Rice Krispie Granola

I have always loved granola! There is just something about that crunchy and sweet bite that I can’t resist! I love to eat it by hand out of the box, with milk, in a yogurt bowl, and even on top of ice cream. But it’s no secret that granola can be pretty calorie heavy. In fact, before I was more aware of portion sizes, I could eat a 300+ calorie serving easily. I actually wouldn’t think twice about it since it was “healthy” after all. But all the nuts, oil, dried fruit can become a surefire way to send yu over your caloric goal in a flash!

Still, granola is delicious! And now that summer is here with all its beautiful fruits, I found myself reaching for yogurt bowls more often. I love having that little crunch in my fruit and yogurt bowls to give some texture, and it also reminds me slightly of having a fruit crisp, one of my favorite desserts. Anytime I feel like I’m having dessert when I’m eating a good dose of protein, I am happy!

I found this recipe from the Cookie + Kate blog and adapted it a little bit to slash a few macros. Substituting the Rice Krispies for the nuts and dried fruit save a little bit on carbs and fats and also gave another textural element. Another little substitution I did was add 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract to the granola. This adds a little different flavor, but feel free to use increase vanilla extract to 1 teaspoon if you don’t have any almond extract on hand! You could also add in some mix-ins like chocolate chips, nuts, and dried fruit if you desire, but I find I would rather just add those in while I’m doing my yogurt bowl so I have more control over the exact macro count.

Now, I don’t pretend that this granola is macro friendly, so to speak. We are still using oil and honey, so it is going to be costly on carbs and fats. I’ve tried to make granola before that was a little lighter, but it just didn’t have the same texture or flavor. I am all about making healthy substitutions when possible, but I couldn’t find one that worked (yet! If you have one you love, please send it to me!). The key to making it work in your macros is using portion control! For 30 g of this granola, it is 6.2f/18.2c/1.8p. I have been known just to use 10 g or so to make it fit a little easier!