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Get It NowMy Keto Granola Cereal Has All The Crunchy, Nostalgic Vibes
When I first started a sugar-free lifestyle, I missed cereal so much. I grew up eating it on the daily while I did my homework after school or for breakfast on weekends. Even as an adult, grabbing a bowl for an effortless breakfast, snack, whatever occasion was still such a convenience I took for granted. That is, until I dipped my toes into keto for the first time. No more carby cereals! My keto granola was born in 2017, out of that yearning to recreate the experience again. Here’s why it’s everything I’d missed:
- Sweet, crunchy granola clusters – This might not be the same as those fake-colored, sugary cereals you had as a kid, but the one I used to love most had flakes mixed with granola clusters. My keto cereal has just the crunch, which is the best part anyway. You’ll feel like a kid again!
- Customizable – I let the nuttiness shine with just a hint of vanilla, but you can totally customize the flavor with my variations below.
- Keto friendly and gluten free – My low carb granola cereal has just 2g net carbs per serving, and it’s completely grain-free. I’ve also got a dairy-free option if you need it.
- Easy to make – This keto granola recipe takes less than 30 minutes. Oh, and it’s also kind of fun to break it up when it’s ready!
- Perfect meal prep breakfast – Make a big batch and you’ll be set for weeks. Enjoying a bowl for a keto breakfast is just as effortless as grabbing a box of pre-made stuff.
There are some commercial keto cereals that have popped up since then, but I still like to keep a stash of my own in my pantry. Make it with me!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my keto cereal recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Nuts & Seeds – Instead of traditional oats, I make the base of my keto granola with almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds (pepitas), and sunflower seeds. Here’s why I chose these and my notes on alternatives:
- The variety prevents any one type from being overpowering, compared to when I used fewer kinds. You can add or swap in other keto nuts, though, such as walnuts, macadamia nuts, or Brazil nuts.
- I usually use salted nuts and seeds. Feel free to use unsalted and add a bit of salt.
- You can also add flax seeds, chia seeds, or sesame seeds, but they don’t make a good replacement for the other nuts and seeds, since they are so tiny. I recommend them only as extras.
- Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – This is my go-to natural sweetener that tastes and dissolves like real sugar (I’m very particular about avoiding any aftertaste). I used to make this recipe using erythritol, but I like the flavor and texture much more with Besti. If you want to use another keto sugar substitute, check out my sweetener conversion chart for how much to use.
- Flaxseed Meal & Egg White – Both help bind the low carb cereal together. (I also use flax as a binder for cauliflower hash browns.) I recommend golden flax seed meal, which has a milder flavor, but the regular brown kind also works. Keto granola doesn’t need a lot of binding power, so it’s totally fine to use other egg substitutes, or an extra flax egg.
- Unsalted Butter – For flavor and it also helps with browning. I wouldn’t recommend salted unless your nuts are unsalted. If you need a dairy free option, you can use coconut oil, butter-flavored coconut oil (my fave for a similar flavor), or ghee (not dairy-free but might work for your needs).
- Vanilla Extract – I like this one.
Reader Review
“Best recipe I have ever had for homemade granola! I can’t believe it only has 2 net carbs per 1/4 cup. My husband loves it too.” –Marsha
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How To Make Keto Granola
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Process the hard nuts. Pulse the almonds and hazelnuts in a food processor intermittently, until most of the nuts are in chopped into large pieces.
- Process the soft nuts. Add the pecans and pulse again, stopping when they are in large pieces.
- Add the pumpkin and sunflower seeds, Besti, and flaxseed meal. Pulse just until all the dry ingredients are mixed well.
- Add the wet ingredients. Add the egg white to the food processor. Whisk together the melted butter and vanilla extract in a small bowl, and evenly pour that in, too. Pulse a couple times, stir a little from the bottom toward the top with a spatula, and then pulse a couple times again. Repeat as needed until everything is coated evenly.
- Bake. Transfer the nut mixture to a large baking sheet, or two small ones, lined with parchment paper. Press into a thin, uniform thin rectangle. Bake the sheet of keto granola until it’s firm, dry, and lightly browned.
- Cool and break apart. Let the mixture cool completely before breaking apart into pieces. Enjoy your keto cereal!
My Tips For The Best Texture
- Process the hard nuts first. Pecans, walnuts, and macadamias are softer than almonds and hazelnuts. I process the harder nuts first and then add the softer ones. When I did them all at once, the soft nuts turned into flour before the hard nuts were broken up into pieces.
- Don’t overprocess. You want to have plenty of nut pieces remaining, and most of the seeds should be intact. Keto granola tastes best when there are some pieces in it, otherwise you’ve just got a weird cookie situation!
- You can also use a large bowl for mixing in the wet ingredients. This is a bit easier than using the food processor for that step, but I often mix in the processor anyway to avoid washing another bowl. 😉
- Don’t have a food processor? I’ve had this one for almost 10 years and highly recommend it. It’s still going strong, and large enough to hold a double batch of this keto cereal. You can try chopping the nuts and seeds using a knife, or possibly use a powerful blender, but the texture of the granola turns out a bit different.
- Spread the mixture in a thin, even layer. My ideal thickness is 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick. If you make the layer thicker, it won’t crisp up, and if the thickness is uneven, you’ll end up with burned spots.
- This baking sheet I use is the perfect size to get the right thickness. Even though I do recommend parchment paper here, the silicone non-stick surface is so good that I can often skip lining it for many other keto recipes.
- Cool completely to get crispy. Your low carb granola will be soft when you remove it from the oven — this is normal! It will crisp up as it cools. It’s easier to crumble afterward.
Keto Granola Cereal (Low Carb & Easy)
By
Whip up my fast, easy, keto granola recipe with nuts & seeds in 30 minutes! This keto cereal is crunchy, grain free, and just 2g net carbs.
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (163 degrees C). Line a large baking sheet (I used this size), or two small ones, with parchment paper.
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Pulse the almonds and hazelnuts in a food processor intermittently, until most of the nuts are in chopped into large pieces (about 1/4 to 1/2 of the full size of the nuts).
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Add the pecans. Pulse again, stopping when the pecans are in large pieces. (Pecans are added later since they are softer.)
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Add the pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, Besti, and golden flax seed meal. Pulse just until everything is mixed well. Don't over-process! You want to have plenty of nut pieces remaining, and most of the seeds should be intact.
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Add the egg white to the food processor. Whisk together the melted butter and vanilla extract in a small bowl, and evenly pour that in, too.
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Pulse a couple times, mix a little from the bottom toward the top with a spatula, then pulse a couple times again. Repeat as needed until everything is coated evenly. Again, avoid over-processing. At the end of this step, you'll have a combination of coarse meal and nut pieces, and everything should be a little damp from the egg white and butter. (Alternatively, you can do this step in a large bowl instead to avoid over-processing.)
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Transfer the nut mixture to the prepared baking sheet in a uniform layer, pressing together into a thin rectangle (about 1/4 to 1/3 in (.6-.8 cm) thick). Bake for 15-18 minutes, until lightly browned, especially at the edges.
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Cool completely before breaking apart into pieces. (The granola will be soft when you remove it from the oven, but will crisp up as it cools.)
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/4 cup
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you make this recipe more easily and get the best crunchy texture.
- Variations: See my variations here to make berry, chocolate, peanut butter, cinnamon, or even pumpkin spice flavors.
- Note on salt: The nuts and seeds I used were salted. If yours are not, you may want to add a little sea salt to the mixture in step 4, or use salted butter.
- Storage: My keto granola recipe makes a big batch! I keep it in glass jars, but any airtight container in the pantry is fine. It will last at least 3-4 weeks, maybe even longer — I’ve never had it last longer to find out!
- Freeze: If needed, it will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Cheat Sheet System!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Keto Granola Cereal
Flavor Variations
I love this classic vanilla flavor the most, but I’ve also had fun transforming this keto cereal into different flavors. Try these variations:
- Berry – Mix in dried berries, like my sugar-free dried cranberries, blueberries, or strawberries, to add a burst of fruity flavor. I always do this by hand, so they don’t turn to mush in the food processor.
- Chocolate – My recipe for chocolate keto granola is in my Easy Keto Carboholics’ Cookbook! You can also mix in 1/2 cup of sugar-free chocolate chips into my version here after cooling.
- Peanut Butter – Melt 1/4 cup of sugar-free peanut butter (I like this brand because it’s thick like the regular kind, not runny) together with the regular butter. Then you can proceed with my keto cereal recipe as usual.
- Cinnamon – Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice is amazing for fall) at the same time that you add Besti. Feel free to adjust the amount to your taste.
Ways I Use It
I have to be honest, sometimes my husband and I enjoy this low carb granola right out of the jar! But there are also so many other ways to eat it:
- Milk – The obvious choice! Regular dairy milk is not keto, but you can make a bowl of keto cereal with almond milk, coconut milk, hemp milk, or watered down heavy cream. My personal go-to is almond milk with 1-2 tablespoons of half & half, pictured towards the top of this post. Keep in mind that half & half is not strictly keto, so you can use heavy cream if it doesn’t fit your macros.
- Yogurt – I love to top my keto yogurt (or sometimes just whole milk Greek yogurt) with crumbled keto granola, almost always with fresh berries. This also works well with my chia seed pudding.
- Smoothies – Add a sprinkle on top of your low carb smoothie, or even a keto protein shake.
- Muffins – Mix low carb granola into your muffin batter, or just use it as a crunchy topping. Try it with my keto blueberry muffins!
- Ice Cream – Crumble it over your keto ice cream for a crunchy contrast.
- Pancakes & Waffles – Top your keto pancakes or keto waffles with your favorite low carb fruit, a dollop of my sugar-free whipped cream, and a sprinkle of this granola. It also works over a simpler pancake topping of butter and my keto maple syrup.
- Oatmeal – Oats are not keto, but I make my own keto oatmeal or keto overnight oats with alternatives. This granola is surprisingly delicious on top!
More Keto Breakfast Recipes
Tired of eggs and bacon for breakfast? I got you! Try some of my other popular options for when you miss the carbs or sweetness:
651 Comments
Rebecca McCay
2Great recipe! Also, to change it up I will add extra egg white and baked in snack bar molds, freeze for 15 minutes, remove
from mold and coat one side of the bars with melted Lilly’s chocolate. The chocolate helps keep the bars together once it hardens.
MicheleRF
0Do you recommend/use raw or roasted nuts?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Michele, I usually recommend raw but have used roasted.
Laura
0Into bars with chocolate- that sounds fantastic!
Carrie J Skogfeldt
0Hi, I’m wondering what you recommend I use if I don’t have a food processor?
Cecily
0I’m trying to avoid using plastic but you could put your nuts in a Ziploc bag and with a mallet pound them. I use that method for making finally ground almonds to sprinkle on top of a candy I make. The few processor makes it too fine so I prefer to do it this way.
Wholesome Yum A
0Thanks for sharing that tip, Cecily! That’s a great way to control the texture, and I love that it works well for you.
Dora Ruilova
0I’ve made this without the food processor and it is chunkier, unless you want to take the time to coarsely chop the nuts. It’s still very good.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Carrie, I’ve added notes about this to the post above. A knife or powerful blender can work, but the texture turns out a bit different.
Debbie
0I love this recipe. So satisfying. But if 1/4 cup is 7g that seems like a lot of carbs for a cup of cereal…am I reading it wrong?
Jean
0Hi, I love this cereal but I get 12 1/2 cup servings from my batch – is 1/4 cup a misprint?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jean, My batch pretty much always makes 3 cups, so the recipe makes 12 servings at 1/4 cup each. It’s possible yours fills measuring cups differently depending on how finely you crumble it. I’m not sure how you could get 6 cups total (unless you double it), since the actual ingredients only add up to about 4 cups and they compress as you grind the nuts. Either way, the nutrition info is for 1/12 of the entire recipe as written. Hope this helps!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Debbie, The serving size is 1/4 cup, and it has 2 net carbs.
Michelle
0So, I could use my ninja as I don’t have a food processor either?
Deena
0Is there a substitute for the egg white?
Wholesome Yum D
1Hi Deena, The granola will not turn out as good if you to not use the egg white, but you could use Wholesome Yum maple syrup or Wholesome Yum keto honey.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Michelle, Yes, You could use a Ninja.
Maggi
0Do you use all unsalted nuts? If so, do you add a little salt to the granola before baking?
Sandy
2A small pinch of sea salt is recommended if you use unsalted nuts….add at step 4.
Aretha
0Fantastic granola! I also added coconut shavings and erythritol really helps with the stuffy belly when your used to normal granola.
Dale Crawford
0Wow… very easy to make.
Good taste, though I would have liked it a little sweeter. But, I guess that is why it is so low in net carbs.
Didn’t have golden flax seed meal, so I used regular… made the granola darker in colour.
Banandee
1This turned out great! I didn’t have pecans so I used chopped Walnuts. I didn’t use sesame seeds. I used almond slices (walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, golden flax, egg white, vanilla extract, butter) and skipped the food processor. I just mixed by hand. I used 4 Tbsp brown sugar Allulose. I usually think granola is too sweet. I probably could have done 3Tbsp. I waS just eating it plain. Mostly made it to have one my yogurt. This is a very nice recipe. Thank you
Clarissa
1This is the best keto granola I fixed! I’m about to fix another batch!
Susan N
1Thank you! Easier than I thought. I made substitutions, walnuts for hazelnuts, hemp for flax. A different brand of monk fruit, and used half. Next time would use less, and less butter. No food processor, so chopped by hand. About 30 minutes prep, made over a quart, total cost less than $11.00 with bulk, organic nuts. Commercial keto granola is about $10 for 6-8 ounces!
Donna
1This is a great recipe as it is so versatile. I ended up with about 7 cups of granola. I may have lost track of my nut and seed measurements as I was making this. I had to use a variety of ingredients as I didn’t have the exact amounts as written. It is not too sweet. Just a hint, the way I like it. I used chia seeds instead of flax as that is what I had on hand. So glad to still have a granola on my diet!
Anthea
1I have been making this recipe for several years now and love it. Many of my family members have also enjoyed it so much they’ve made it for themselves. It has flexibility as it can be made vegan (coconut oil instead of butter and aqua faba instead of egg white) and still tastes good. I never add quite as much sugar substitute as the recipe calls for and still find it sweet enough.
Lori Collins
1Oh my! I am so glad I found your site! I am prediabetic so have gone low-carb to lose weight and get blood sugar in check. I am loving the keto lifestyle, but I have only been eating eggs, meat, cheese, nuts, and veggies for the past two months and have been getting really tired of the same thing. I just made this granola and it is fabulous. Just what I need to help me have something a bit sweet. Can’t wait to have it with yogurt or almond milk!
Alexandra
1So incredibly delicious! I love that this is a perfect base to experiment with. I split the recipe in two and added cinnamon and nutmeg to one batch… WOW! If I would have known it was this easy to make my own granola I never would have purchased store bought! For anyone wondering I did some rough calculations on what I spent on ingredients and the price, it cost me per ounce to make this granola vs what my local supermarket charges for their keto granola… This granola cost .40 cents per oz versus $1.14 for the store bought!
Miriam
1I am definitely looking forward to making this. My family has an allergy to pecans and walnuts, but almonds do just fine. Can I sub more almonds into this rather than use the pecans?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
1Absolutely, Miriam! I hope you like it!
Kristina Ackerman
0OMG this is FAB! Used almonds and pistachios due to allergy to certain tree nuts and it was soooo good. Perfect with vanilla yogurt and cinnamon apples. Definitely going to be a staple!
Wholesome Yum D
0Vanilla yogurt and cinnamon apples sound so good with this, Kristina! I’m happy the almonds and pistachios worked well for you, too. Love that it’s already a staple in your house!
Elina Bakamjian
0Super delicious granola! I add some shredded coconut and hemp seeds and use coconut oil instead of butter and toss in some dried blueberries in the end.
Wholesome Yum D
0Your additions sound delicious, Elina! I love the coconut, hemp seeds, and dried blueberries together, and it’s great to know coconut oil works well here too. Thanks for sharing your version!
Kay
0I have made this recipe a few times now. Love the flavour, love the crunch. Fantastic recipe
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so happy you love it, Kay! Thank you.
Susanne
0This is the best keto granola I have ever made! I actually had to put half in the freezer so I didn’t eat it all in one sitting! I bought the nut pieces from Trader Joes so I didn’t really have to use the food processor to chop the nuts. Next time I think I will add unsweetened coconut and cinnamon.
Wholesome Yum D
0I love hearing how much you enjoyed it, Susanne! Buying the nut pieces is such a great shortcut, and coconut with cinnamon sounds delicious for your next batch.
Ginger Dye-Schroeder
0Perfection. I’m so happy for a gf and keto granola. Turned out great. Thank you!
Wholesome Yum D
0I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Ginger! It makes me so happy to hear the granola turned out great and that you have a gluten-free and keto option you love.
A. Zilm
0I love this recipe! I’ve been making it for awhile now. I added a few things to it; shredded coconut, just a dab of honey, dried blueberries and dried cherries. I don’t eat this as cereal, I eat it as a snack. I probably don’t spread it out as thin as I should; it doesn’t get crunchy, but I like it soft. I am totally addicted to this stuff!!
Wholesome Yum D
0I love hearing that you’ve been making it for so long! Your additions sound delicious, I’m so glad it’s become such a favorite!
mlfunderburk
0I make this recipe weekly to keep a quick and healthy breakfast on hand. So relieved to find an easy and delicious keto option to satisfy the cereal craving!
Wholesome Yum D
0I love that this has become part of your weekly routine! Having a quick breakfast ready to go makes busy mornings so much easier, and I’m so glad it satisfies that cereal craving, too.
Lori
0Is there any way to use anything else besides flax meal to make the granola like clusters? I’m not a fan of flax meal. I did make it, but I don’t like flax meal. Would almond flour work? Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lori, You can add an extra egg white instead of the flax meal. I don’t recommend almond flour for this, as it’s not really a binder in the same way.
catfun3280
0So easty to make. I add sugarless coconut and chocolate chips. Love it on my berries/ and cottage cheese.
Wholesome Yum D
0That sounds delicious! And serving it over berries and cottage cheese sounds like the perfect combo! 🙂
Kay
0I added a 1/2 tsp salt. If I want to use sea salt, would it be less? I couldn’t wait for it to finish cooling. I tore a corner off and let it cool. It tastes better than I thought it would. I can’t wait to try it with yogurt and with milk. A great recipe. I’m having a hard time not eating the whole batch. Thank You
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kay, I used salted nuts so do not add salt, but you can add to your taste if you prefer. I’m glad you liked it!
Kay
0Hi, I’m about to make this. I’m using salted butter and all raw nuts, so how much salt should I use? Thanks
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kay, Everyone’s preferences are different but I would add about 1/2 teaspoon. Let me know how it goes!
Kay
0It’s cooling right now. I added a 1/2 tsp salt. If I want to use sea salt, would it be less? I couldn’t wait for it to finish cooling. I tore a corner off and let it cool. It tastes better than I thought it would. I can’t wait to try it with yogurt and with milk. A great recipe. Thank You
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I use sea salt in all my recipes already. Glad you like it so far!