A: 18IUCalcium: 48mgIron: 2mgNET CARBS: 13g
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, photographer, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made this as my store-bought granola was running out on a cold dreary after the 4th of July in Denver. The smells and cooler temperatures made it feel like Christmas in July.

    I made a few changes and it turned out softer than I expected. I’m curious to get your feedback on how to make it crunchier.

    (2x recipe):
    2 cups rolled oats
    1 cup quinoa
    1/2 cup powdered peanut butter
    1/2 cup unflavored pea protein powder
    1/2 cup ground flax seed
    2/3 + 1/8* cup peanut butter
    1/2 + 1/8* cup maple syrup (about 1 tbsp was the remains of my honey)
    1 cup almonds added after cooling down

    * 1/8 cup of each wet ingredient was added in order to balance out the added flax seed

  2. This is one delicious recipe! Packed with so much protein and healthy ingredients, would definitely love to try this using Rolled Oats and I know it’d be delicious. Thanks for sharing such an amazing recipe.

  3. 5 stars
    Hey, thanks for sharing the recipe. It is really amazing, I tried making this with oats. They turned out well. As they are a clean label food brand with 100% natural and whole grains ingredients, I prefer using them often in different dishes. This granola was very crunchy and tasty making it awesome.

  4. Arman! What a gloriously delicious dish! Adding the protein makes it PERFECT! I would LOOOVE it. Pinning! I can’t believe all the lovely comments you have here Friend. You sure have a great following…and it’s easy to see why. Thanks much for sharing this with us at Weekend Potluck. Enjoy a great weekend.

    1. Thank you for hosting my friend! I promise if I get a working VISA for America this year, I’m bringing you a huge batch!

  5. This looks great! Oats are definitely the grain that I miss the most since going grain-free. I didn’t eat them a lot before, but I love their flavor. I’m sure I would love this granola.

    1. Thanks Linda! I’m working on a grain free like granola using coconut and almond flour- Hopefully after some tweaking, it will work out well! 🙂

  6. You have become a granola making machine my friend, and I love it. I’ll have to give this stovetop stuff a whirl one day. Until then, I shall continue to work on my savory concoction, in mass quantities of course. Homey don’t mess with just one. 🙂

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