Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It Now- Why You’ll Love This Keto Granola Cereal Recipe
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How To Make Keto Granola
- Tips For The Best Keto Cereal
- Flavor Variations
- Storage Instructions
- Ways To Use Keto Granola
- More Keto Breakfast Recipes
- Tools To Make Low Carb Granola
- Keto Granola Cereal (Low Carb & Easy!) Recipe card
- Recipe Reviews
Missing 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?
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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. 🙂
527 Comments
Craig L Kosal
0Great easy recipe, I subbed Walnuts for the Pecans and hazel nut, came out great .
Johanna
0Just what I’ve been looking for! I love granola but the carbs are so high. This granola recipe is perfect. It’s easy to make, it’s super tasty, and the recipe makes a nice big batch. I add a little cinnamon to mine as recommended in the post and it’s delicious. This is one that I will always have in my cupboard.
Jody
03rd time making this. For those WMart shoppers, I use 1 “can” of Great Value Roasted & Lightly Salted Mixed Nuts, 14.75 oz for the recipe for ease and reduced storage, along with the stated amounts of pepitas and sunflower seeds. It works perfect. Otherwise, I make according to recipe. I love it as a breakfast food with milk and adore it with faux-gurt.
Charoo
0I am a vegetarian. Would you have low carb healthy recipes for people like me who do not eat eggs, fish, etc. Many thanks
Susie Q
0Fabulous recipe, eat this every morning, thank you so much 🙌
Lisa
0I’m loving your recipe, thank you! I want to use my dehydrator as opposed to the oven… might you have info on cooking it the dehydrator way?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Lisa, I have not used a dehydrator for this recipe so I, unfortunately, have no suggestions.
Lori
0Hello, I was wondering with this granola recipe, I did not see when to add the Besti…? I am not sure if I missed it? Thank you.
Wholesome Yum D
1Hi Lori, You add the Besti in step 4.
Ann D.
0I love this granola! As I don’t like coconut, I’ve been looking for a recipe that doesn’t have that. I tried it with Almond Extract instead of Vanilla….Love it! I also change up the nuts, depending on what’s on sale, etc. Thanks!
Anthea
0I 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.
Barbara
0Fantastic and delicious granola.
Mary
0Lovely granola. I didn’t use sweetener. Instead I drizzled dark choc stripes on top and cut into squares. It’s just like a crispy, crunchy muesli bar. Thank you for recipe. Will definitely have this as a regular in the pantry.
Carol
0This stuff is addictive! It’s very easy to make, and uses ingredients I already had. I decided to add some low-carb chocolate chips to mine. Yummy!
Terry Proveau
0I have made this granola before from your recipe with the erythritol as sweetener and it was good. I’ve made it now with the Wholesome Yum Allulose and it didn’t really crisp up. It tastes good and I used two pans in the oven but maybe didn’t cook it long enough? It did brown up some. Any suggestions? I like the allulose for making ice cream a lot but I find some of the products a bit too soft and not crunchy or crispy, like this granola, and some chocolate chip cookies I made?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Terry, Yes, it could be it needed to cook a little longer, or spread out a little thinner. It does crisp up for me with Besti, but the time can vary a little compared to allulose. Also, with allulose it’s softer straight out of the oven but should still get crispy once it’s cool. For cookies though, it’s true that they are usually on the softer side.
Susan
0Sounds yummy! Love granola.
Cheryl
0Haven’t made yet. Can hemps seeds be used instead of flax seed meal?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Cheryl, You can add hemp seeds if you like, but they wouldn’t be a good substitute for the flax seed meal.
Kumarie
0Excellent recipe thank you so much.
Lori Collins
0Oh 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!
Sharon
0I love this! Not going to pay $16 for store bought ever again 🥰 It is really delicious with Greek yogurt and some raspberries. And must not nibble on it with coffee 🙈
Gayle
0This recipe is a keeper. I don’t use any sweetener at all, and we still love the taste and texture. Husband adds a granola to plain Greek yogurt; I put it in a small bowl with milk. Thanks!
Joy
0This was amazing! I’d been missing granola on keto and this was so satisfying and delicious! I used it on low carb yogurt with a few berries added on top. I couldn’t find hazelnuts so I substituted macadamia nuts ….and I added cinnamon to mine. It turned out great! This will be a staple in my house from now on! Thank you!
Donna
0Another great recipe, thanks!
Karen
0Very nice recipe and will make a healthy snack to munch on!
Lisa
0I had walnuts on hand so used 2 cups of walnuts in place of the hazelnuts and pecans. Added 1 T of bourbon. 🙂 Amazing! And so easy to make.
Claire
0How should this be stored and how long will it stay fresh?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Claire, The best way is in airtight containers, in a cupboard or pantry. Personally, I’ve done it for a few weeks with no problems at all.
Cecilia
0I love granola but since keto, there weren’t many options. They are either very expensive or has after taste. This one is homemade and I know it’s fresh and the cost of making it is very reasonable. Thumbs up!!
saleema
0Thank you for sharing your recipes! I love to bake and am adjusting to keto baking. My husband finds the Erythritol after taste off putting. I’ve looked around at various brands but everything seems to be blended with it. 👌👌👌💕🌹
Sheila
0Fabulous – so nice to be able to make our own granola now that we have gone keto. This recipe was easy to make, and I had all the ingredients but one in my house when I started. All I did was substitute one type of nut for another and it turned out great. I know I’ll be making this again and again, using different combinations of ingredients to keep things interesting for us! Thanks so much!
Daphne McRae
0Thank you for sharing your recipes! I love to bake and am adjusting to keto baking. My husband finds the Erythritol after taste off putting. I’ve looked around at various brands but everything seems to be blended with it. Do you have any suggestions? Thank you and keep the recipes coming! 😊
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Daphne, I’m actually not a big fan of erythritol anymore, either. (It was all that was available at the time this recipe was created.) I now make it using Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend (which you can see I used in the video above, that is newer). It doesn’t have that cooling effect or erythritol aftertaste. Give it a try!
Audrey
0Forgive me if this is already discussed. Have you tried a Vitamix vs a food processor? I don’t have a food processor but do have a Vita. I imagine it would pulverize the nuts?!?!
(I’m not much of a culinary person so not sure that’s possible)
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Audrey, Yes, your Vitamix should work in place of a food processor.
Marcia LeCompte
0This was delicious. Thank you. We have been on Keto for 3 months and lately felt cravings for something akin to granola. This was perfect! Easy to make, and feels healthy to eat!
Heather
0Hi.. how do you store…and how long will it keep… thank you
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Heather, The best way is in airtight containers, in a cupboard or pantry. This granola would last for a few weeks in the pantry.
Cindy
0I made this, and it’s very delicious! I did make a few alterations, I put 3 tbs of calorie free brown sugar and 2 of the other sugar. I added a little cinnamon as well. Also, I like bigger chunks of nuts so I just bought almond slivers and pecan pieces.
Mary Mauck
0Better than store bought granola. I added fennel, chia, sesame seeds and unsweetened coconut flakes… Yummy!
Julie
0This granola is just so tasty and easy to make. The flavour combinations are lovely.
Thank you so much for a healthy and delicious granola.
Yakira
0Great recipe!! I was really missing cereal on keto as it was one of the few things I couldn’t find any low carb substitutes for, so this was amazing. I doubled it and made a big batch, but put too much stevia in and had a stevia aftertaste, but it wasn’t noticeable with almond milk and Greek yoghurt. Also added coconut flakes, cinnamon and nutmeg, it tasted great!
Cheryl
0Maya, I love this keto granola recipe. I had been buying my keto granola and an 11 oz bag is 13.00. So I thought why not make my own. I immediately checked Wholesum Yum because I have used so many of your other keto recipes and have had great success with them. Thanks again for providing your expertise!
PS: I added 1/4 cup of matcha powder and it tasted great!
Margaret baxter
0I have a slight nut allergy is there any other cereal recipes I can try to make?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Margaret, I have another keto cereal recipe that is nut free.
Don
0Are the nuts in this recipe raw or roasted?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Don, I used both raw and roasted. If you click on the different nut types in the recipe you can see what types were used.
Toni Darling
0Finally I can eat some cereal for breakfast. This turned out delicious. I left out the seeds didn’t know if I would like milk on seeds lol. This granola taste just like cereal. I love this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Sorscha
0This recipe looks amazing! I would love to try making it, but I have reactions on-and-off to erythritol. And I don’t feel good about allulose, which I also see a lot in the stores, but I understand is banned in certain countries as a novel food… Is there another sweetener I could substitute? I use liquid stevia usually, but I don’t think that would work here.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Sorscha, I used to make this recipe with erythritol but now prefer to make it with Besti (the recipe card needs to be updated), because it doesn’t have that cooling aftertaste, among other benefits. Besti is a blend of monk fruit and allulose. You can learn more about allulose here, but it’s perfectly safe to use and naturally occurring in maple syrup, figs, and several other fruits. It’s not new to our bodies, only new(ish) in it’s granulated form. In addition, the “ban” in some countries is a bit of a misnomer — there is no country I’m aware of that actively banned allulose, they simply have not actively approved it, as approving any new food requires a process and in many countries this takes a very long time. I have not tried this recipe with any other sweeteners so can’t comment on what else might or might not work, sorry.
Naziya
0Hi. Can I make this without eggs? If yes. How do I prepare?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Naziya, 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.
Cheri
0I made this for the second time today, and it was very good. I didn’t have any hazelnuts on hand, so I used Brazil nuts instead. I also used a heaping teaspoon of cinnamon as well as a cup of unsweetened coconut flakes, and it turned out fantastic. I used a ninja chopper for the nuts. I put the nuts and the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and mixed everything with a wooden spoon, and put it in the oven; I baked it 15 minutes. This is better than any store-bought cereal. Thank you for this yummy recipe.
Alexandra
0So 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!
Sandy
0I have made this cereal a few times and it is excellent. I also have used walnuts in place of the pecans, used half butter and half coconut oil, added 1/4 cup of shredded coconut, a half tsp. of cinnamon. If I don’t have any hazelnuts I used sliced almonds. If you want this to be like cereal bars break into large pieces and drizzle on some melted dark chocolate. SO YUMMY!!! Thanks for this delicious recipe.
Stephanie
0Thank you for this amazing recipe that helped me to finish many nuts & seeds packs opened and avoid unhealthy granola from supermarket. I added some raisins, coconut flakes and cinnamon to up the flavor and awesome everybody love it!! Love your recipes!
Aubri Bell
0Made this yummy recipe with the Besti brown sugar and it’s to die for. Great recipe!
Rose
0Adapted to use flaked almonds and unsweetened desiccated coconut, which I toasted in my Airfryer. Added ground almonds, chopped hazelnuts, macadamias and pecans. Used Swerve brown sweetener and flaked sea salt. The whole family loves it!
Ashley
0Baking my second batch right now, my house smells AMAZING!! This stuff is so delicious and so much more affordable (probably healthier) then the store bought options. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!
Rachael
0Pictures would be most helpful for these not exactly measurable pulse instructions.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Rachael, There is a video at the top of the recipe card that should answer all your questions.
Dirt
0Oh. My. Goodness!!!!! I just used what I had: walnuts, pumpkin seeds. I used monkfruit instead of erythritol and it’s so good. Thank you!!!!!!
Joanne
0The granola is fantastic and all my friends want me to share the recipe with them. They love it too!