Kellanova launch Special K Crunchy Oat Granola

In June 2022, Kellanova launched two new granolas as part of its Special K range. Special K Crunchy Oat Granola comes in two flavours: Mixed Berries with blackcurrants and cranberries, and Dark Chocolate with 64% cocoa chocolate curls.

These new products aim to bring taste and healthier credentials to the granola category.

The clusters are made with oats and puffed grains resulting in a granola that is high in oat grain fibre to support digestive health. The flavours took inspiration from the most popular Kellanova Special K variants.

A key challenge in the development of the granola was the need to balance gut health benefits with great taste, while maintaining the other health credentials like being 30% lower in sugar than other granolas, higher in fibre and non-HFSS.

Many different recipes and combinations of inclusions were tested with expert panels before choosing the final recipe. Innovative solutions were utilised to achieve the target nutrition credentials, for example using a higher percentage of cocoa solids in the chocolate to create a more indulgent and decadent taste but also naturally lower the sugar content.

Since its launch, Special K Granola has grown to 87.8% distribution and gained volume share within the granola category. It has also attracted a younger shopper into the brand with most consumers aged 35-44.