Healthy Air Fryer Granola (High Protein)

This crispy and healthy granola is a game changer – made with organic oats in the air fryer within 10 minutes! This simple and high protein granola is tasty, convenient and nutritious – whether for breakfast, as a snack or dessert!

Crispy granola made in the air fryer

You won’t believe how quick and easy it is to make this delicious, crispy granola – in the air fryer! 

This recipe uses just a handful of healthy ingredients to make fresh and crunchy granola which you can enjoy for breakfast, as a snack or even a healthy dessert! 

I also love how this granola can be used for other recipes including our chocolate granola clusters recipe!

This recipe also incorporates nuts into the granola – giving you an added boost of nutrients including protein! Just like our unique pistachio and rose granola air fryer recipe (which is great when you fancy granola with a twist)!

What is granola?

Granola is popular breakfast and snack, made from a mixture of rolled oats, nuts or seeds and sweetener and flavourings.

Granola is cooked, typically baked in the oven, until it becomes crispy and forms clusters. 

The texture of granola is crunchy, crispy and sometimes chewy.

Why use an air fryer to make granola?

• Perfect texture and healthier: using the hot air from the air fryer cooks the granola mixture with a perfect crispy texture. An air fryer achieves the same crispy texture as you would if baking granola in the oven – but with less oil – making it healthier!
• Faster and cheaper: Using an air fryer to make granola is much faster and cheaper compared with an oven.

Ingredients

• Rolled oats: use traditional rolled oats/old-fashioned oats, I recommend using organic oats. This serves as the base of the granola.
• Nuts: you can use a mixture of nuts. This reci  pe uses a mixture of chopped pecan nuts and almond nuts for added crunch and nutrition. 
• Maple syrup: this is used to sweeten the granola and gives it a nice depth of flavour, use 100% pure Grade A maple syrup (with no added sugar)
• Coconut oil: coconut oil helps to bind ingredients together and cook the granola. Use unrefined, organic, virgin coconut oil which is cold-pressed.
• Vanilla and cinnamon powder: these add warmth and enhance the flavour of this granola. Use pure vanilla extract, this adds warmth and enhances the flavour of the granola
• Optional – salt: this is an optional ingredient, just a pinch of salt is used to enhance sweetness, however you can omit

Equipment

To make this granola you will need a large mixing bowl to make the granola mixture, an air fryer and baking/parchment paper.

Air fry: I recommend the Ninja Foodi wide air fryer. This air fryer has variable fan speed and comes with a crisper basket and an air fry setting which is temperature controlled.

How to Make air fryer granola (step by step)

1. Combine ingredients (excluding nuts) to make granola mixture. Preheat your air fryer to 180°C/350°F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, cinnamon, vanilla, maple syrup and melted coconut oil. Stir the mixture well to ensure everything is evenly coated and combined.
2. Transfer into air fryer basket and air fry granola for 8-10 minutes, or until golden and crispy, stirring every 2 minutes. Line the air fryer basket/tray with parchment/baking paper and transfer the granola mixture into the lined air fryer basket. Use a spatula to spread the granola mixture evenly. Cook the granola in the air fryer for 8-10 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Keep a close eye and stir the granola mixture every 2 minutes to ensure even cooking. 
3. Add nuts after 5-6 minutes of cooking granola. If you are adding nuts to your granola mixture you can do so after 5-6 minutes of cooking the granola. Use a spatula to mix the nuts into the granola.Almonds: Add the chopped almonds after 5 minutes of cooking the granola. Pecan nuts: Add the chopped pecan nuts after 6 minutes of cooking. 
4. Cook and cool. Continue to cook the granola with the nuts for another 2 minutes. Once cooked, remove the granola from the air fryer and let it cool completely. The granola will continue to crisp up as it cools down. You can empty the granola into a large tray or bowl lined with a few paper/kitchen towels to allow to cool. Once completely cooled, transfer air fryer granola into an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Tips for making the BEST air fryer granola 

• Stir the granola mixture regularly: Make sure you keep a close eye on the granola and keep mixing every 2 minutes. Oats and nuts can brown very quickly in the air fryer  
• Avoid adding the nuts to the mixture straight away: as nuts cook very quickly in the air fryer to prevent burning, I recommend adding the almonds after 5 minutes of cooking the granola (and the pecan nuts after 6 minutes of cooking as pecans cook even faster than almonds!). This is worth the effort for the best texture and taste of granola!
• Coat nuts with maple syrup for added sweetness: this is optional – for a little more indulgence, you can coat chopped almonds and/or pecan nuts with an additional teaspoon of maple syrup – this will give the nuts have a candied taste in the granola! 
• Cool granola completely before transferring into a container: this will help ensure a crunchy and crispy texture of the granola (and prevent any sogginess!) as granola continues to crisp up as it cools. 

What is the texture of this granola?

• This granola is crispy and crunchy and a lighter, healthier version of traditional granola (which typically is in clusters). 
• You can form granola clusters by adding more coconut oil and maple syrup – (I prefer the non-clustered granola as a healthier, lighter option). 
• If you prefer granola clusters transfer air fried granola into a baking tray and drizzling another spoon of coconut oil and/or maple syrup (depending on sweetness preference). Then form into clusters and allow to cool. 

Storage Tips

• Cool the granola completely before storing as the granola will continue to crisp up as it cools down. 
• Empty the granola into a large tray or bowl lined with a few paper/kitchen towels to allow to cool. 
• Once completely cooled, transfer air fryer granola into an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

How to serve

• This granola can be served as for breakfast as a cereal with milk – or with yoghurt and fresh fruit including strawberries, blueberries and blackberries.
• Alternatively, you can serve this granola as a snack or dessert on its own or as a topping for smoothie bowls or in salads – or even in other recipes for added crunch!

Fresh juices and smoothies

Serve your granola with any of these fresh juices or smoothies:

Healthy Air Fryer Granola (High Protein)

Sonia

This crispy and healthy granola is a game changer – made with organic oats in the air fryer within 10 minutes! This simple and high protein granola is tasty, convenient and nutritious – whether for breakfast, as a snack or dessert!

5 from 8 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 2 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine western

Servings 8 servings

Calories 266 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Air Fryer

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 cup Old-fashioned / traditional Rolled Oats 110g
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• ▢ 90 g pecans chopped (¾ cup)
• ▢ 70 g Almonds roughly chopped ½ cup
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• ▢ 2 tablespoon maple syrup Grade A refined sugar-free
• ▢ 2 tablespoon coconut oil (melted) unrefined, cold-pressed

Optional toppings (for serving)

• ▢ 1 tablespoon Chia seeds
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Pumpkin seeds
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Flaxseed

Instructions

 

• Preheat your air fryer to 180C/350F.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, cinnamon, vanilla, maple syrup and melted coconut oil. Stir the mixture well to ensure everything is evenly coated and combined.
• Line the air fryer basket/tray with parchment/baking paper and transfer the granola mixture into the lined air fryer basket.
• Use a spatula to spread the granola mixture evenly.
• Cook the granola in the air fryer for 8-10 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Keep a close eye and stir the granola mixture every 2 minutes to ensure even cooking.
• If you are adding nuts to your granola mixture you can do so after 5-6 minutes of cooking the granola. Use a spatula to mix the nuts into the granola. Almonds: Add the chopped almonds after 5 minutes of cooking the granola. Pecan nuts: Add the chopped pecan nuts after 6 minutes of cooking.
• Continue to cook the granola with the nuts for another 2 minutes.
• Once cooked, remove the granola from the air fryer and let it cool completely. The granola will continue to crisp up as it cools down. You can empty the granola into a large tray or bowl lined with a few paper/kitchen towels to allow to cool. Once completely cooled, transfer air fryer granola into an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

• Stir the granola mixture regularly: Make sure you keep a close eye on the granola and keep mixing every 2 minutes. Oats and nuts can brown very quickly in the air fryer
• Avoid adding the nuts to the mixture straight away: as nuts cook very quickly in the air fryer to prevent burning, I recommend adding the almonds after 5 minutes of cooking the granola (and the pecan nuts after 6 minutes of cooking as pecans cook even faster than almonds!). This is worth the effort for the best texture and taste of granola!
• Coat nuts with maple syrup for added sweetness: this is optional – for a little more indulgence, you can coat chopped almonds and/or pecan nuts with an additional teaspoon of maple syrup – this will give the nuts have a candied taste in the granola!
• Cool granola completely before transferring into a container: this will help ensure a crunchy and crispy texture of the granola (and prevent any sogginess!) as granola continues to crisp up as it cools. Empty the granola into a large tray or bowl lined with a few paper/kitchen towels to allow to cool.
• Storage Tips: Once completely cooled, transfer air fryer granola into an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition

Calories: 266kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 10gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.01gSodium: 19mgPotassium: 230mgFiber: 6gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 10IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 79mgFolate: 17µgIron: 2mgZinc: 2mg

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