Purely Elizabeth launches clean-label granola with protein from nuts and seeds

Purely Elizabeth used its Protein Ancient Grain Granola launch to make a clear bet on where protein is headed next: into foods that look familiar in the pantry, not engineered in a lab. The new line, launched May 12, 2026, delivers 10 grams of protein per serving from nuts, seeds and oats, with the brand pointing away from powders, isolates and fillers and toward a cleaner, more everyday kind of protein.

The product sits squarely in that shift. Purely Elizabeth says the granola is made with organic oats and organic coconut oil, is an excellent source of fiber, and comes in Cinnamon Toast, Almond Butter & Berries and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter. Retail listings also describe it as gluten free, vegan and Non-GMO Project Verified, reinforcing the same message consumers have been hearing across grocery shelves: protein now has to arrive with a familiar ingredient deck and a softer wellness halo.

Taste was part of the pitch too. Elizabeth Stein, Purely Elizabeth’s founder and CEO, said the brand saw an opportunity to rethink protein in a way that feels simpler, more transparent and more delicious. The company said blind taste testing showed the granola outperformed competitors in overall liking and purchase intent, a reminder that macros still have to win on flavor before they win in the cart.

That positioning matters because granola is no longer just a breakfast category story. It is competing with bars, clusters and other portable snacks in the protein-heavy better-for-you aisle, where shoppers increasingly want food that feels natural and pantry-friendly. Purely Elizabeth is leaning on ancient grains, whole-food ingredients and the protein already present in pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews and chia seeds to occupy a middle ground between indulgent granola and the harder-edged fitness products that built the protein boom.

The launch also reflects how far the Boulder, Colorado company has come. Founded in 2009 by Elizabeth Stein, Purely Elizabeth has been a Certified B Corporation since February 2015. It says 100% of its oats are USDA Certified Organic and that 25% of its ingredients are sourced using regenerative practices. The brand has also scaled well beyond niche natural foods, with roughly 30,000 grocery stores across the U.S. and major retail doors including Kroger, Albertsons, Whole Foods and Walmart.

Purely Elizabeth has backed that growth with capital and channel expansion. It closed a $50 million Series B round in January 2022, added a foodservice partnership with Eurest in March 2025, and is now on track to surpass $300 million in sales in 2026. The protein granola launch suggests the company sees the category’s next chapter as less about chasing the highest number and more about making protein feel like something shoppers already trust.