Healthy Blueberry Granola

 

 
Almost every year, my family and I drove to our favorite local brunch spot on Christmas Eve morning. Because my grandparents usually flew out for the holidays, and because they absolutely adored the restaurant’s special house tea blend and breakfast dishes, it was how we celebrated their wedding anniversary during their visits. (Yes — my grandparents actually got married on Christmas Eve!)

Although nearly everyone ordered a different brunch entrée, we all looked forward to one particular side dish the most…

The blueberry coffee cake.

Towering thick slices of supremely moist cake filled with what seemed like hundreds of fresh juicy blueberries, topped with a very generous amount of sweet cinnamon sugar streusel, and finished with a large dollop of butter that melted across the top and down the sides of each hot slice.

It tasted like heaven on a plate.
 

 
Even though my grandparents haven’t been able to fly out to visit us for the holidays for five years, we’ve still continued our Christmas Eve brunch tradition. We’ve also bought large 9×13” tins of that iconic blueberry coffee cake (not just individual slices!) right before leaving the restaurant to take home and eat for our Christmas breakfast… and Christmas snacks… and Christmas dessert… and Boxing Day breakfast, if there’s still any left.

We did that again this year, and while I’ll never turn down a slice of that buttery streusel-topped cake… I figured it was time to hit the reset button and eat healthier breakfasts once January rolled around.
 

 
So that’s where this healthy blueberry granola comes in! It has lots of naturally sweet berries, just like our favorite brunch cake, and plenty of big crunchy clusters. It tastes wonderful sprinkled on top of yogurt as a breakfast parfait, slurped up with cold milk in a bowl, and even eaten plain by the handful.

This healthy blueberry granola recipe is also easy to make… You just need 6 ingredients!
 

 

QUICK OVERVIEW — HEALTHY BLUEBERRY GRANOLA

Difficulty: Easy! If you know how to turn on an oven and stir together ingredients, then you can make this granola recipe.

Taste: Very lightly sweetened with hints of almond extract and bright bursts of natural sweetness from the blueberries.

Texture: Crisp and crunchy all the way through, with lots of big clusters.
 

 

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE HEALTHY BLUEBERRY GRANOLA

Let’s cover the ingredients you’ll need to make this homemade blueberry granola. Like I briefly mentioned earlier, there are just 6 — and I bet you have most of them already!

Oats. It’s hard to make granola without them! Regular old-fashioned rolled oats and instant oats (also called “quick cooking” or “one minute” oats) will work in this recipe. I don’t recommend steel-cut oats; they don’t soften properly while baking.

Hint: Instant oats are NOT the ones sold in those brown paper packets with flavors like apple cinnamon and maple brown sugar! Instant oats are just smaller and thinner than old-fashioned rolled oats (which mean they cook faster — hence the “instant” or “quick cooking” name!). They only contain one ingredient… Oats!

Brown rice cereal. This is my not-so-secret granola ingredient… I’ve used it in basically every single one of my healthy homemade granola recipes! It adds a big crunch to the texture — but without the excess calories from extra oil. If you look at the ingredients of many store-bought granolas, they often include rice cereal too!

Tip: If you use certified gluten free crisp brown rice cereal and certified gluten free oats, then your healthy blueberry granola will be gluten free! For the gluten free versions, I really like Bob’s Red Mill rolled oats and instant (quick cooking) oats. I also like Barbara’s crisp brown rice cereal.
 

 
Egg whites. These act like the “glue” that hold together the oats and cereal. That means this healthy blueberry granola has no oil or butter! The egg whites also give this homemade granola a protein boost. And before someone asks…

You do NOT end up with bits of scrambled egg in your granola! When you use an egg to make your favorite chocolate chip cookies, you don’t end up with scrambled egg in your fully baked cookies, right? Same thing here! As long as you thoroughly whisk together the egg whites with the next two ingredients below, you won’t see or taste any egg bits in your granola.

Pure maple syrup. This blueberry granola contains no refined white sugar. Instead, you’ll use pure maple syrup. It’s the kind that comes directly from maple trees and only contains one ingredient… Maple syrup. (Unlike pancake syrup or other maple-flavored syrups!)

My family prefers their granola on the not-so-sweet side, so I didn’t use very much. If you prefer sweeter granola, then see the Notes section of the recipe for how to get a sweeter flavor!
 

 
Almond extract. I love this ingredient… It’s my favorite baking extract! In this blueberry granola, it adds a bit of extra sweetness and a subtle almond flavor you can taste in the background at the end of each bite.

Freeze dried blueberries. They’re different than regular dried blueberries! Plain dried blueberries are soft and chewy, but they can sometimes contain added sugar and oil (to prevent them from sticking together). Freeze dried blueberries are light, airy, crisp, and crunchy. They only contain one ingredient… Blueberries!

Tip: I’ve found freeze dried blueberries at Target, Trader Joe’s, and some mainstream grocery stores!
 

 

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST HEALTHY BLUEBERRY GRANOLA

Now that you’ve got the ingredients ready, let’s talk about how to make the best blueberry granola. It’s quite simple to whip up; the key trick is all about the specific baking pan that you use. But first…

One bowl. That’s right — you just need one bowl to make this healthy blueberry granola! So easy, and clean up is a breeze. (Bonus points if your bowl is dishwasher safe!)
 

 
Large rimmed baking sheet. This is the specific baking pan that you’ll need to make the best homemade granola. It may sound crazy, but a large rimmed baking sheet makes a HUGE difference in the size and texture of the granola clusters!

I used to use a regular 9×13” rectangular cake pan to bake granola… Until I read my friend Phi’s five-ingredient cookbook. She recommended a large rimmed baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat, and after trying her method, I nearly smacked my palm against my forehead.

It made way more sense!

The large rimmed baking sheet (sometimes called a jelly roll pan) has more surface area than a rectangular cake pan. More surface area means you can spread out the granola mixture in a thinner, more even layer. Doing that means you don’t need to stir your granola as often to help it bake evenly and prevent the edges from burning. Less stirring means less jostling the granola and much less of a chance that you’ll break apart those big ol’ clusters into itty bitty pieces.

Therefore…

A large rimmed baking sheet and silicone baking mat are my other not-so-secret ingredients to making the best ever healthy homemade granola with really big crunchy clusters. They’re very inexpensive and completely worth every penny!
 

 
Gently stir. You’ll still need to stir the granola a little bit during the baking process, but be very gentle. You don’t want to break up those giant clusters you worked so hard to get!

Don’t panic if it’s super dark! Liquid sweeteners like pure maple syrup, honey, and agave brown MUCH faster than regular sugar, so do NOT panic if your granola looks very, very, very dark brown. (Even if it’s as dark as dark chocolate!) That’s normal. As long as your granola isn’t black and doesn’t taste like charcoal, you haven’t burned it!

Wait to add the blueberries. Freeze dried blueberries quickly burn when placed in a hot oven, so wait until your homemade granola has fully cooled to sprinkle them on top.
 

 

FAQS ABOUT HEALTHY BLUEBERRY GRANOLA

Is this healthy blueberry granola gluten free? Dairy free?
Yes! It’s naturally dairy free, and as long as you use certified gluten free ingredients (see the Notes section of the recipe for my recommendations!), then your homemade blueberry granola will be gluten free as well.

What’s crisp brown rice cereal — and why is it in this granola?
The crisp brown rice cereal adds a big crunch — but for very few calories! I really like Barbara’s. One° is really similar, and both are certified gluten free. I typically look for brands that contain brown rice, possibly salt, and very few other ingredients. If you can’t find crisp brown rice cereal, then regular crisp rice cereal (like Rice Krispies!) will also work.

Can I substitute oats for the rice cereal?
Yes, you can… But keep in mind that substituting oats will change the texture, as well as the nutrition information.
 

 
What can I substitute for the eggs to make this blueberry granola vegan?
I haven’t tried substituting vegan-friendly ingredients for the eggs, so I’m not personally sure. However, other readers have had great luck with flax “eggs” and aquafaba in my other granola recipes, so those might be worth a try in this blueberry granola recipe too!

Can I make this blueberry granola nut free?
Absolutely! Just substitute vanilla extract in place of the almond extract.

What can I substitute if I can’t find freeze dried blueberries?
Regular dried blueberries will work! You can also use other freeze dried fruits, like strawberries or raspberries.
 

 
How should I store homemade granola?
Store your homemade granola in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also freeze it! See the Notes section of the recipe for how to freeze and thaw this blueberry granola.

How long does this blueberry granola last?
If it’s totally crunchy (no soft bits!) after it cools, and if stored in an airtight container at room temperature, it should keep for at least 1-2 weeks, if not longer.
 

 
Ready to make your own batch? And when you do, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy homemade blueberry granola!

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  The Ultimate Healthy Homemade Granola
♡  Healthy Almond Butter Granola
♡  Healthy Peanut Butter Granola
♡  Healthy Vanilla Almond Granola
♡  Healthy Raspberry Almond Granola
♡  Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
♡  The Ultimate Healthy Blueberry Muffins
♡  Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Quick Bread
♡  …and the rest of Amy’s healthy granola recipes!