Oats and sugar, key granola ingredients, are not part of the keto diet, so we set out to make crave-worthy granola without them, replacing rolled oats with quinoa flakes, which mimicked their texture and chew. Unsweetened coconut, almonds or pecans, and sunflower seeds or pepitas provided crunch. Many recipes call for maple syrup to bind ingredients together, but egg whites and coconut oil made the perfect liquid “glue.”
Since almonds and coconut are high in fat, just ¼ cup of coconut oil ensured that our granola crisped nicely. We used a tried-and-true test kitchen method for super chunky granola. Instead of spreading the mixture onto a baking sheet, we pressed it into a rimmed sheet with a sturdy spatula, baking it gently at 300 degrees without stirring. This produced “bark” we could break into beautiful chunks. Cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and freeze dried mango made a satisfying warm spice variation. In another, we added unsweetened cocoa powder.
After the granola cooled, we mixed in sugar-free dark chocolate chips. Erythritol is our preferred low-carb sweetener here; however, you can substitute your favorite low-carb sweetener. Be aware that not all low-carb sweeteners can be substituted 1:1 for erythritol. See this page for more information on low-carb sweeteners and substitutions. Chopping the nuts by hand is our first choice for superior texture and crunch.
Directions:
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk egg whites, erythritol, vanilla, and salt together in large bowl, then whisk in oil. Fold in almonds, coconut, quinoa flakes, and sunflower seeds until thoroughly coated. Transfer mixture to prepared sheet and spread into even layer. Using stiff metal spatula, press on almond mixture until very compact. Bake until deep golden brown, about 45 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.
- Let granola cool on wire rack for 1 hour, then break into pieces of
desired size. Serve.
Easy Grain Free Granola
Ingredients
- 2 large egg whites
- 2 tablespoons granulated erythritol
- 5 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ cup coconut oil melted and still warm
- 2 cups whole almonds chopped coarse
- 2 cups unsweetened flaked coconut
- 1 cup quinoa flakes
- 1 cup raw sunflower seeds
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk egg whites, erythritol, vanilla, and salt together in large bowl, then whisk in oil. Fold in almonds, coconut, quinoa flakes, and sunflower seeds until thoroughly coated. Transfer mixture to prepared sheet and spread into even layer. Using stiff metal spatula, press on almond mixture until very compact. Bake until deep golden brown, about 45 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.
- Let granola cool on wire rack for 1 hour, then break into pieces of desired size. Serve.