When I’m craving a sweet snack but want to stay healthy, these easy homemade granola clusters is one of my go-to goodies. Store-bought granola is filled with sugar, salt, and preservatives, but you can skip all that if you make your own.
In this recipe, I leave out the salt, instead opting for tasty cinnamon, coconut, almond butter, and pumpkin seeds to give the mixture lots of flavor.
The ingredients
Maple syrup is a natural sweetener lower on the glycemic index than sugar, and full of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
Flax seeds provide protein, fiber, and Omega-3 fatty acids.
Pumpkin seeds: Did you know that Pumpkin seeds contain tryptophan. This amino acid is used to produce serotonin which is involved in mood. This is why it's often called the happy seed!
Almond butter: Any nuts butter is a good option in this recipe!
The Preparation
These easy homemade granola clusters are very simple to make and only take about 15-20 minutes in the oven. Start by combining all of your ingredients, and press them down on a baking sheet. Using parchment paper will help prevent the mixture from sticking to your pan.
Watch your mixture as it bakes, as it can go from golden brown to burnt brown fairly quickly. Remember that it will continue cooking outside of the oven, so take it out early if you’re unsure. Don’t stir your granola while it cooks, otherwise, it won’t form into clusters.
Allow your granola to cool thoroughly before you break it into pieces. This recipe is versatile, and you can mix and match ingredients and seasonings depending on the time of year or your mood. Use agave syrup, chia seeds, peanut butter… the possibilities really are endless once you know how to make the base recipe.
FAQS
Enjoy these on their own as a snack, or broke them and use them on top of your yogurt. You can even add a little cut fruit to make it a parfait.
Granola clusters will last between 2-3 weeks in an airtight container. I’m going to guess they won’t last that long, though!
Snack Recipes
Granola Cluster
Ingredients
- 2 cups oats
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup coconut unsweetened shredded
- ⅓ cup flax seeds
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup almond butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 ° F
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Mix well to combine everything.
- Spread the preparation on the baking sheet in an even layer. Using a spatula or your hand, press the granola to compress.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the granola is golden brown. Do not stir during cooking.
- Remove from the oven and let it sit on the baking sheet for 30 minutes.
- Break the granola into pieces.
Notes
- The granola clusters can be stored for up to 2-3 weeks at room temperature in an airtight container. Serve over yogurt.
- There are endless variations. You can replace the maple syrup with agave syrup, the flax seeds with Chia seeds, almond butter with peanut butter... You can follow this recipe or create your own version.
Margaret Boudreaux
Is a serving size 1 cup=122 kcal?
Sophie
Hi Margaret, it's the equivalent of 3 medium size of clusters