Homemade Egg White Granola

This high protein Egg White Granola recipe is completely sugar-free, held together with whipped egg whites and deliciously spiced with ginger and cinnamon. It is so easy to make with only 20 minutes of active prep time. After 60 minutes in the oven on low heat, you’ll have delicious granola to enjoy all week.

Enjoy this sugar-free granola on a pureed soup like my Apple Cider Butternut Squash soup or enjoy on yogurt or to top a smoothie bowl.

I first looked up a sugar-free granola recipe many years ago and I was so excited when, after quite a bit of searching, I found one that was held together by whipped egg whites. I thought that was a brilliant idea! I wanted a sugar-free granola recipe because I enjoy granola on top of plain yogurt that I sweeten with maple syrup. I wanted to be able to control the amount of sweetness I added to my yogurt but also enjoy the satisfying crunch of granola.

Egg white granola was the perfect solution. The added benefit is that by adding the egg whites from three large eggs you’re adding a lot of protein to your granola. Three egg whites from large eggs contain approximately 11 grams of protein. Store-bought granola can be expensive but it’s so much more affordable to make yourself. 

It's really easy to make in your own kitchen!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Sugar free!
• Whipped egg whites add protein!
• Cost effective -- store bought granola is so expensive!
• Great for meal prep
• Customizable sweetness: if you want this recipe to be lightly sweetened you can add some maple syrup
• Versatile: enjoy granola served with milk or on yogurt, mixed into your favourite trail mix or even on pureed soups for an added crunch.
• Gluten free (if you purchase certified gluten free oats)

Ingredients

• Oats - Choose large flake oats (otherwise known as old fashioned oats.)
• Salt - enhances the overall flavor of the granola.
• Butter - if you use salted butter then decrease the amount of salt you add to the dry ingredients.
• Cashews, Pecans and Pumpkin Seeds - Choose raw and unsalted nuts and seeds.

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Substitutions & Variations

• Maple syrup: you can swap the (optional) maple syrup for honey.
• Nuts and seeds: Feel free to customize the nut and seed mix based on your preferences.
• Dried Fruits: If you like dried fruits in your granola, add them after baking to prevent them from becoming too chewy. Chopped dates would be delicious in this!
• Savory Granola: Skip the spices and sweeteners and add herbs like rosemary, thyme, and a touch of sea salt for a savory granola option. This is a great option if you're making this granola as a soup topper!
• This recipe has the versatility to allow you to add other sweeteners of your choice as well. If you prefer stevia, you can add a few drops to the butter before pouring it on the dry ingredients.

I have not experimented with any other substitutions or alterations for this recipe. If you decide to make any changes by adding or substituting ingredients, I would love it if you could share your results with us by leaving a comment below.

How To Make Sugar Free Egg White Granola

Here are the step-by-step instructions to make this recipe.

Step 1: Prep and mix together dry ingredients.

Begin by preheating the oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit and prepping a cookie sheet with parchment.

Combine all the dry ingredients into a bowl and stir together really well.

Step 2: Add melted butter and mix.

Pour melted and cooled butter over the dry mixture and stir well (if choosing to sweeten with maple syrup add this now as well).

Step 3: Beat egg whites until soft peaks.

Separate the egg whites from the yolks. (Save the yolks to use in my Strawberry Ice Cream recipe.)

In a medium-sized bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.

How to beat egg whites to soft peaks: beat the egg whites with a hand mixer until they start to foam and turn white. The easiest way to know you’ve reached soft peak stage is if you take the beaters out of the egg white and turn them upside down you’ll see the egg whites hold a peak shape. This takes just a few minutes of beating.

Step 4: Fold in the egg whites.

Gently fold the egg whites into the dry ingredients.

Step 5: Bake the granola

Spread the granola mixture out evenly on a cookie sheet prepared with parchment paper and bake for 60 minutes. I choose not to stir the granola at all so that big clusters will form. (note: if adding maple syrup allow the granola to cook for 15-20 minutes longer.)

Allow to fully cool.  Store in an airtight container on the counter for 1-2 weeks.

Expert Tips

• You can save the egg yolks that you don’t use in this recipe and use them to make cookies or ice cream or many other recipes that call for only egg yolks. For example, my Spelt Chocolate Chunk Cookie recipe calls for 2 egg yolks.
• If you can purchase your granola ingredients from a bulk section, you can choose exactly the amount you need for your recipe. This can make it a more affordable snack to make because you don’t have to purchase large amounts of expensive ingredients, just the amount you need. 
• How to beat egg whites to soft peaks: beat the egg whites with a hand mixer until they start to foam and turn white. The easiest way to know you’ve reached soft peak stage is if you take the beaters out of the egg white and turn them upside down you’ll see the egg whites hold a peak shape. This takes just a few minutes of beating.
• Spread the granola mixture evenly on the baking sheet and resist the urge to stir the granola during baking so larger clusters can form.
• Let the granola cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring it to a container. This helps the granola firm up and retain its crunch.

Recipe FAQs

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