Low Sugar Granola Recipe
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This low sugar granola that is higher in protein is the perfect way to give you control over how much sugar you eat in the morning.
Love making homemade granola? Try my homemade granola recipe, my maple cinnamon granola, or my banana granola.

Why Make This Recipe?
- It’s easy to make, either a large portion for many or a small portion for one or two people.
- There is no added sugar. (Unless you count unsweetened apple sauce as sugar.)
- The ingredients are simple and easy to find.
Recipe Notes
Just because it’s a low-sugar recipe doesn’t mean you won’t want sweetener. A little maple syrup or honey over this is delicious! In fact, some sweetener is encouraged for the best taste. Thankfully, you don’t need much.
Pro Recipe Tips
Stir this often in the oven, even if you have to bake it a bit longer than called for. This will make sure your oats are evenly roasted.

What You’ll Need To Make Low Sugar Granola
Traditional oats – Avoid quick-cooking oats because they won’t roast properly.
Unsweetened apple sauce
Ground cinnamon
Walnut pieces – Or you can buy bigger pieces and chop them to your liking.
Sunflower seeds
Unsweetened almond butter
How To Make Low Sugar Granola
Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir well to coat the oats thoroughly with the apple sauce, almond butter, and cinnamon.
Spread the oats out evenly over an ungreased cookie sheet.
Break apart any clumps you see and try to get it in a single layer as much as possible. Clumps make it harder to bake it evenly.
Bake for about 45 minutes or until the oats have a nice golden color to them and “sound dry” when you stir them on the baking sheet.
Make sure you stir at least twice during the baking process to ensure even baking. Not stirring can leave you with a portion of the granola being burnt. Stirring is important.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
Transfer to an air-tight storage container and keep in the fridge for freezer for up to 2 months.
Storage
Store this in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge. It will last for about 2 weeks or so.
Freezing
You can freeze this if you can’t eat it all in time. It freezes well as long as it’s wrapped up airtight to avoid any moisture getting to it. Thaw by sitting it on the counter for a bit.
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Low Sugar Granola
Ingredients
- 10 cups traditional oats (gluten free oats if needed)
- 2 cups unsweetened apple sauce
- 2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 cup walnut pieces
- 1 cup sunflower seeds
- ½ cup almond butter
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir well to coat the oats thoroughly with the apple sauce, almond butter and cinnamon.
- Spread the oats out evenly over an ungreased cookie sheet.
- Break apart any clumps you see and try to get it in a single layer as much as possible. Clumps make it harder to bake it evenly.
- Bake for about 45 minutes or until the oats have a nice golden color to them and "sound dry" when you stir them on the baking sheet.
- Make sure you stir at least twice during the baking process to ensure even baking. Not stirring can leave you with a portion of the granola being burnt. Stirring is important.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
- Transfer to an air-tight storage container and keep in the fridge for freezer for up to 2 months.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe from the Gracious Pantry® archives, originally posted on 8/21/18.
