Healthy Applesauce Granola is crunchy granola made with applesauce instead of oil. Oats, nuts, seeds, and raisins make the perfect easy breakfast.
We really, and I mean really, love granola around here.
But of course, it’s just not that great for you. All the oil that usually goes into a batch of granola makes it a pretty high calorie snack and let’s face it, no one can stop after just a handful of the tasty stuff.
This Applesauce Granola uses applesauce in place of the usual oil which makes it much lower in calorie and it still gets nice and crunchy!
I’ve made granola with applesauce instead of oil in the past but this is by far my favorite version. It’s loaded with nuts (I used walnuts and pecans) and sunflower seeds which makes it not only yummy but also filling. It’s sweet but not too sweet and you can adjust the dried fruit amount to make it even sweeter if it suits you.
Ingredients
- Old fashioned oats – make sure it’s old fashioned and not quick cooking or steel cut.
- Nuts – such as pecans, walnuts, or almonds
- Sunflower seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Unsweetened applesauce – make sure you check the label (or use homemade) to be sure there is no added sugar.
- Honey – use a local honey if possible.
- Vegetable oil – you can use any flavorless oil.
- Raisins – you can use any dried fruit you like, such as dried cranberries or dried blueberries.
How To Make Applesauce Granola
- Prepare. Preheat oven to 300F.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, mix together oats, nuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- Mix wet ingredients. In a small saucepan, warm the applesauce with the honey and oil over low heat.
- Combine everything. Mix the applesauce mixture into the oat mixture and stir to coat everything. Spread the mixture onto a 9 x 13 baking pan.
- Bake. Bake for 45 – 50 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the granola is a deep brown.
- Add raisins and cool. Remove from oven and stir in raisins. Cool completely before enjoying.
How Long Is It Good For?
If you store this Applesauce Granola at room temperature in an airtight container, it can keep for up to a month. Although I don’t think you will have any left after a month!
Can You Freeze It?
Yes, you can freeze homemade granola. Put it in a freezer ziploc bag and squeeze as much air out as possible before putting it in the freezer. Let it thaw on the counter overnight before serving.
More Homemade Granola Recipes
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Healthy Applesauce Granola
Healthy Applesauce Granola - crunchy granola made with applesauce instead of oil. Oats, nuts, seeds, and raisins make the perfect easy breakfast.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups old fashioned oats
- 1 cup nuts, pecans, walnuts, almonds
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300F.
- In a large bowl, mix together oats, nuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, warm the applesauce with the honey and oil over low heat.
- Mix the applesauce mixture into the oat mixture and stir to coat everything. Spread the mixture onto a 9 x 13 baking pan.
- Bake for 45 - 50 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the granola is a deep brown. Remove from oven and stir in raisins. Cool completely before enjoying.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 339Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 664mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 6gSugar: 14gProtein: 9g
Cindy says
Been looking for a low-fat, low-sugar granola. This recipe is excellent. The only thing I did differently was sub flax seed for part of the sesame seeds and add a little vanilla and more cinnamon.
Thanks for posting this great version. I double the recipe and have made it at least a dozen times!
katie says
Love this recipe! It comes out nice and crunchy once it cools. I made it with homemade applesauce. We had waaay too much sauce to eat it plain all the time!
Laura says
I would substitute the vegetable oil (really unhealthy for you) with coconut oil (super healthy!)
Donna says
Do you know how many servings this recipe makes?
amanda says
No, I’m really not sure. If you did 1/2 cup servings I bet you could get 6 – 8 servings out of it. Thanks for reading and commenting! :)
Angelina says
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I just made some applesauce granola since there was an abundance of apples at home. I’d usually use bananas as a binder (and as a fat substitute). Good to know that applesauce works just as well! Here’s my take on applesauce granola: http://www.yshue.com/?p=735
Angelina says
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I just made some applesauce granola since there was an abundance of apples at home. I’d usually use bananas as a binder (and as a fat substitute). Good to know that applesauce works just as well!
Katie says
Looks great! How much would you say this makes?
Delaney says
In the oven right now and it smells amazing! Note – if you’re not using all the mix-ins, bump up the oatmeal 1/2 a cup. I might use this in homemade Chewy bars :)
Brandi says
Hello! I found this via someone who uses your granola to make homemade gronola bars. I can’t wait to try it! I also pinned it in my healthish foods pintrest page!
Celia K says
Found this last week and have already made three batches. We made some up as a house warming gift for friends, and have been enjoying it with yogurt and fruit almost every day
Brianna says
Love the applesauce idea. However, since vegatable oil is a trans fat, I used coconut oil instead and also left out the brown sugar, adding a little sucanat in its’ place. I added chia seeds instead of sunflower & sesame seeds and I added some dried coconut, apricots, cherries and craisins instead of raisins.