Vegan High Protein Granola (oil-free, no protein powder)

This vegan high protein granola is super easy to make – no oil or protein powder required! Serve it with some fresh fruit and soy yogurt/soy milk and it’s a perfect plant-protein packed breakfast to start your day. You can also have this as a high-protein post-workout snack!

Is high protein granola healthy?

Granola can be a nutritious and filling breakfast. It is usually made of oats, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, spices, nut butters and some type of sweetener like maple or agave syrup. The mixture is toasted in the oven for extra crunch.

When you’re buying granola, check the ingredient list. Store-bought granola is often high in added fats and sugars. That’s why I prefer making my own granola. I can choose exactly what ingredients I want to use and how sweet I like it.

How much protein is in this vegan high protein granola?

The entire recipe for this vegan high protein granola has 63 grams of protein at roughly 1300 kcal, as well as 137 grams of carbohydrates and 47 grams of fat. Per 250-kcal serving, this comes down to roughly 13 grams of protein. Pair this with some fresh/frozen fruits like blueberries, strawberries or banana and some soy milk and soy yogurt and you easily have a delicious high-protein breakfast with over 25 grams of protein.

Vegan high protein granola with a secret ingredient – red lentils

Many high protein granola recipes either use protein powder or lots of nuts and seeds to add the plant protein. While protein powder is a great way to easily up your protein intake, I wanted to create a recipe that doesn’t rely on protein powder. Nuts and seeds the other hand do provide protein, but they also contain high amounts of fats and it’s unrealistic to meet your protein intake with nuts and seeds.

This vegan high protein granola is made with red lentils! Red lentils are a great source of plant-based protein. They contain the essential amino acid lysine which can be limited on a vegan diet. Furthermore, they provide fiber, iron and zinc.

To learn more about plant-based complete protein sources, check out this post.

What you need to make this vegan high protein granola

To need this vegan high protein granola, you need the following ingredients:

• red lentils (dry): Make sure to check the packaging – it should state the required cooking time as roughly 10 minutes.
• pumpkin seeds
• walnuts
• agave syrup or maple syrup
• oats
• almond butter (you could use peanut butter instead)
• vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• cinnamon

Instead of pumpkin seeds and walnuts, you can sub any other nuts and seeds of your choice – like hemp seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, almonds, peanuts, …

How to make this vegan high protein granola step by step

Step 1: Cook the lentils

Lentils cannot be eaten raw. So, we first need to cook them. Combine the red lentils with approximately 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Let it simmer (uncovered) for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so the lentils don’t burn.

Step 2: Drain the lentils

After 10 minutes, give the lentils a taste test and see if they are done. Drain the lentils, rinse them and let them sit in a colander for 2-3 minutes so any excess water can drain. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 160C/320F.

Step 3: Bake the lentils

Add the drained lentils to a mixing bowl, and add agave syrup and cinnamon. Give it a good mix and spread it out evenly on a baking tray. Bake for 15 minutes, then give the lentils another good mix (on the baking tray) and bake for another 15 minutes.

Step 4: Combine the remaining ingredients

In the meantime, you can combine the remaining ingredients. First, to a large mixing bowl, add the nut butter, vanilla extract and agave syrup. Mix well to combine, then add the oats, pumpkin seeds, walnuts and a pinch of salt. Once the lentils are done baking, you can let them cool slightly and add them to the mixing bowl. Give everything a good mix.

Step 5: Bake the granola

Spread out the granola mixture evenly on a baking tray and bake it in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Make sure it doesn’t burn (especially towards the edges of the baking tray).

Remove the granola from the oven and let it cool to room temperature. You can store it in a mason jar for several days.

How to serve this vegan high protein granola

Here are a few serving ideas for this vegan high protein granola:

• with fresh fruits like berries or banana and some soy milk/soy yogurt
• sprinkle it over a chia pudding for dessert
• sprinkle over nice cream for some crunch
• add as a topping to waffles or pancakes

How to get crunchy high protein granola

When I first tried making granola with lentils, I was very skeptical. How could I get lentils that get very mushy while cooking to turn out delicious, sweet and crunchy?

Here are a few tips how you can make sure that your granola turns out crunchy:

• Do not overcook the lentils. They need to be cooked through (takes roughly 10 minutes) but still quite firm to the bite. You don’t want to cook them to the point where they fall apart.
• Make sure to drain the lentils to remove any excess water left over from cooking.
• The agave syrup (or maple syrup) helps caramelize the lentils and makes them crunchier.
• Make sure to spread out the lentils evenly in a thin layer while baking.
• Adding something crunchy (like nuts and seeds) also helps!

Did you make this vegan high protein granola?

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