It鈥檚 time I admit something: The granola aisle at my local grocery store is detrimental to my wallet and my soul. Granola is one of my favorite things to put on my after a morning run, and I don鈥檛 use just a sprinkle鈥擨 dump it on. I like my granola piled high.听

But between inflation and granola brands fine-tuning their recipes to meet specific nutritional needs鈥攎ore protein, less sugar, added healthy fats鈥攑rices are rising. For example, my favorite granola, Purely Elizabeth, has everything I want in a post-run snack. In 鈪� cup it has 18 grams of carbs, 2 grams of fiber, and 3 grams of added sugar. But this 8-ounce bag costs $7.29, or $0.91 per ounce, making it one of my most expensive grocery items. By comparison, my favorite cereal, , is $4.49 for 10.6 ounces ($0.42 per ounce) and my go-to trail mix, is $5.49 for 14 ounces ($0.39 per ounce.)

I wondered, as I scoured my Kroger apps for granola coupons one day, if making my own would be more cost-efficient than buying it. For some help, I consulted , who also considers granola a staple in her kitchen.听

鈥�Nuts and seeds and their respective butters are expensive ingredients these days,鈥� Cuff says. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 those ingredients that are usually in granola. So any good-quality granola that actually puts decent amounts of nuts and seeds and uses non-seed oil (such as coconut or olive oil) is absolutely going to be more expensive.鈥�

For this reason, Cuff makes her own granola in large batches.听

鈥淚t can definitely be cheaper, especially if you can buy the ingredients in bulk, like I do,鈥� she explains. 鈥淩olled oats are cheap, and you can get nuts and seeds and butters from Costco.鈥�

MS RDN, dietitian and nutrition consultant says the price of high-quality granola makes sense, as many brands spend money on organic ingredients. Plus, many higher-end granola brands make small batches to maintain freshness, which can increase manufacturing costs per unit.听

鈥淪ome healthy granola products undergo testing and certification processes to ensure they meet specific health or dietary standards,鈥� McIntyre says. 鈥淭hese certifications can be costly to obtain and maintain. Plus, you may also see the pricier granola have a higher concentration of nuts, seeds, and dried fruits to provide more nutrients and flavor, which can be costly compared to grain-based ingredients.鈥�

To test whether or not making homemade granola was going to be delicious and cost-efficient, I decided to try it myself.

How to Make Great Quality Granola From Scratch

Granola is simple enough to put together鈥攐r so I thought. The granola I eat has to meet my nutritional needs as a runner: The sugars should be natural, and the carbs should be high, at least 50 grams. Protein is nice as well, but the yogurt I pair my granola with usually covers that.

To meet my specifications, McIntyre suggests the basics: whole grains as a base (oats, buckwheat, or quinoa), nuts (almonds, peanuts, walnuts), seeds (pepitas, sunflower), dried fruits (cranberry, cherries, apricots), and a sweetener (honey, maple syrup).听

Cuff offered up her favorite basic granola recipe for me to test. While the price of granola varies based on what鈥檚 in it, this one was the most similar to what I鈥檓 used to piling on my yogurt. Shopping list in hand, I hit up Kroger and Costco.

My grand total for all the ingredients, calculating in tax and my Kroger discount, came out to be $76. This number startled me at first, because鈥� Come on! Almost $76 for granola ingredients?! But I had to remind myself that I was buying some things in bulk, and that the test was to see if homemade was less expensive, ounce for ounce. Once I unloaded my groceries, I got to work baking.听

Cuff鈥檚 granola was delicious, and I felt good knowing every single ingredient that went into it. Nutritionally, the homemade version had the amount of carbs I required鈥攖hat鈥檚 in contrast to needing three servings of Purely Elizabeth granola to get the same amount. See the breakdown below:.听

Cuff鈥檚 Classic Granola Nutritional Content: 陆 cup serving

46 grams carbs, 10 grams protein, 18 grams fat, 8 grams sugar

Purely Elizabeth Chocolate Sea Salt Probiotic Ancient Grain Granola Nutritional Content: 鈪� cup serving

19 grams carbs, 3 grams protein, 6 grams fat, 7 grams sugar

Is Homemade Granola Cheaper?

Initially, you鈥檒l have to spend more money on homemade granola than store-bought. However, over the long run (depending on your recipe) you鈥檒l most likely spend less on making your own granola.听

Cuff鈥檚 granola recipe makes 12 servings, 陆 cup a serving. Each serving weighed approximately 2 ounces. This is where it gets mathy. Hold onto your hats.听

Adding up the cost of each ingredient price per ounce, the total came to $15.66 for 12 servings, or 48 ounces of granola 鈥� $0.65 per ounce. For Purely Elizabeth, the price per ounce is $0.91. If I wanted the same amount as a batch of homemade, I鈥檇 have to buy six bags at $43.74. This means I would spend $28.08 more for Purely Elizabeth.听

Plus, everything I bought could safely make at least two total batches of granola before running out of dried cherries, three batches before running out of hemp hearts, 12 batches before running out of oats, and 15 batches before running out of almonds.

Prices may fluctuate depending on where you鈥檙e located or the kind of granola you like, but in my case, making my own was less expensive than buying it. All that said, I鈥檓 not sure if it was all the math, the time it took to bake the granola, or the hassle of kitchen cleanup, but I started to think buying my granola, although potentially costlier, had its benefits.听

There are, of course, important advantages to making your own. First and foremost, you get to control exactly what goes into your snack, which is especially helpful if you鈥檙e sensitive to specific ingredients. It鈥檚 also, in my opinion, tastier. There鈥檚 something about warm granola coming out of the oven.听

If you eat granola as much as I do and have the time, it may be beneficial to spend the money upfront to buy all the ingredients you need for large (and future) batches. (Just make sure to store nuts and seeds in the freezer so they don鈥檛 go rancid.)听

If you do buy granola, there are certain things you should consider. McIntyre says to look for whole, recognizable ingredients, and to be wary of high-protein, low-calorie varieties. 听

鈥淲hey protein used in high-protein granolas can be a hidden source of dairy,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd non-nutritive sweeteners used in low-calorie granolas may cause digestive upset in large amounts.鈥澨�

A runner herself, McIntyre鈥檚 favorite store-bought granola is听

鈥淚t鈥檚 made with quality ingredients, including certified gluten-free oats, which is important for my family, and is made in small batches,鈥� she says. 鈥淭ry as I might, I can鈥檛 replicate the delicious flavor with my homemade variety, so this is the one I stick to when buying off the shelf at Target!鈥澨�

All this to say that I won鈥檛 tell people to buy or make their own granola, because there are too many factors to consider (time being one of them). However, I will say one thing, if you鈥檙e not piling your Greek yogurt high with the stuff, you鈥檙e seriously missing out.听

Cuff鈥檚 Classic Granola

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When you鈥檙e prepping for your next big hike or long ride, the granola bar section in the grocery store can be a daunting place. It can be difficult to decipher which bar will enhance your adventure or bring you to a halt. Tons of bars on the market are loaded with added sugar and artificial ingredients, both of the production of Orexin in the brain, a chemical that stimulates the feeling of being awake. And there鈥檚 nothing worse than falling asleep over your handlebars!

These nutty maple cinnamon bars are made with whole, energy-boosting ingredients like rolled oats, unsalted almonds, protein powder and sea salt. In lieu of processed sugars, we use maple syrup, a great alternative for simple carbohydrates that athletes can easily convert to during intense activities.听

Whip up a batch of these before a long camping trip, a Sunday long run or even a walk with Fido. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge.

Nutty Maple Cinnamon Bars

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Olympic athlete Colleen Quigley fuels her mornings with this homemade granola filled with colorful raw nuts, seeds and coconut flakes.

A warning from Quigley: “It goes from “mmmm not quite there” to “shoot, now it’s burnt!” preeeetty quickly. Keep an eye on it!”

Adapted with permission from

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