Do you love granola and want some inspiration on new ways to use it? Maybe you have a bag of granola in the pantry and you need some granola breakfast ideas? Here are 21 ideas for what to eat with granola, one of my favorite foods!
Whether you make your own granola or buy a bag from the store, it can be a handy ingredient to keep stocked in your pantry! Granola is chock full of healthy ingredients like oats, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, and more. If you make it at home, you can often cut down on the extra added sugar that is often in store-bought granola.
Granola can easily be enjoyed by the handful as the perfect breakfast food with a bit of milk a delicious midday snack. Those crunchy clusters pair well with a variety of different foods and can be packed to take on the go.
As a registered dietitian, I love the health benefits that granola has to offer and almost always have some stocked in my pantry. Some of those health benefits of granola include: high in fiber and full of healthy fats which can both lower heart disease risk, soluble and insoluble fiber to support gut health, and antioxidants to prevent chronic diseases.
What to Eat with Granola
Here are 21 great options for how to serve granola that will keep it interesting. Most of these ideas will have you enjoying your granola with other healthy foods like fruit, yogurt, nuts, and more so you’ll be eating better in more ways that one!
Milk: one of the simplest ways to enjoy granola is served up in a bowl with your favorite milk just like a breakfast cereal. Serve it with either dairy milk or dairy-free milk like almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk.
Yogurt: make yourself a yogurt bowls with some fruit and granola for crunch. Since going vegan, I like to serve it with a non-dairy yogurt. Reduce your added sugar intake by serving with an unsweetened yogurt.
Fruit: add some fresh fruit or thawed frozen fruit to a bowl and top with granola. Here are some of my favorite fruits to serve with some granola: seasonal berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries), melon (cantaloupe or watermelon), fresh peaches, sliced banana.
Fruit Compote: cook up a delicious fruit compote (it’s really simple – I promise!) and serve it with yogurt and granola. You can also create a yogurt parfait by layering yogurt, fruit compote, and granola in a glass or jar. Here are my favorite compote recipes: strawberry rhubarb compote and peach compote.
Cottage cheese: it is common to serve cottage cheese with some fruit, why not add some granola as well? It is a great way to add crunchy texture as well as whole grains to make it a healthy meal or well-rounded snack.
Hot Oatmeal: add some crunchiness to your morning bowl of oatmeal by sprinkling some granola on top. For example, I really like the combination of my chocolate oatmeal with my peanut butter granola. Yum!
Overnight oats: I love overnight oats, but the texture can be a bit boring. Add some fresh fruit and a handful of granola to make it more interesting. Here is my go-to recipe for vegan protein overnight oats.
Smoothies: thick, frosty smoothies are the best on a hot summer day. Sometimes, I’ll top my smoothie with a scoop of granola and eat it with a spoon out of the glass. You can also do a smoothie bowl with the granola on top for crunch or create homemade acai bowls for the granola.
Chia Pudding: the texture of chia pudding is similar to overnight oats. It’s kind of boring on its own, but add some fun toppings like fruit and granola for bite. Be sure to check out my chocolate chia pudding. It would be delicious when paired with my homemade peanut butter granola.
Muffins: instead of making a streusel topping for muffins, just sprinkle them with granola before baking for a delicious and crunchy topping.
Granola Bars: mix granola, nut butter, and a little maple syrup in a bowl then press the mixture firmly into a pan and chill to form granola bars.
Energy Bites: make snack bites/balls out of granola the same way you do granola bars. Just mix the granola with some nut butter until it starts to stick together and form balls with your hands. Chill and serve as a yummy on-the-go snack.
Waffles and Pancakes: sprinkle granola onto your morning waffle or pancake stack. You can also stir the granola directly into the pancake batter before cooking for some yummy crunch.
Applesauce: don’t like milk or yogurt? You can also enjoy granola on top of a serving of applesauce. It is an especially tasty combo with a granola that has a lot of cinnamon like this pumpkin spice granola recipe.
Trail mix: make a super simple homemade trail mix by combining some granola with a couple handfuls of nuts and dried fruit. I like to mix my homemade vegan granola with dried apricots and cranberries for a packable snack.
Apple nachos: slice up some apples and arrange them on a plate. Warm up some peanut butter or almond butter for a few seconds in the microwave until it is warm and runny. Drizzle it over the apple slices and then top with some granola for a simple and healthy afternoon snack.
Toast: add a bit of crunch to your toast by sprinkling some granola on top. My go-to combination is peanut butter and banana slices with a little bit of granola. You could also try almond butter and sliced apples on toast with a sprinkle of granola.
Roasted Sweet Potato: sweet potatoes aren’t only a dinner side! Roast a sweet potato in the oven or microwave until fork tender, split it open and fill with yogurt, a bit of nut butter, fresh berries, and some granola. Perfect for when you are bored of the usual cereal, oatmeal, and smoothie routine.
Frozen Yogurt Bark: line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread a layer of yogurt on top. Sprinkle with granola and fresh fruit and freeze until firm. Break into pieces and serve with breakfast or on its own as a healthy snack.
Ice Cream: granola isn’t just for breakfast! Use it as an ice cream topping option that is sweet and crunchy. It would be perfect paired with some fruit or a fruit sauce.
Salads: instead of croutons, add granola to a salad. I like to add granola to salads that already have a little sweetness, usually ones that have fruit. Here are a couple that would go well with granola: strawberry spinach salad or blueberry summer kale salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Homemade granola is good for about a month after it has been made if it is stored in an airtight container. An open package of store-bought granola can be good for up to 3-6 months. Unopened store-bought granola can be enjoyed for up to 3-6 months past the “best by” date on the package.
No, most granola is made with oats and added sugar like maple syrup or honey so it is not typically low carb. However, the carbs in granola vary from brand to brand or by recipe. Some brands do use sugar free sweeteners for their granola so look for “low carb” or “keto” on the package.
Both can be a healthy addition to your diet, it just depends on your overall nutrition goals and eating pattern. Oatmeal is generally lower in sugar and calories than granola, but that doesn’t mean that granola is bad for you. Granola has many healthy benefits as well since it is high in fiber and healthy fats.
Granola Recipes
Be sure to check out these healthy homemade granola recipes!
Comments & Reviews
This is great, Debbie – thank you!
I had no idea granola could be eaten in so many different ways. I’m going to try making the granola bars/bites.