All-Day Snacking: Granola Takes Center Stage at Expo West 2025
Granola's days as yogurt's sidekick are over! Consumers crave functional snacks, and granola has become the perfect format to load up on goodness. At Expo West, brands showcased their creativity in making granola more than just a yogurt accessory. It'
Now, due to the sneaky high sugar content in many granolas, innovators are coming up with healthier alternatives. These new granolas are more nutrient-dense, with trends like using honey as a sweetener, blending global flavors, and incorporating more protein all within the granola category.
Let's explore some of these trend-setting brands!
Crunching Over to Clusterbucks
Clusterbucks is not just crunchy buckwheat granola; it's a versatile functional snack that could find a cozy spot in various grocery categories. Their Regenerative Organic Certified Blueberry Crisp, Birthday Cake, and Bucks 'n Honey flavors are well-known. They're about to launch savory flavors too, including a partnership with Big Tree Farms, using coconut sugar and coco aminos to cater to those savory cravings. Keep an eye out for these new flavors hitting natural retailer shelves in 2025, as Clusterbucks expands to 10 varieties.
Snackable Granology
Granology, South Korea's biggest granola manufacturer, packages their goods to look like vitamins, implying they're nutrient powerhouses. They've classics, clusters, oat puffs, kid-friendly blends, and more. The primary flavors include Black Sesame, Berry, Coconut, Chocolate, and a line of protein granolas, granola bars, candied nuts, and to-go packs, all sweetened with unrefined sugar, maple syrup, and monk fruit.
Protein-Packed Kodiak
Kodiak knows what Expo West attendees want—pancakes and folk music! This 30-year-old pioneer in protein-packed pancakes is working on becoming a pantry staple for breakfast. Just launched are three protein-rich granola varieties (Honey Oat, Cookie Butter, and Chocolate) and trail bars. "We're building an all-rounder pantry brand," CEO Val Oswalt shares. With 17 grams of protein per serving, these tasty granolas are already on Target, Walmart, Kroger, and Albertsons shelves. Get ready for a line of breakfast sandwiches this Spring, like a sausage, egg, and cheese in-between protein pancakes!
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Nut-Forward Nana Joes
Nana Joes, founded in the Bay Area in 2010, takes care of each ingredient in their nut-heavy granola. They source almond butter freshly ground every week, California Bower Ranch almond slices, and pecans from Houston's Rio Grande Organics. Apart from paleo granolas, they offer oat-based options ideal for a savory oatmeal. Get your hands on their unique blends, including 'Big Wave' (quinoa, cranberry, and almond butter) and 'Ocean Beach' (almond butter, coffee, and cocoa), available in Whole Foods stores across California.
Purely Elizabeth's Growing Impact
Purely Elizabeth, a leading natural granola brand, is expanding its portfolio and sustainability efforts. Last year, they launched a line of cookie granola, and at Expo West 2025, they debuted their newest expansion: Peanut Butter Cookie Granola. "We're merging my favorite cookie recipe with granola," founder and CEO Elizabeth Stein explains. By the end of 2026, Purely Elizabeth aims to use one-third regenerative organic ingredients in all of its products.
Seven Sundays' Eco-Friendly Revolution
Seven Sundays hopes to change the cereal aisle with its focus on sustainability. At Expo West, they unveiled two new oat protein granolas, thanks to an oat upcycling process that results in a higher protein and fiber content. The B-Corp Certified brand is working towards 100% regeneratively grown ingredients and is also pioneering eco-friendly packaging by eliminating cardboard boxes, using only zipper bags. All products, including their unbaked cereals, are sweetened with natural ingredients like dates, Minnesota maple syrup, honey, or coconut sugar. Seven Sundays was initially a muesli company and has maintained a strong family-focused consumer base over the past 12 years. Look for them nationwide in Target and Kroger this year!
- Clusterbucks, known for its versatile and nutrient-dense granolas, is expanding its product line in 2025 to include savory flavors, promoting a crossover into various grocery categories.
- Seven Sundays, an eco-friendly brand focusing on sustainability, showcased two new oat protein granolas at Expo West 2025, using an innovative oat upcycling process to increase protein and fiber content, redefining the outlook of the cereal aisle.
- Purely Elizabeth, a leading natural granola brand, aims to use one-third regeneratively organic ingredients in all of its products by the end of 2026, and recently unveiled a new product line at Expo West 2025 – Peanut Butter Cookie Granola, a blend of granola and a favorite cookie recipe.
