every grain-free granola you've wanted to try, ranked
Granola is an amazing treat. Definitely super addictive. Freshman year of college, I would happily eat half a bag of granola after swim practice (do not recommend). But after switching to Paleo, it became difficult to find a good grain-free granola. Most granolas are made with oats because it's cheap and crisps up nicely.
I've made it a personal mission to eat my way through all the different grain-free granolas out there. There are still a couple I haven't tried, but I've compared price and taste of these 11 below (+ 2 Paleo muesli, 5 to-try granolas, and recipes to make your own!)
1. Wildway of Life
This granola is more chewy than crunchy, but that makes it great for a variety of things, from topping rice cakes to avocado toast to sweet potato yogurt bowls. A single spoonful is great for a quick pre-workout snack, as it's only sweetened with dates (no added sugar here!).
Favorite flavor: Vanilla Bean Espresso
Amazon price: $19.99 for a 3-pack of 10 oz = $0.67 / oz
Website price: $5.99 / 10 oz = $0.60 / oz
Vitacost price: $8.09 / 10 oz = $0.81 / oz
2. KitchFix
Kitchfix is actually a meal subscription service, but their granola is some of the best I've tried. It's crunchy, has those fantastic big clusters, and has great flavor. There's only a touch of maple syrup as sweetener, so it's pretty low-sugar.
Favorite Flavor: Cocoa Sea Salt
Amazon price: $11.99 for 10 oz = $1.20 / oz
Website price: $9.99 for 10 oz = $1 / oz
3. Paleo Passion Foods
This is a close second right behind the Kitchfix granola in the "crunchy" granola category. It also has great clusters, but has less flavor options.
Favorite flavor: Maple Cinnamon
Amazon price: $26 for 3-8oz bags = $1.08 / oz
Website price: $22 for 3-8oz bags = $0.92 / oz
4. White Lion Baking Company
This is a local brand β I first found it at a farmer's market β and it's actually amazing. Not too rich and just the right amount of nutty and crunchy. It's super expensive, so I try and avoid buying it too often, but I do so as a treat because I like supporting local small businesses.
Website price: $9 for 8 oz = $1.13 / oz
Whole Foods price: $9.99 for 8 oz = $1.25 / oz
5. Steve's PaleoGoods
This is another brand that I think is a bit over-priced, but they have more options than many other Paleo brands: they have nut-free Paleo granola, PaleoKoko (basically crumbled macaroons), and Maple Bacon Paleokrunch.
Favorite flavor: Cinnamon
Amazon price: $8.95 for 7.5 oz = $1.93 / oz
Website price: $7.95 for 7.5 oz = $1.06 / oz
Whole Foods price: $8.99 for 7.5 oz = $1.20 / oz
6. Paleonola
This was the 1st grain free granola I've ever tried β thanks to my friend Rach, who got this for me when she first heard I was following the Paleo lifestyle. It's a classic for a reason.
Favorite flavor: Maple Pancake
Amazon price: $12.27 for 10 oz = $1.23 / oz
Website price: $8.99 for 10 oz = $0.90 / oz
Whole Foods price: $8.99 for 10 oz = $0.90 / oz
7. McCabe's
This is a brand that I found on Vitacost because it was on sale. It's also a very solid grain-free granola; nothing life-changing, but definitely worth the price.
Tip: There's only 1 flavor, but make it more interesting by adding avocado to your bowls for an extra dose of healthy fat!
Amazon price: $15.99 for 10 oz = $1.60 / oz
Vitacost price: $6.29 for 10 oz = $0.63 / oz
8. Purely Elizabeth
This brand is all over Instagram, but most of their granola isn't grain-free. I was overjoyed to find the Banana Nut flavor at my local Sprouts when I went home last spring, but I thought it was a little over-hyped. It was too nutty (yes, that's possible) for my taste.
Amazon price: $5.77 for 8 oz = $0.72 / oz
Website price: $6.99 for 8 oz = $0.87 / oz
Vitacost price: $6.99 for 8 oz = $0.87 / oz
9. Backroads
This Vermont-made granola reminds me of homemade granola, from the packaging to the wholesome ingredients. It's a fairly middle-of-the-road granola; not standout but solid.
Favorite Flavor: Coconut Crunch
Website price: $55 for 6-10z bags = $0.92 / oz
Whole Foods price: $8.99 by bag (12 oz), $12.99 per lb in bulk bins = $0.75 / oz for a bag or $0.81 / oz for bulk
10. True North
Another local brand, they offer one Paleo granola: the Nutty No-Grainer. I found it at the Boston Public Market near my apartment, but you can buy it online as well. It includes macadamia nuts, which is unusual in a granola mix!
Website price: $9 for 8 oz = $1.13 / oz
11. GrandyOats
I really wanted to like this granola β it's crunchy and clusters well β but it was far too sweet for my taste. You can find it in the bulk bins at Whole Foods!
Website price: $48 for 6-9 oz bags = $0.89 / oz
Paleo Muesli
Like granola, traditional muesli is made with β you guessed it β oats, but you won't miss the oats in these Paleo mueslis. They don't have added sugar, making them a little bit healthier.
1. Good Mix Superfoods
You're meat to soak this to make a more traditional muesli, but I like using it as a toast, chia seed pudding, or smoothie bowl topper!
Amazon price: $11.85 for 8.5 oz = $1.39 / oz
Website price: $21 for 14 oz = $1.5 / oz
2. Bob's Red Mill
This is a great yogurt topper or soaked with almond milk.
Amazon price: $12.21 for 14 oz = $0.87/oz
Vitacost price: $7.22 for 14 oz = $0.52/oz
Website price: $11.69 for 14 oz = $0.84/oz
To Try
1. Whole Me
These are clusters, actually, but that's the best part of granola, isn't it? They have fun flavors like cinnamon banana chip and also have single-serve packets for on-the-go!
Amazon price: $8.79 for 8 oz = $1.1 / oz
Website price: $7 for 8 oz = $0.88 / oz
2. Bubba's Fine Foods
Dubbed "ungranola," Bubba's has no refined sugar (just a bit of honey) and egg whites for extra protein. Also, how good does bourbon vanilla or uber chocolate sound?
Amazon price: $8.99 for 6 oz = $1.5 / oz
Website price: $8.99 for 6 oz = $1.5 / oz
3. Lark Ellen Farm
The unique thing about this brand is that they use sprouted nuts and seeds in their granola, which helps digestion.
Amazon price: $8.99 for 7.5 oz = $1.2 / oz
Website price: $8.99 for 7.5 oz = $1.2 / oz
Vitacost price: $8.99 for 7.5 oz = $1.2 / oz
4. Kitchun
These no-granolas have super fun names (like You're the Apple of My Chai) and use coconut milk for an elevated twist.
Amazon price: $25.25 for 2-10 oz bags = $1.26 / oz
Website price: $9.99 for 10 oz = $1 / oz
5. Julie's Real
Not only does this company make some fab sounding nut butter, but they make grain free granola as well. I've got my eye on the cacao coconut flavor...
Amazon price: $5.19 for 2.6 oz = $2 / oz
Website price: $4.95 for 2.6 oz = $1.90 / oz
If you want to make your own grain-free granola and save serious cash, check out these recipes:
- SCD & Paleo Vanilla Granola from Against All Grain
- Blueberry Almond Butter Grain-Free Granola from Bakerita
- Superfood Grain-Free Granola with Wild Blueberries and Coconut from Parsnips & Pastries
A personal note on granola: Granola used to be something that I was honestly scared to eat. When I was struggling with my eating disorder, I was afraid of granola and nut butters, amongst other foods. It's a blessing to feel free enough to buy a bag of granola, to try some and put some back. To not fear this amazing, delicious food.