High Protein Granola (Crunchy, Easy, Homemade!)

High Protein Granola recipe in glass jars with serving spoon.

High Protein Granola (Crunchy, Easy, Homemade!)

High Protein Granola is homemade, crunchy, and delicious! This Protein Granola recipe is easy to make and loaded with ingredients that pack far more protein than standard granola recipes!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings (¼-cup) servings (recipe yields approx 8 cups total)

Calories 208kcal

Author Samantha Skaggs

Equipment

Ingredients

4 cups protein oats
1 cup chopped raw walnuts
1 cup sliced almonds
½ cup unflavored protein powder
½ cup ground flaxseed
¼ cup hemp hearts
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup oil
¾ cup honey
1 cup roasted & salted pistachios

Instructions

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line a 13”x18”x1” rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper (or a silicone baking mat).
In a very large bowl, combine oats, walnuts, almonds, protein powder, flaxseed, hemp hearts, and salt; stir well until all of the protein powder is incorporated.
Pour oil over the mixture and stir thoroughly until all ingredients are completely coated. Repeat with the honey and stir until evenly coated.
Transfer granola onto prepared sheet pan and spread into an even layer. Bake, stirring and flipping with a wooden spoon every 10 minutes, until the granola is evenly brown, for about 30 minutes total. (During the final 10 minute of baking time, I like to stir after 5 minutes and then watch carefully for the final 5 minutes, stirring every couple minutes if necessary and taking care not let the granola burn.)
Remove granola from oven and stir frequently as it cools (scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking if you didn’t use parchment paper). Once cool, stir in the roasted pistachios and then store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Video

Notes

I often make this Protein Granola recipe with avocado oil or a neutral-flavored extra-virgin olive oil. Unrefined coconut oil, melted and cooled, is another great option because it results in an amazing glazed, chewy texture (I do not find the coconut flavor to be noticeable).
Measure the honey into the same measuring cup you use for the oil. The residue of the oil will help the honey slide out of the cup without sticking.
Pure maple syrup or agave nectar are possible substitutes for the honey.
The nutrition calculations for this recipe were made using 1 cup sliced almonds, 1 cup chopped walnuts, and 1 cup pistachios.
You may substitute your favorite nuts in this recipe, but keep in mind that some nuts have more protein than others so the total protein in this recipe will adjust accordingly.
If using 3 cups chopped raw nuts (and no pistachios), just stir them all into the granola mixture to be baked…no need to stir in any nuts after baking unless they’re already roasted.
The amount of protein in ½ cup protein powder will vary depending on brand. The protein powder I like to use has about 50 grams protein per ½ cup, so that’s the nutritional calculations that were used for this recipe.
If you opt to use a flavored/sweetened protein powder in this granola, you may want to decrease the honey to ½ cup.
For the salt, I recommend using fine sea salt.
The granola will probably need to bake for a total of about 30 minutes, but ovens vary so watch the granola carefully and check it early, particularly the first time you make it.
Stirring well every 10 minutes, and even more often towards the end, is very important for even baking.
If you cut this recipe in half, it will require less time to cook, and if you double it and cook two sheet pans at once (switching racks and rotating pans each time you stir), it will take longer.
The rimmed sheet pan size required for this recipe is technically known as a “half sheet pan,” with measurements of 13"x18"x1”.
Since this granola tends to stick to the pan if not stirred very frequently during the cooling process, I've found that using a silicone baking mat or some parchment paper on the bottom of your sheet pan alleviates this problem. You just need to stir carefully to make sure the granola doesn't wind up stuck under the parchment paper.
If you would like to add dried fruit to your granola, you may stir it in after the granola is completely cool. Dried cranberries, cherries, or raisins (regular or golden) are all good, or you could use chopped dried fruit, such as apricots.
You can also opt to incorporate other add-ins into your cooled granola, such as pepitas or even chocolate chips.

Nutrition