Crunchy Golden Granola Clusters (Printable)

Golden clusters of rolled oats, nuts, and honey—crunchy, homemade, and perfect for breakfast or snacking.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
02 - 1 cup mixed nuts (such as almonds, pecans, walnuts), coarsely chopped
03 - ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut (optional)
04 - ¼ cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or sunflower seeds
05 - ½ tsp ground cinnamon
06 - ¼ tsp fine sea salt

→ Wet Ingredients

07 - ⅓ cup honey (or maple syrup for vegan option)
08 - ¼ cup melted coconut oil (or neutral oil)
09 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

→ Optional Add-ins

10 - ½ cup dried cranberries, raisins, or chopped dried apricots
11 - ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips

# How-To:

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 to mix evenly.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together honey, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract.
04 - Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients. Stir until everything is evenly coated and clumps start to form.
05 - Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Gently press down with a spatula to encourage clusters to form.
06 - Bake for 22–25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until golden brown.
07 - Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheet without stirring (this helps clusters set).
08 - Once cooled, break into clusters. Mix in dried fruit or chocolate chips if desired. Store in an airtight container.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It forms actual clusters instead of loose dust like store bought versions.
  • You control the sweetness and can skip any ingredients you dont like.
  • One batch lasts all week and costs half what fancy brands charge.
02 -
  • Stirring the granola right out of the oven breaks the clusters before they set, learned that the hard way twice.
  • Pressing the mixture down firmly before baking is the single most important step for big chunky pieces.
03 -
  • Line your bowl with the parchment paper you will bake on, then pour everything directly onto the sheet to save a step and a dish.
  • If clusters are too sweet, cut honey to ¼ cup and add a tablespoon of nut butter for binding instead.
Go Back