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Granola is similar to muesli, but baked with a sugar syrup (maple syrup, honey or golden syrup, say). It’s by definition sweet, and I find sugar addictive, so I enjoy it only rarely as a treat. The best ones come in golden clusters; sweet, but not too sweet (under 10% is low, over 15% high), with a touch of salt and a range of whole grains, dried fruit, nuts and seeds. I also love ones that include toasted coconut, because it adds complexity and flavour at not too much extra cost.
The quality of this test group was pretty high across the board, with nutty bargains, luxuriously indulgent, sugar-packed treats and, to my surprise, some really healthy, low-sugar wholefood options.
★★★★☆
Clusters of medium-roast oats with a generous helping of toasted coconut, sunflower seeds, almonds and pumpkin seeds. Flavoured with buckwheat, and just 4.4% sugar (sweetened with coconut blossom nectar and prebiotic chicory root fibre).
★★★☆☆
Generous clusters of dark roasted oats, spelt and barley, alongside 15% nuts, including almonds. At 12% sugar, not too sweet, but it also contains flavouring, which seems unnecessary. Brilliant value for a tasty, classic granola.
★★★★☆
Large clusters of dark-roast oats sweetened with a generous amount of honey and a drizzle of maple syrup, creating a floral, aromatic and deeply flavourful granola. Full of delicious nuts, seeds and dried fruit (raisins and cranberries). Super-sweet (31.6% sugar) but wonderfully indulgent. More a dessert granola than a breakfast staple.
★★★★☆
A healthy, almost savoury wholefood granola with small, dark-roasted clusters of oats, puffed brown rice, buckwheat and quinoa, with an incredible range of nuts and seeds. Made with extra-virgin olive oil and no added sugars (9.7% overall). Contains dates, dried carrots and chicory root.
★★★★☆
Small-batch, UK-made, cacao-rich rye clusters sweetened with upcycled British apple pulp (saved from juice makers) and a drizzle of maple syrup. Generously fortified with sunflower seeds, hazelnuts and extra virgin rapeseed oil. Quite savoury (just 11% sugar), and my best splurge for the health and eco-conscious.
★★★☆☆
A classic granola with small clusters of oats, seeds and nuts, including pecans. Almost 20% nuts and seeds, a great ratio for this price, though it doesn’t feature any dried fruit. The coconut stands out, though. Uncertified palm oil and 13% sugar.
★★★☆☆
Small dark clusters of peanut-coated granola with raisins and peanuts with 13% peanut butter, too, which makes it very nutty. Contains 16% sugar, but this one is sweetened with date syrup, which has a low to moderate GI. Spoon donates 1% of turnover to planetary charities.
★★★☆☆
Small, well-roasted clusters of oat, rye and millet, with lots of coconut and a hint of vanilla. Very sweet with muscovado sugar and maple syrup (17% sugar). No nuts, seeds or dried fruit.
★★☆☆☆
Small, medium-roast oat and rye clusters sweetened with golden syrup (13.1% sugar). No dried fruit and, at just 7.5%, scant on nuts (almond, hazelnut and cashew), too. Naturally flavoured, and with desiccated coconut.
★☆☆☆☆
Big, firm, crunchy oat clusters with pumpkin seeds and pieces of dark chocolate. Fortified with wheat protein (which gives it an odd taste of baby rusks) and vitamins. Contains glucose and 17.5% sugar, which seems at odds with the health messaging.
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