– Serves 4
By Pam Durant
A good quality homemade granola is a must in the pantry of any health-conscious household.
Once I started counting carbohydrates for my son with Type 1 Diabetes, it did not take long for me to realize that cereals can really play havoc on blood sugars.
Even the cereals and granolas that are promoted as healthy are often full of sugars.
So I decided to start making my own granola. Once I switched from store-bought to homemade granola, I never looked back.
This healthy, low-sugar DIY granola is a favorite in our house. Not only is it nourishing, it is so versatile – we eat it as a cereal, add it to yogurt, and I even use it to make things like apple crumble. As an added bonus, your home will smell amazing when you make it!
We tend to not use dried fruits because they have more sugar than fresh berries, but how you prefer your granola is totally a personal decision!
You can easily double or triple this recipe for meal prepping. You can put whatever ingredients you want in your homemade granola. Just make sure you run the carb counter for different ingredients.
Healthy Homemade Granola Ingredients:
- 2 cups oats
- 2 Tablespoons slivered almonds
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons pumpkin seeds (Note: for every two cups of oats, I use around 1/2 cup total of nuts and seeds)
- 2 Tablespoons of maple syrup (you can use honey or agave syrup)
- 2 Tablespoons of coconut oil
- 1 Tablespoon sunflower seeds
- A few drops of almond extract
- Fresh berries, to serve (optional)
Healthy Homemade Granola Directions:
- Preheat oven to low – about 120C.
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Bake on a baking tray for 8–10 minutes or just before golden brown. (Keep watch – it tends to cook fast and can burn easily.)
- Remove the baked granola from the tray into a bowl to cool. (Otherwise it will continue to cook if left on the tray.)
- When cool, transfer it into your storage container.
- To serve, add to a bowl with your desired toppings such as fresh berries, coconut, yogurt or milk. Don’t forget to count your toppings when you calculate those carbs!
Do you have a diabetes-friendly recipe to share? Would you like to see it published here? Submit your recipe to info@diapointme.com. Don’t forget to include a link to your recipe (if published online), a high-res image of the final dish, and your full name and contact details.
Love to join
They’re not clumping up whatsoever, is this not a suitable recipe for what I’m looking for? Not saying your recipe is bad! Thanks
I don’t understand how you can propose a granola for diabetics with maple syrup as an ingredient. I am a type 2 diabetic and have been for 20 years. If I ate this granola for breakfast my A1C would be over 7. (Canadian reading). I’m not trying to discredit you – I just truly don’t understand. At this point I am not yet taking any medication for my condition. Would this only work for diabetics on medication?
Hi Mike. I absolutely appreciate this comment. It is very valid. We believe one size does not fit all. Since I created this recipe, I’m happy to report that there are some pretty good keto syrups I found. For things like syrup and honey, they should be used so sparingly – for all of us. A little can go a very long way in a recipe. And the amount we add here is thankfully not one serving. I have also found that not all people with diabetes can eat oats comfortably. Some spike horribly, while others do not. When my son – a Type 1 – eats this, and gets the carb:insulin ratio correct his blood sugars are good. Store bought cereals spike him every time. This homemade granola does not. We have some more recipes coming out soon, and we’ll certainly update this with a disclaimer. Thank you for calling it out!