Speculaas Granola Recipe: Crunchy Homemade Granola

By Roel van den Bogaard, personal trainer and founder of Aurora Personal Training.

To make speculaas granola, mix rolled oats, nuts and seeds with speculaas spices, cinnamon, vanilla protein powder, oil and honey or maple syrup. Bake for 20–25 minutes at 160°C (320°F), stir halfway through and let it cool completely. The result is a warmly spiced topping for yogurt, quark or a smoothie bowl.

This recipe contains honey or maple syrup, so it is not sugar-free. Making it yourself does let you choose the nuts, oil, sweetener and optional speculaas cookie pieces. Below, you will find the full recipe, tips for a crunchy result, storage advice and dietary adaptations.

• 200 g coarse rolled oats
• 200 g unsalted, unroasted mixed nuts: almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts
• 75 g pumpkin seeds
• 75 g sunflower seeds
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 3 tbsp honey or maple syrup
• 3 tbsp coconut oil or sunflower oil
• 2 tbsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp speculaas spice mix (koek- en speculaaskruiden)
• 1 tsp vanilla flavoring

Optional: finely chopped speculaas cookies, to taste. Add them after the granola has cooled.

Use the scoop supplied with your protein powder. The weight of a scoop varies between products; the original recipe specifies one scoop.

A note on the spices: this recipe uses two tablespoons of cinnamon and two tablespoons of speculaas spice mix. Many spice blends already contain cinnamon, so this gives a strong spice flavor. Use level tablespoons. For a milder variation, use one tablespoon of each; the ingredient list above retains the original quantities.

1. Preheat the oven

Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Combine the dry ingredients

Roughly chop the nuts. In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, vanilla protein powder, cinnamon and speculaas spice mix.

3. Mix the honey and oil

If your coconut oil is solid, melt it gently. Mix the oil with the honey or maple syrup and the vanilla flavoring.

4. Coat the mixture

Pour the oil mixture over the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly. Scrape along the bottom of the bowl so the oil and honey or syrup are evenly distributed.

5. Spread over the baking sheet

Spread the granola in a thin, even layer over the baking sheet. If the mixture does not fit in a single layer, bake it in two batches.

6. Bake the granola

Bake for 20–25 minutes at 160°C (320°F). Stir halfway through, moving the mixture from the edges toward the center. Check regularly toward the end and remove the baking sheet before the nuts or spices burn.

7. Let it cool completely

Let the granola cool completely on the baking sheet. Check its crunchiness only once the mixture is cold.

8. Add the optional cookies

If using, stir finely chopped speculaas cookies into the cooled granola. Transfer the granola to a clean, dry, airtight container.

A thin layer and complete cooling are the main things to focus on. An overcrowded baking sheet makes even baking more difficult. Give the mixture enough room and close the storage container only when the granola is completely cold.

Because you stir this granola halfway through baking, expect a loose topping with smaller pieces rather than a large sheet of firm clusters. The amount of clustering also depends on your protein powder and chosen sweetener.

A dark brown color is not the goal: the spices already make the mixture darker. Pay attention to the smell too, and avoid overbaking the nuts until they become bitter.

Use the granola as a topping and add it just before eating to preserve its crunch.

• With quark and fruit: try our quark with fruit and granola and add apple, pear or mandarin segments.
• With yogurt: sprinkle some granola over plain yogurt for a simple breakfast.
• On pancakes: use a small amount as a spiced topping for high-protein pancakes.

Taking breakfast with you? Pack the granola separately and mix it in when you are ready to eat.

This granola can be part of a varied diet. Your portion size and what you serve it with help determine how the breakfast fits your nutrition goals. Homemade does not automatically mean low in calories or healthier than every store-bought granola.

Honey and maple syrup count as added sugar when you add them to a recipe. Calling a recipe “free from refined sugar” does not make it sugar-free. The optional speculaas cookies can add more sugar too. [1]

Choosing the sunflower oil option means the added oil contains less saturated fat than coconut oil. Both options remain in the ingredient list. [6]

The vanilla protein powder provides an additional source of protein. The exact protein content depends partly on the product and the weight of your scoop. Adding a scoop of protein powder does not, by itself, establish that the finished granola qualifies as “high in protein.” [2]

Want to calculate nutrition per serving? Weigh your ingredients, record the nutrition information on their packaging and weigh the cooled granola. Divide the total nutrition values by the final batch weight, then multiply by the weight of your portion. Calculate any yogurt, quark or fruit separately.

Vegan speculaas granola

Choose maple syrup instead of honey and use a plant-based vanilla protein powder. Check the vanilla flavoring and optional cookies for animal-derived ingredients as well. Replacing honey alone is not enough if your protein powder contains whey or casein.

Lactose-free granola

Use protein powder explicitly labeled lactose-free, or a suitable plant-based alternative. Check the optional cookies for milk ingredients too. Whey comes from milk and is not automatically lactose-free. Lactose-free also does not mean free from milk protein. Check the packaging if you need to avoid specific ingredients. [5]

Gluten-free granola

Use rolled oats labeled gluten-free. Also check the protein powder, spice mix, vanilla flavoring and any speculaas cookies. Regular speculaas cookies usually contain wheat. Use clean utensils and avoid cross-contact with gluten-containing foods. [3]

Allergens: the base recipe contains almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts. Depending on your protein powder and optional cookies, it may also contain milk, soy and gluten-containing grains. Check the labels of your ingredients.

How to store speculaas granola

Let the granola cool completely, then store it in a clean, dry, airtight container in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Use a dry spoon and add fruit, yogurt or quark only when serving.

Granola that has been baked dry can generally keep for several weeks. [4] For this homemade batch, use about two weeks as a practical guide for the best flavor and crunch. Its actual shelf life depends on the ingredients, how thoroughly it was dried during baking and the storage conditions.

For longer storage, freeze smaller portions in airtight packaging. Let a sealed portion thaw at room temperature before opening it. Discard granola if you notice mold, an unusual smell or rancid nuts.

Can I replace honey with maple syrup?

Yes. Use the three tablespoons of maple syrup listed as an alternative in the recipe. Both sweeteners contain sugar. For a vegan version, choose plant-based protein powder and suitable remaining ingredients too.

Can I leave out the protein powder?

That changes the base recipe. The protein powder contributes vanilla flavor and affects the balance between dry and liquid ingredients. Leaving it out can change the flavor and texture, so do not expect exactly the same result.

Can I make this granola sugar-free with a sweetener?

A sweetener does not automatically replace the binding and structural effects of honey or syrup. Granola made with a different sweetener therefore needs a separately developed recipe. Replacing one ingredient also does not establish that the finished granola meets the requirements for a “sugar-free” claim. [2]

Do I need to add speculaas cookies?

No. The speculaas flavor comes from the spice mix. The cookie pieces are optional and are added only after the granola has cooled.

Why should granola cool before it goes into a container?

Warm granola can still feel soft. Its texture firms up as it cools. Waiting until it is cold before sealing the container also helps avoid trapping residual warmth and moisture.

Want to coordinate your breakfast, training and daily nutrition? At Aurora Personal Training in Eindhoven, we help you make choices that fit your goals and routine.

Book a free personal training intake at Aurora Personal Training.

1. Voedingscentrum — Sugar: honey, syrups and added sugars.
2. Voedingscentrum — Requirements for nutrition claims.
3. Voedingscentrum — Gluten, gluten-free oats and cross-contact.
4. King Arthur Baking — Crunchy Granola: cooling and storage.
5. Voedingscentrum — Lactose intolerance and its difference from milk allergy.
6. Voedingscentrum — Coconut and coconut oil.

The Voedingscentrum sources are in Dutch.