Easy Maple Cinnamon High Protein Granola Recipe
Tired of granolas that pretend to be healthy but are loaded with sugar and skimp on protein? Then this maple cinnamon high protein granola recipe is for you! With 12 grams protein per serving – more than double the protein of most homemade or conventional options (even keto) – no refined sugar, and using quality ingredients, it’s the kind of breakfast (or snack) you can actually feel good about.
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If you’ve been following me for any length of time – or read through my healthy eating and weight loss journey – you know that granola has been a breakfast staple for many years. I love the flavor, the variety of good-for-you ingredients that can be incorporated, and the convenience.
I have made some version of this 30 minute maple honey granola regularly for more than 10 years. And when it’s this quick to make a delicious, real food, lower sugar granola it’s a no-brainer to simply take a few minutes to make it every couple of weeks.
So why a new granola recipe? Brian and I are simply looking to get more protein at breakfast (studies have shown we need more protein as we age to counteract muscle loss) and while we love high-protein eggs and Mexican breakfast bowls, we usually have eggs every other day, with granola and yogurt (or milk for me) on the other days.
So I went on a quest to adapt that favorite maple honey granola recipe to include more protein and lower carbs while keeping the sugar low and the fat in check. And by quest I mean months of testing since apparently it’s not easy to increase protein and lower carbs without having the fat content go sky high!
We weren’t looking for keto or grain free (though it’s easy to do with this recipe!) and I still wanted the fiber of the original recipe so after much tweaking I finally have THE recipe to share – and we love it so much that Brian told me the other day:
“You should package this up and sell it – you’d make a mint!”
So I’m pretty confident that you will like this easy maple cinnamon protein granola as much as we do – it’s crunchy and delicious, naturally sweetened with maple syrup, and packing three times the protein from my original recipe and way less sugar than store bought. It’s everything we love about granola, made that much better!
Recipe Ingredients & Substitutions
Here are the basic ingredients with different options:
- Oatmeal: Basic whole rolled oats. You can also use quick oats, steel cut oats or another type of rolled grain like wheat or barley. TIP: You can also leave out the oats for a grain-free option, though your fiber will go down and the fat content will go up.
- Sliced almonds: Through many trials I’ve found that sliced almonds really helps to give the final product that “granola” mouth feel versus simply chopped almonds, so my recommendation is to use at least a cup of sliced almonds. Of course you don’t have to and this can be simple chopped almonds if you don’t have sliced.
- Other nuts: You’ll need another cup of nuts and my preference is either walnuts or pecans, first for the flavor and second for the omega-3 fats (especially walnuts). You can of course use any nut you’d like.
- Protein powder: I use a plain, clean whey powder (this whey protein isolate is my favorite and I also have liked this Naked Whey). Sadly most protein powder in the stores are full of terrible ingredients, so look closely at the labels. You can use any protein powder you prefer, including plant-based protein powders to keep this dairy free (the nutrition info will be different, however).
- Other seeds: Using a variety of seeds packs a nutritional punch by adding different fats, protein, and vitamins. I like to use sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, and flax seeds. TIP: Chia will add a lot of omega-3 fats, but it is broken down some by heating so we always add it as a topping to our bowls (see more about this in the serving section).
- Oil: I prefer high oleic sunflower oil or avocado oil. You can also use coconut oil or olive oil.
- Maple Syrup: Use only pure maple syrup for this recipe. You can substitute honey for a different flavor or even date syrup or other whole, real food sweetener. Yes, they are still sweeteners, but less refined, and we’re using the minimum needed for that granola flavor and bark-like crunch we love.
- Vanilla & cinnamon: Again use a pure vanilla and quality cinnamon. You can use less cinnamon or omit (but it’s a super healthy spice and this is a nice way to get it).
Jami’s Big Tip
Be sure to read the ingredient labels of foods labeled “healthy.” In researching this recipe I came across some store-bought granolas that are marketed as “no added sugar” in big letters with “sweetened with fruit” in much smaller letters (specifically, Cascadia brand). The “fruit” in this case was dates, and it was specifically date powder which is basically sugar. AND it’s the second ingredient, adding 7g of sugar per serving for this “no added sugar” product! Don’t fall for marketing, friends.
Let’s Make this High Protein Granola Recipe
You’ll need only 10 minutes of hands-on time and about 20 minutes of cooking to make this recipe!
Step 1: Prep a medium sized baking sheet (11×17) with a parchment or silicone liner. Then add the wet ingredients to a large bowl and mix well with a spoon.
Step 2: Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix until everything is incorporated evenly. It make take a few minutes to coat everything with the small amounts of oil and syrup we’re using – keep at it, it will all start to look coated after a minute or two.
Step 3: Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and pat evenly onto the pan with the back of a spoon.
Step 4: Bake for 24-26 minutes, turning halfway if needed, until golden brown. (TIP: The protein powder browns quicker, so keep an eye on it the last few mintues until you are used to how your oven bakes this.)
Step 5: Cool for one hour on a wire rack in the pan without disturbing. Then break up the granola and let the clumps cool completely before adding to a storage jar.
Storage
We keep this in a gallon sized glass jar in our pantry. Stored that way it will keep for up to a month without going stale.
Brian and I go through a batch in 2-3 weeks eating it 3-4 times a week.
How to Serve Granola
We like to serve this with a “topping bar” whether it’s just us or guests to increase the protein, fiber, and nutrition. The toppings include:
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds (which are best not heated) – more protein (2g), lots of omega-3 fatty acids (2g), fiber (4g), and antioxidants.
- 1 tablespoon hemp hearts – a complete protein (3g), omega-3 fatty acids (4g), vitamins and minerals
- 1 tablespoon Goji berries – antioxidants and vitamins that help eye health (I started adding these after an eye doctor recommendation years ago).
- Dried cranberries – while these do also give us antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber, we mainly add them for the tart-sweet flavor.
- Raw chopped walnuts – they are a good source of omega-3 fats (5g), some protein (1g), and antioxidants for heart and gut health.
Example Breakfasts Total Protein Count
A 1/3-cup protein granola with the above toppings served one of the following ways for breakfast will provide:
- With 3/4 cup fresh or frozen berries (raspberries add a lot of fiber) and whole milk (how I eat it) = 26g protein. (Also, 10 grams of fiber with the toppings and berries!)
- With 1 cup of homemade whole milk yogurt (how Brian eats it) = 28g protein (if he strained his yogurt to make Greek yogurt that would increase by 5-10g!).
While I still love my original granola recipe, I’m pretty happy with this recipe that tastes great and provides 8 grams more protein per serving!
I hope you give this protein granola a try – if you make it, be sure to leave a rating and review so I know how you liked it!
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Easy Maple Cinnamon High Protein Granola
Equipment
- 1 11"x17" baking sheet lined with parchment or silicone
- large bowl and mixing spoon
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup oil, high oleic sunflower, olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil
- 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 2 cups whole rolled oats*
- 1 cup sliced almonds or chopped
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- 1 cup plain protein powder, either animal or plant-based
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, either roasted or raw
- 1/4 cup flax seeds or ground flax
- 1/4 cup hemp seeds
- 1-2 tablespoons cinnamon to taste (I use 2 tablespoons)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt optional only if all nuts and seeds are unsalted
Instructions
- Heat oven to 325 degrees and line a medium (11×17") rimmed baking sheet with silicone or parchment paper.
- With a wooden spoon mix the oil, syrup, and vanilla together in a large bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir well until the oats are completely coated (it may take a minute to get everything evenly coated).
- Scrape the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and press it in an even layer over the pan using the back of the spoon or your hand wetted with water.
- Bake, rotating the pan halfway through if needed, for about 24-26 minutes – do not stir. It will be golden brown all over and more on the edges (TIP: check the last few minutes as the edges burn easier with addition of the protein powder.)
- Remove to a cooling rack for 1 hour before breaking the granola into chunks and letting cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container for up to a month at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
Your Questions Answered
Yes – substitute a cup of chopped almonds for the oats for a grain-free option (note that the fiber will go down and the fat content will go up for each portion.
You can, but it’s not a complete protein so it won’t be as good for you as a whey or pea-based protein would.
Most of the time they are raw nuts – the sliced almonds and walnuts especially. If I’m adding chopped almonds, sometimes they will be roasted. The sunflower seeds are always roasted and salted, but raw will work, too. It’s basically what you have on hand!
