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Here’s an easy high protein breakfast! This healthy high protein granola recipe is the BEST! It’s full of big crunchy clusters with cozy cinnamon in every bite. This granola clusters recipe is SUPER quick and simple to make too. Only 10 minutes of prep! This healthy breakfast idea is low fat, low calorie, and sugar free. This healthy homemade granola is also clean eating with a gluten free option! It’s a great healthy snack idea and perfect for high protein meal prep too!

Healthy High Protein Granola

© Amy's Healthy Baking
Yields: 8 servings
This high protein granola recipe instantly became a family favorite! It’s quick and easy to make, and a simple baking trick yields the biggest and crunchiest clusters. Sprinkle it over yogurt, pour it into a bowl with a splash of milk, or simply munch on it by the handful. This cinnamon-spiced granola is cozy and delicious any way you eat it! Leftovers will keep for at least a week (if not two or more!) if stored in an airtight container.
5 from 2 votes
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Ingredients 

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a large rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat (highly recommended!) or parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the egg whites until the egg whites are broken up and slightly bubbly. Whisk in the collagen peptides powder until fully incorporated. (If any clumps remain after vigorously whisking, smear them out along the side of the bowl with a spatula.) Whisk in the cinnamon and stevia. Pour in the brown rice cereal and oats, and gently fold them in with a spatula until both cereals are evenly coated.
  • Spread the mixture evenly onto the prepared pan. Bake at 325°F for 20 minutes. Gently stir to break up the granola and move the clusters around the pan to prevent the bits closest to the edge from burning. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, then gently stir again. Bake for an additional 4-8 minutes (for a total of 34-38 minutes), or until the granola is crunchy. Let the granola cool for 5 minutes before breaking apart any extra large clusters. Cool the granola completely to room temperature on the pan before transferring to an airtight container.

Notes

IMPORTANT FLAVOR NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: As written, this granola isn’t overly sweet. For sweeter granola, increase the liquid stevia by anywhere from ⅛ to ½ teaspoon. The baking time and temperatures will remain the same. You can also increase the cinnamon by ¼ to ½ teaspoon for a stronger spice flavor.
 
IMPORTANT EGG WHITE NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: You do NOT end up with bits of egg in your granola! It’s just like when you put eggs in cookie dough. You don’t end up with chunks of scrambled cooked eggs in your cookies, right? Same thing here! You thoroughly mix together the ingredients so you’ll never see bits of cooked egg in your granola. I promise!
 
The egg whites must be at room temperature. Many collagen peptides powders clump in cooler liquids, including egg whites used straight from the refrigerator, and won’t dissolve properly. If you forget to set out eggs far enough in advance, then microwave 1 ½ cups of water for 45-60 seconds. (It should feel similar to the temperature of a hot tub — really warm but not scalding if you stick your finger into it.) Place the whole eggs (still in their shells) in the warm water for 15+ minutes before drying them off and using in Step 2.
 
I haven’t tried substituting anything for the egg whites. (However, readers have said that flax “eggs” and aquafaba both work decently as a substitute in my other granola recipes, so that might be a good place to start if you need to make this granola egg-free.)
 
COLLAGEN PEPTIDES POWDER NOTES: For the best results, use collagen peptides powder that only includes collagen and nothing else. (I like this one and this one.) I haven’t tried substituting anything for it, so I can’t personally vouch for the results of using other protein powders. If you’d like to try using another type of protein powder (ie plant-based or whey-based), I highly recommend reviewing my Protein Powder FAQ Page first.
 
If you’d like to simply omit the collage peptides powder, then use this granola recipe of mine instead. (It has the same big clusters, crunchy texture, and tastes the same!)
 
CINNAMON NOTE: I highly recommend Saigon cinnamon! It tastes slightly sweeter, richer, and stronger compared to regular cinnamon. It’s basically the only kind I now use in my baking. Many stores have started stocking it, but I often buy it online here.
 
SWEETENER NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: Many stevia brands and products have different sweetness levels, so they’re not necessarily 1-for-1 substitutes for each other. For the best taste and texture, I highly recommend using the same one that I do. You can find it at many health-oriented stores, but I typically buy it online here because that’s the best price I’ve found. (You’ll also use it in all of these recipes of mine!)
 
If you’d like to use a different sugar-free sweetener, ¼ cup of granulated sucralose was my taste testers’ favorite alternative for the liquid stevia. Other options include ¼ cup of this granulated stevia or 1 ½ teaspoons of this powdered stevia in place of the liquid stevia. The baking time and temperatures will remain the same.
 
You can also substitute ¼ cup (60mL) of sugar-free maple syrup, pure maple syrup, honey, or agave AND omit two egg whites to compensate for the added liquid volume.
 
Depending on the sweetener you use, your granola may end up a darker brown than what you see in my photos. That’s normal and okay! As long as your granola is dark brown — but not black! — you haven’t burned it.
 
OATS NOTE: Quick cooking oats (also called “instant” or “one-minute” oats — and the gluten-free version, if necessary!) may be substituted for the old-fashioned rolled oats. I don’t recommend substituting steel cut oats.
 
RICE CEREAL NOTES: The brown rice cereal adds a big crunch to your granola clusters without any oil or butter. It’s such a great trick, and I use it in basically all of my granola recipes! (If you check the ingredients of your favorite store-bought granola cereals, I bet some of them use rice cereal as well!) I like Barbara’s, and One° is similar.
 
Regular crisp rice cereal (i.e. Rice Krispies) may be substituted in place of the brown rice cereal. In a pinch, another option would be rice pocket cereal (like Rice Chex) that you’ve lightly crushed so it’s about ¼ of its original size.
 
You may substitute additional oats for the rice cereal, but your granola won’t be as crunchy.
 
DAIRY-FREE OPTION: No modifications needed!
 
NUT-FREE OPTION: No modifications needed!
 
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Use certified gluten-free brown rice cereal (I like Barbara’s, and One° is similar) and certified gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats or certified gluten-free quick-cooking oats.
 
HOW TO STORE: Store the granola in an airtight container at room temperature. It should last for at least a week (if not two or more!).
 
HOW TO FREEZE: To freeze, line a baking sheet with foil (for easy clean-up!). Arrange the fully cooled granola in a single layer on the foil. Place in the freezer for 2 hours or until fully frozen. Transfer to a zip-topped bag lined with a paper towel, and squeeze out as much air as you can before sealing the bag and placing it in the freezer. (I actually think it tastes really good frozen!)
 
After thawing the granola, it’ll be a little bit chewy, so spread it out on a baking sheet in a thin even layer. Bake at 325°F for 6-9 minutes or until it turns crisp and crunchy again.
 
{gluten-free, dairy-free, clean eating, low fat, sugar-free, higher protein}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.