Crunchy Golden Granola Clusters (Printable)

Golden, crunchy clusters made with oats, nuts, and honey. Easy to make and perfect for breakfast or snacking.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
02 - 1 cup mixed nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts), coarsely chopped
03 - 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (optional)
04 - 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or sunflower seeds
05 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
06 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Wet Ingredients

07 - 1/3 cup honey (or maple syrup for vegan option)
08 - 1/4 cup melted coconut oil (or neutral oil)
09 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Optional Add-ins

10 - 1/2 cup dried cranberries, raisins, or chopped dried apricots
11 - 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, nuts, coconut, seeds, cinnamon, and salt. Stir until evenly mixed.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together honey, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract until well blended.
04 - Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients. Stir thoroughly until everything is evenly coated and clumps begin to form.
05 - Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Gently press down with a spatula to encourage cluster formation.
06 - Bake for 22-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the granola turns golden brown.
07 - Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheet without stirring to allow clusters to set properly.
08 - Once cooled, break into clusters. Mix in dried fruit or chocolate chips if desired. Store in an airtight container.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It makes your whole house smell like a cozy bakery without any complicated steps or fancy equipment.
  • You can customize it endlessly with whatever nuts, seeds, or dried fruit you have lying around in your pantry.
  • Those big crunchy clusters are so much better than anything you can buy at the store, and you know exactly what goes into them.
  • It keeps for weeks in a jar, so you always have a healthy snack ready when hunger strikes.
02 -
  • Do not stir the granola after it comes out of the oven, even though every instinct tells you to, stirring breaks up the clusters before they have a chance to set.
  • The granola will seem soft and barely done when you pull it out, but it firms up dramatically as it cools, so don't be tempted to overbake it.
  • If you want vegan granola, swap the honey for maple syrup and it works perfectly, though the clusters may be slightly less sticky.
  • Press the mixture down really firmly before baking, the more you compress it, the bigger and crunchier your clusters will be.
03 -
  • Use a scale if you have one, weighing your oats and nuts ensures consistent results every time, especially if you're doubling the recipe.
  • Add a tablespoon of chia or flax seeds to the dry mix for extra nutrition and a subtle nutty flavor that nobody will even notice.
  • If your granola isn't clustering enough, try adding an extra tablespoon of honey or a beaten egg white to the wet ingredients, it acts like glue.
  • Let the baking sheet cool completely before trying to remove the parchment paper, or everything will stick and you'll lose half your clusters.
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