Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It NowMissing cereal on your keto diet? Not anymore, with this keto granola recipe! You’ve probably noticed there aren’t a lot of clean-ingredient keto cereal options out there. So when I made sugar-free candied pecans a few years ago, it occurred to me that crushed nuts tossed in the same coating would make a low carb granola — and it worked. This keto nut granola is grain free, super low carb, and will satisfy your crunchy cravings!
Why You’ll Love This Keto Granola Cereal Recipe
- Crunchy texture
- Nutty, lightly sweet flavor with a hint of vanilla
- Easy to make in less than 30 minutes
- Just 2g net carbs per serving (almost no carb granola)
- Low carb, gluten-free, and grain-free keto cereal
- Quick and easy grab-and-go keto breakfast or snack
- Versatile — easy to customize and use in so many ways!
Cold cereal was a foreign concept when I moved to the U.S. as a little girl. Eastern Europeans eat hot cereal, but the American version with crunchy cold cereal and milk was totally unfamiliar. Once I tried it, though, it quickly became a favorite throughout my childhood — and the granola clusters were the best part. (This was back when I didn’t worry about finding cereals without sugar or whether there were carbs in granola.) So as an adult, creating a keto granola recipe brought back those nostalgic memories!
Although this is a low carb cereal, it’s just as sweet as regular granola, thanks to Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend. Unlike other sweeteners, this one tastes and dissolves just like regular sugar, but has zero net carbs. It’s the perfect replacement for your low carb granola! I used to make this recipe using erythritol, but I like the flavor and texture much more with Besti.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for keto granola, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Nuts & Seeds – The base of this grain free granola is made with almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds (pepitas), and sunflower seeds, instead of traditional oats or other grains. You can really use any combination of keto nuts here. Feel free to use walnuts, macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, or any combination you have on hand. My nuts and seeds were salted, but unsalted are also fine. 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 here, since they are so tiny. If you can’t use nuts at all, try this nut-free cereal instead.
- Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – This sweetener is going to give the best results, but other keto sugar substitutes will also work. I’ve made a simple sweetener conversion chart for reference if you need it.
- Flax Seed Meal – Helps bind the keto friendly granola together. (I also use this as a binder for cauliflower hash browns.) I recommend golden flax seed meal, which has a milder flavor, but the regular kind also works.
- Egg White – Acts as a binder as well. I have not tried any egg substitutes, but aquafaba or a flax egg would probably work in this keto granola recipe.
- Unsalted Butter – Melted butter adds flavor and helps with browning. If you need a dairy free option, you can use coconut oil, butter-flavored coconut oil to get a similar flavor, or ghee if that works for your restrictions.
- Vanilla Extract – Use high quality vanilla for the best flavor in your keto cereal.
How To Make Keto Granola
This section shows how to make low carb granola cereal, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- 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 flax seed 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 melted butter and vanilla extract in a small bowl, and evenly pour that in, too. 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.
- Bake. Transfer the nut mixture to a large baking tray, or two small ones, lined with parchment paper. Press into a thin, uniform thin rectangle. Bake the keto cereal until lightly browned.
- Cool. Let keto granola cool completely before breaking apart into pieces.
Tips For The Best Keto Cereal
- Process hard nuts first. Pecans, walnuts, and macadamias are softer than almonds and hazelnuts. It’s best to process harder nuts first and then add the softer ones, otherwise your soft nuts will turn into flour before the hard nuts are broken up.
- Don’t over process. You want to have plenty of nut pieces remaining, and most of the seeds should be intact. Keto nut granola tastes best when there are some pieces in it!
- You can use a large mixing bowl for mixing in the wet ingredients. Sometimes this is easier than using the food processor for that step, but I often use the processor anyway to avoid washing another bowl. 😉
- Spread in a thin, even layer. The 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.
- Cool completely to get crispy. The keto granola will be soft when you remove it from the oven, but will crisp up as it cools.
Flavor Variations
This easy keto granola recipe makes a classic flavor with a hint of vanilla, but you can easily customize it! Try these variations:
- Chocolate – Get the recipe for chocolate keto granola with cocoa powder in my Easy Keto Carboholics’ Cookbook! You could also mix in ½ cup of sugar-free chocolate chips into the regular version below after cooling.
- Berry – Mix in dried berries, like sugar-free dried cranberries, blueberries, or strawberries to add a burst of fruity flavor to your grain-free granola.
- Peanut Butter – Melt 1/4 cup of peanut butter together with the regular butter in this low carb granola recipe.
- Pumpkin Spice – Add 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, or more to taste, at the same time that you add Besti.
- Cinnamon – Add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon into the mixture, at the same time that you add Besti.
Storage Instructions
- Store: This keto granola recipe makes a big batch! The best way to store it is in airtight containers in the pantry or cupboard (out of sunlight). I like to use glass jars for mine. It will last at least 3-4 weeks, maybe even longer — I’ve never had it last longer to find out!
- Freeze: If you want it to last for longer, transfer the keto cereal to an airtight freezer-safe container or bag, and store it in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Ways To Use Keto Granola
I have to be honest, sometimes I enjoy this low carb granola right out of the jar! But there are also so many other ways to eat it:
- Milk – 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 heavy cream added.
- Yogurt – Sprinkle keto granola over keto yogurt, with or without fresh berries. This also works well with chia seed pudding.
- Smoothies – Add a sprinkle of keto nut granola on top of your low carb smoothie, or use it in a triple berry crisp smoothie parfait.
- Muffins – Incorporate grain free granola into your muffin batter or use it as a crunchy topping. Try it with keto blueberry muffins!
- Ice Cream – Sprinkle it on on your keto ice cream for a crunchy contrast.
- Pancakes & Waffles – Top your keto pancakes or keto waffles with low carb fruit, a dollop of sugar-free whipped cream, and a sprinkle of keto granola. It also works over a simpler pancake topping of butter and keto maple syrup.
- Oatmeal – Oats are not keto, but this keto nut granola is surprisingly delicious on keto oatmeal or keto overnight oats.
More Keto Breakfast Recipes
Are you looking to spice up your low carb breakfast routine? I got you! Try these popular keto breakfast recipes:
Tools To Make Low Carb Granola
- Food Processor – I’ve had this one for years. It’s powerful, durable, and large enough to hold a double batch of low carb granola if you want to make more.
- Baking Sheet – This pan is the perfect size for this keto granola recipe. 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.
Keto Granola Cereal (Low Carb & Easy!)
You'll love this fast, easy low carb keto granola recipe with nuts & seeds! It's crunchy, grain free, sugar free, and just 2g net carbs.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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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 Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers (this also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site), or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/4 cup
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.
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
525 Comments
Kim
0Great recipe! I made it and added cinnamon and nutmeg. Can’t wait for tomorrow mornings’ breakfast
Ava
0This recipe is fantastic and I make a new batch most weekends. It easily lasts the week for two people. It’s great as written but also very easy to adjust to suit your tastes. In my most recent batch I replaced the egg for a vegan egg and added shredded coconut and hemp hearts. With the added coconut I omit most of the erythritol as it’s sweet enough for me.
Hands down my favourite granola recipe!
Jen
0This was super easy to make and so yummy! I had to pre-portion right away so I wouldn’t eat it all in one go. I added a little cinnamon to it and it tasted like Christmas 🙂
Betsy
0Has a really yummy hazelnut taste that hits the spot if you have a craving for Ferrero Rocher chocolates!
Beverly Beyer
0This turned out just as I had hoped! Thank you for sharing this delicious treat! I needed a bit of crunch to shake up my keto breakfast slump! Yummy!!!
Marcia
0Thank you so much for this recipe, absolutely delicious!! So nice to have this for breakfast instead of EGGS
Annabelle
0This granola recipe is a game changer, absolutely amazing. It’s so easy to make and comes together so quickly. I love it for a quick breakfast or snack and will definitely be making again and again. I highly recommend!
Leah
0Love this recipe!!
Fairlight
0Any ideas on what to replace the egg white with? I have an egg allergy, but also have to stay low carb and sugar free for some health stuff I’m working through. I saw one person used aquafaba instead, but I’m not doing legumes (not sure if the liquid would count or not). Any other ideas? I know it is important as the binder. So excited to add granola back into my life after making regular granola for my family yesterday.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Fairlight, I have not personally tried it, but you could experiment with a flax egg to see if you can achieve the same binding texture for your granola.
Tej
0Try aquafaba (the liquid from chickpea tins) it will be a direct substitute for the egg white.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Tej, Aquafaba is not keto, but if you are low carb it may work into your diet.
Ava
0I have used egg replacement and milled chia seeds successfully as replacements for the egg in this recipe. I use a standard 1-1 replacement.
Marcia
0Thank you so much for this recipe, truly delicious. So happy to have a new breakfast idea. Simple to make
Gaby
0Already on my second batch, the only issue I have is that it makes a lot of smoke while in the oven…and no, I did not burn it
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Gaby, Does this only happen with this recipe? Usually, an oven smokes when food particles fall to the bottom and burn up or if it’s recently been cleaned with chemicals and they can cause smoke.
Karen
0This recipe is amazing! My entire family is gobbling this up. I broke it up in big pieces (that remind me of peanut brittle size) and my kids are eating it like cookies. I love it granola-size with almond milk. I feel like this is going to be a staple for us! Love your recipes so much!
Annabelle Suratos
0I’m on my second batch. This granola is an absolute game changer!
Doreen
0Totally delicious! Love it. Gave as a gift as well. Thanks!
Jo
0Haven’t had granola in a long time. I made this to eat with the keto ratio yogurt. One container of yogurt with a handful of granola. First time I had it, it was hard to stop eating. Originally thought I would like it a little sweeter but with the yogurt, it’s perfect. Thank you thank you.
Jami Marie Lynn
0This was amazing – I had to leave the kitchen to stop just eating it warm off the pan. 🙂
I didn’t have hazelnuts, so subbed 1.5 C each almonds and pecans, used Lakanto Golden Monkfruit for the sweetener, and after it cooled, added 1 C toasted coconut. Awesome. Thank you!
Sarahlynn
0What is the meaning of the asterisk after almonds?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sarahlynn, The asterisk is in the notes section. It says that I used salted nuts to make this recipe. If you used unsalted, then you will want to add a pinch of salt in step 4.
Cheryl
0Do the nuts have to be chopped up in a food processor? All I have is a Ninja blender
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Cheryl, No, you can chop them by hand or with whatever tool will give you a rough chop.
Benni
0You can also put the nuts in a kitchen towel & roll a rolling pin over the top. Roll once or more, according to how big you want the pieces :))
David Diskin
0Just made today and will try for breakfast tomorrow. Looking forward to it! One question- I’m curious why only egg white is used and not the yolk? Thanks for your site and the great recipes!!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi David, The egg white adds a crunch to the granola and helps to bind the ingredients together. Using egg yolks would help with the binding properties, but would not create the desired crunchy texture for granola. I hope this helps.
Erin
0Thank you so much for this recipe! It is delicious, and so adaptable. We don’t care for almonds, so I substituted fresh coconut instead, a tablespoon of honey for the sweetener. It was perfect. The binder of egg white and flaxseed meal is the key. Thanks again.
Anna Rees
0I just made this granola today by hand as I don’t have a food processor and it turned out absolutely perfect.
And a great side effect – my kitchen smells wonderful now!! My husband loves the granola and so do I. Thank you so much.
John
0Hello
Can you use whole egg or just egg white?
I love all of your recipes.
Thank you
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi John, Just the egg white for this recipe. Enjoy!
G Henry
0This recipe is so good and versatile. I have it a grab and go snack or a topping for dessert. Today I crumbled it on melted Lily’s dark chocolate chips and created a chocolate granola bar. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Rebecca Hutchins
0I’m getting ready to make my second batch of this awesome granola!!! I love having cereal again for breakfast and this makes the Best cereal granola! I did tweek it just a little bit with 1 1/2 Tablespoons of ChocZero chocolate syrup added in at the end so it had just a touch of chocolate flavor, but other than that I followed Maya’s instructions. I have no words to fully describe just how good this is….you will have to make it yourself to fully understand just how yummy it is!!!!!
John Corfield
0Game changer!
Aurines Salas
0This recipe is awesome!! After trying many commercial low carb granolas, decided to make this one. I have never bought granola again! Top rating
Carmen Swinson
0I made this and it was easy and yummy to me. For the carb obsessed (my husband:), not sweet enough but it gave me just the right amount of sweetness, crunch, snack feel I was looking for. With Halloween and all the holidays after – clients keep dropping off yummy treats I can’t eat if I want to stick with my new keto lifestyle. I’m so glad I have this easy recipe as a snack staple I can always have around. I used almond flour instead of flax seed meal and it came out great. I added some toasted unsweetened coconut to the top as well before baking. I’m thinking mixing some a Lilly’s dark chocolate chips will make it feel more decadent while everyone else is eating candy bars at work:) Thank you – I love your website
Colleen McGrath
0You are unbelievable….the crunch and the flavours….you have nailed it again!
Thank you for sharing your increible talent with us, it
Sue
0Wow, what a great recipe–thank you! I added 2 tbs of maple extract and used Swerve confectioner’s and it is just DELICIOUS! I am so happy to have granola with my Oikos Zero yogurt! Can’t wait to try adding unsweetened coconut flakes to the next batch!
I do have to ask: my granola never really crisped up after cooling–even the edges. Can I break it up and rebake for a few minutes? Or is that a bad idea?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sue, Yes, that’s fine. If you like you can use it under the broiler for a minute or two. It will brown and crisp your granola.
smalucch66@gmail.com
0I was a little leery of making this because it’s pretty expensive if it doesn’t turn out LOL to my surprise it was amazing I added a few substitutions and a few extra things. I love granola in my yogurt such an awesome recipe
rosie
0This is fabulous (as are every other one of your recipes I have made).
1. I don’t care for hazel nuts so I replaced the with walnuts.
2. I have an egg allergy so I used aquafaba instead of egg white.
3. I didn’t realize the pumpkin seeds needed to be shelled and used them as is right out of the bag. They are tough and fibrous but this is so yummy I will just pick them out as I eat it and chalk it up as a lesson learned and will know better next time.
Lisa
0I really appreciate your recipes and notes.
My cabinet is filling with odds and ends of ingredients I use infrequently.
For this recipe, what would be good alternatives to golden flax seed meal?
I have: chia seeds; hemp seeds; xantham gum; psyllium.
Would any of these be suitable?
Which would provide the best results?
Thank you for your time and expertise!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lisa, I would do 1/4 chia seeds and 1/4 hemp seeds.
Rae Ann Woodrow
0I made this keto granola yesterday exactly as instructed per recipe. It is AMAZING! The texture, the crunch, the sweetness, the flavor are all perfect. I’ve tried several keto granola recipes from Pinterest with mixed results. This one is TOP NOTCH! Thanks for a keeper!
Donna C
0Love this granola. Before keto I ate granola and yogurt for breakfast. Now I have a better version. Couldn’t find hazelnuts so substituted walnuts and I added cinnamon. Yum!
Karen Allen
0Question: Can I sub Besti Monkfruit Allulose blend on a 1:1 with the erythritol? Really want to make this, but do not have the erythritol.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Karen, Yes it will work, but the final texture may not be as crunchy. Reduce the amount of sweetener to 1/4 cup, as the Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend is sweeter than pure erythritol. Enjoy!
Evelyn
0Can I use splenda instead?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Evelyn, I don’t recommend using artificial sweeteners, but if that’s what you have on hand, then the recipe should still work fine.
Michelle
0Hello Maya! Thank you for this great recipe! It’s easy and really delicious – I made two batches this morning, and boy did the house smell good. Only problem I have is keeping the quantity low enough! Mmmmm. This will make a very nice gift during the holidays. I’ve also tried some of your recommended products. All are high quality!!
Debbie Miller
0Just a question, I plan on making, but wondered if monk fruit can be substituted, and if so, how many drops should I add to this recipe? thank you! Looking forward to making this!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Debbie, A concentrated liquid sweetener will probably work fine in this recipe. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you how much to use, as brands can vary in flavor and intensity. I recommend you check with the manufacturer’s website to see how much you will need to equate the 6 tbsp of erythritol.
Catie
0So successful! I’ve been missing granola and yogurt since going low carb 4 months ago. Thank you!
Frances
0I like this granola! Very yum with almond milk or coconut milk for breakfast. I added some cinnamon and coconut oil instead of butter.
Thank you for sharing!
Sandra
0This is now my go to granola recipe. It’s the best one I’ve ever tried. I love to eat it as a cereal. I wish I had found this sooner Thank you for sharing this one.
Julie Adams
0So good thank you for a granola recipe! I miss cereal on keto
Elizabeth
0This is so good!! I didn’t put anything in a food processor, my pecans and hazelnuts were already chopped, my almonds were sliced. I didn’t have pepita’s so I added some coconut. My yolk broke when I tried to separate from the white so I went all in, lol. I also added some cinnamon. Delicious!
Rayna
0This is really good. I added some cashews because I had them in the house, so why not. I also added cinnamon and a little sugarfree maple syrup. So delicious. I’ve made it several times.
Tauriel
0Thank you for sharing this recipe! It’s easy to make, healthy, and delicious! I used to make my own for my kids which is better than the grocery store but it still contained sugar, maple syrup, and vegetable oil. They love this recipe and it’s healthy! I added cinnamon and will add pumpkin spice in the fall. So good! Thank you!!
Simma
0I just made my 2nd batch of granola, and I used chopped nuts instead of the food processor. I found out the first time, I processed a little too much, so I opted for purchasing bags of dry roasted chopped pecans, hazelnuts and almonds. It was super easy to just dump into a bowl and mix everything in order. It baked up beautifully, and the final granola is absolutely scrumptious! I prefer the nut chunks, it’s an incredible recipe. Thank you!! I’m a cinnamon fan too, and after reading some other reviews, I may add that in the next batch. I hope my family thinks my keto snacks are only for me! If they find out how delicious this granola is, it may be gone before I know it!
Sue
0I noticed an asterisk next to the almonds in the ingredient list for the Keto/Paleo granola cereal. Could you tell me why that is there? I scrolled down the post looking for the corresponding note and couldn’t find it. It’s probably there, but I have vision issues, so I have everything on my screen magnified by 250%….yeah, it’s that bad, LOL.
I want to try this especially because my 22-year old daughter loves granola but also gravitates toward high carb/high sugar varieties. I’m sure she will try this. Thanks.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sue, It’s referenced in the notes section. The nuts I used in the recipe were salted. If you are not using salted nuts, then you may wish to add a pinch of salt in step 4. Enjoy!
Shlee
0I was also confused about the asterisk, you could out another in the notes for us newbies don’t wander around
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Shlee, The note for the asterisk is located below the recipe in the Notes section. It explains that the nuts I used in the recipe were salted, but if you use unsalted nuts, be sure to add a pinch to the recipe.
Saya
0Oh my goodness! This is absolutely divine!
I added the following nuts as that’s all I had in my cupboards; almonds, Brazil nuts, pecans, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds.
I love the crunch and the fact it doesn’t become soggy and of course the taste is just amazing! Would 110% recommend to make this.
Sharon
0Another winner! Adding the coconut and cinnamon, great idea! Don’t like hazelnuts so just added more almond and some walnuts. This is a keeper!
Hilary Stokes
0It would be good to have metric measurements for those of us not in the USA!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Hilary, You can toggle between metric and US cup measurements within the recipe card.
Hilary Stokes
0Love this recipe! I don’t use it because it is a KETO recipe, but because it is delicious. I add it as a topping to my oats, yoghurt and fruit every morning. I have also added dried cranberries to the granola, putting them in only for the last 10 minutes or they go too hard.
Jiff
0This was DELIGHTFUL!! Thank you for sharing! We didn’t have everything, so we just added what we had. We ended up with pecans, almonds, unsweetened coconut, monk fruit sweetener, egg white, butter, and a smidge if vanilla. It baked up beautifully in 15 minutes and it’s so good!
Diane
0So yummy! Served mine with unsweetened vanilla almond milk… delicious!
Sophie Lunnon
0I’ve made this granola three times now and it’s amazing! So delicious and perfect to have with almond milk or to sprinkle on top of some greek yoghurt. Normal granola would make my blood sugars spike dramatically, so it’s wonderful to have this low carb alternative.
Kristine
0How many grams saturated fat are in a serving?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kristine, I am not sure how much saturated fat is in the recipe. You can enter the recipe into an online recipe calculator to get the nutrition facts you need. Enjoy!
Britt
0Love this! I’ve been doing keto since 2016, and this is one of my fave recipes! So simple and delicious.
I added cashews, pistachios, coconut and cinnamon because I wanted to… but it doesn’t need it!