It all started with a typical weekend shopping trip to Costco where I discovered a delicious and highly addicting snack called Granola Clusters. You can find them in the Bakery section where they are sitting innocently on a table just waiting for unsuspecting passersby to put them in their cart. Little do these people know what will become of them once they decide to let these little morsels into their lives! Suddenly they become like Gollum in Lord of the Rings with their “precious” granola snack!
I admit, I succumbed to the lure of the clusters and became ensnared in their powerful allure! I became obsessed with the idea of replicating them in my own kitchen so I wouldn’t risk running out! (After all, Costco is a good 30 minute drive from my house! What if I ran out and I couldn’t get to Costco right away? I couldn’t take that chance!) So I spent a good deal of the afternoon and evening on Monday trying to create my own version of this evil concoction.
The fact that I couldn’t find any recipes online that were even remotely like this stuff should have been a warning — this stuff should not be replicated! It’s much too addicting and in the wrong hands it could be dangerous. But I ignored all the red flags and carelessly pressed on in my desperate pursuit to make my own “homemade” crack, errrr, clusters!
Eventually I found a recipe that claimed to result in “granola clusters” but maybe I was too far gone in my addiction at this point, because the recipe did NOT turn out how I had hoped! I wasn’t looking for subtle clustering of the granola, I needed big, chunky, chewy, satisfying clusters! Thankfully, I still had enough presence of mind to make some changes to the recipe that resulted in what I think is actually better than the original! Boy oh boy did I luck out on this one! ;-)
Of course it still should have a warning label because it’s still as addicting as sin, but at least it’s homemade! ;-) (And yes, I AM eating it like candy as I type this post! Don’t judge me!) ;-)
Granola Clusters
Adapted from The Traveler’s Lunchbox
Ingredients
- 1 lb quick oats (I used gluten-free)
- 3 cups coarsely chopped raw nuts and/or seeds (I used 2 cups whole, roasted almonds and 1 cup sunflower seeds)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups dried fruit (I used 1 cup raisins, 1 cup cranberries)
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, coffee grinder or blender, grind half the oats to a fine powder (this apparently is KEY when making clusters! Helps make the granola hold together better).
In a large bowl, combine the whole oats, ground oats, nuts, spices, and dried fruit.
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the brown sugar, honey, butter, maple syrup and water and heat until the mixture starts to bubble. Stir in the salt and vanilla.
Pour this over the oats and nuts, stirring well to coat.
It should be moist – stir in another tablespoon or two of water if it isn’t. Let stand for about ten minutes.
Spread the mixture out on a large baking sheet and firmly press it down until it is packed nicely into the pan.
More Ideas You'll Love
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven, let cool, then gently break up the mixture into medium-sized clumps. Now put BACK in the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes.
When the granola comes out of the oven it should be nice and golden brown, extra crunchy on the outside and just slightly soft and chewy on the inside. Let cool completely then break it up into clusters and store in a covered container at room temperature.
If you like snacking on granola you simply have to try these. Oh, and don’t worry — I can stop anytime I want to! ;-)
Granola Clusters
Ingredients
- 1 lb quick oats I used gluten-free
- 3 cups coarsely chopped raw nuts and/or seeds I used 2 cups whole, roasted almonds and 1 cup sunflower seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups dried fruit I used 1 cup raisins, 1 cup cranberries
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 cup 2 sticks butter
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, coffee grinder or blender, grind half the oats to a fine powder
- In a large bowl, combine the whole oats, ground oats, nuts, spices, and dried fruit.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the brown sugar, honey, butter, maple syrup and water and heat until the mixture starts to bubble. Stir in the salt and vanilla.
- Pour this over the oats and nuts, stirring well to coat.
- It should be moist – stir in another tablespoon or two of water if it isn’t. Let stand for about ten minutes.
- Spread the mixture out on a large baking sheet and FIRMLY PRESS IT DOWN until it is packed nicely into the pan.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven, let cool, then gently break up the mixture into medium-sized clumps. Now put BACK in the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes.
- When the granola comes out of the oven it should be nice and golden brown, extra crunchy on the outside and just slightly soft and chewy on the inside. Let cool completely then break it up into clusters and store in a covered container at room temperature.
Nutrition
It would be great if you had a “Print the Recipe” button with this!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.*sigh* You’ve voiced my wish!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.i am always just wanting CLUMPS.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I am going to try this but I may cut out some of the butter and add peanut butter to mine. Also coconut sounds good to try out too! Anything to get more granola in my diet!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Several of these snack type things these days are made with rice syrup. I would think you could buy that in the health food section. I believe it has a lower glucose level. Also, in the old days, the granola was made with some oil as part of the liquid. Maybe these two things would help the people who need less sugar, Also the agave as someone else mentioned. Need to do some experimenting.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi Sue, I love Agave syrup and use it alot so I tried it with this recipe. It worked just fine!! And I also grew up making granola with oil so I tried that instead of the butter. No problem with that substitution. For me, it is a quesiton of which is healthier so I am going to research that. This stuff is dangerous tho once you make it, I should have never made mine right before dinner!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Can’t wait to try this! I may have to chop up the Almonds though. With store bough teeth, it isn’t easy to eat big nuts.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Now that is one dangerous recipe
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Mmmmmm…. glad calorie counts aren’t mentioned!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.AMAZING!! I was just looking for a good granola recipe last night!! I love the idea of making clusters for snacking. I also like to add granola to my yogurt so I can just continue baking some without putting in the muffin tin…I love versatility! I’m definitely going to give this a whirl!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.WOW! I have all these ingredients on hand. It sounds like a great way to use up the last of all the bags of dried fruit spilling out of the cabinet. DH opens new bags before he finishes the open ones (I hate that), and his one shelf in the cabinet is overflowing with these bags. I was going to try adding those heavily salted pumpkin seeds (David’s) because he has 4 open bags of those. His shelf is such a mess he doesn’t even look in there anymore-he just opens a new bag. Next week I’ll have to make the Chocolate Saltine Toffee Bark, because he has about 5 sleeves opened.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.And to think I was going to behave after all those holiday treats.
To answer the questions about adding the honey, maple syrup and butter as a second step…..
While I haven’t tested it out yet….I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t just add all the ingredients in the first step. Also, it seems logical that you could just put it all straight into the muffin tins rather than cooking first on a sheet and THEN putting into the tins. But again, I havent personally tried it out yet. But I will! :-)
Anyone who tries it…please give us an update! thx!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I also recommend mixing them up together and then just bake it on a baking sheet. Perhaps on the first baking session, press it into the pan and then once browned, just cut them up into squares.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I did this all in one step it did not turn out it was more like a muffin than granola it was good but not what it should have been, I think the first step makes it granola then the second step and bake makes the clusters.
Question:
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Do you need to add the honey, maple syrup and last half cup of butter in that separate step or could we just incorporate those into the saucepan step? thanks d
Ditto to Fiona’s question!
And Jillee – you just speak my language! I had a feeling the first time I read one of your blogs that you were also in recovery. Coming up on 23 yrs. in March for me, (totally by the grace of God)! But as always, I digress…. I’m sold on your homemade concoctions and am working on converting friends and family! The DIY laundry detergent (cooked type) & the shower cleaner (Dawn & vinegar) are my absolute favorites! I’ve also been buying (a few at a time) essential oils and learning their uses! I’m becoming a mad scientist and loving it!
I watch my 3 year old granddaughter Mon thru Fri and am always looking for healthy snack ideas for ‘Grammy’s precious’ Clara!
So grateful to have stumbled across you! :)
KAM (I am)!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I always make my own granola, love those clusters… Trying it! Think I might try my cookie scoop for forming… Hmmmm….
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Email hug!!! I bought clusters yesterday and wondered how in the world they make those things!! LOL! Too funny about the “crack..er clusters”! Thanks Jillee!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.When you make it again would you just start by putting it in the mini muffin tins? I love this kind of stuff and what a great healthy snack for the kiddos. I wonder if agave nectar would work because that is what i have on hand.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The agave was my question also, so I’ll just wait on her to answer you, Christy! I’m sensitive to honey, so I’ve been using agave. It’s not quite as thick, but I don’t see why it won’t work.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Please do NOT use agave. It is nearly as bad as high fructose corn syrup. I would use raw honey instead. I used to use agave until I found this out. It’s nasty stuff.
All I can say is YUMMMM..have to make this! You are too funny, always make me laugh!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Oh, you must have read my mind, Jillee! I was just searching for granola cluster recipes on the web & Pinterest. I never found anything that sounded really good. Can’t wait to try your recipe! Thanks!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi, I love granola but due to a sugar intolerance I can only have small amounts of sugar at a time. Is there a way to make this with less sugar? Or another granola recipe that you know of that would be less sugar. I can tolerate about 10 g per serving. After that things get really ugly. I love all your recipes and make a lot of them for my husband.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m not sure if you’ve tried it, but there is “sugar-free” honey, and many other products that are sugar-free. I had gestational diabetes while pregnant with my last son, so it took a lot of getting used to sugar-free products.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Have you tried the recipe again and consolidated the steps? If/ when you do…let us know! I love granola and have finally gotten a good granola (chewy) bar recipe down for the kid’s snacks. It’s not easy to come by a good granola recipe!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Ok, I really NEEDS to makes theses! Just a quick question, now that you know to add the “sticky” ingredients, would you add them before you bake them? Or do you think it turned out better adding it after having baked them first? I love reading your posts first thing in the morning, it always perks up this non-morning gal!! Thanks!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You know, when I was reading the original recipe, I thought that it wasn’t enough sweet ness to make the granola that we are used to from the grocery store. This sounds great, and it was a great story.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This looks great! BUT I have to admit there is nothing more addicting than that popcorn you post awhile ago… with the brown sugar, marshmallows, and butter… that’s the BEST!!!
My husband did help me out with a life hack for that though… of course it was after I had made a huge batch. after you pop your popcorn cut off the corners of the bag and shake it and all the kernels will fall out … saves a lot of time looking for them… and it saves your teeth :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.That is brilliant Janelle! I am definitely going to try that next time I make that popcorn. You must thank your husband for me.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Awesome tip about cutting the bag corner off to shake out the unpopped kernels…brilliant! Kudos to hubbie, clever guy.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.By the way, another way to get rid of those pesky kernels is to take a cooling rack and pour it over that. It helps separate the kernels from the popcorn!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Oh, these sound super yummy! I absolutely adore your blog. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You totally crack me up, Jillee!! I think I’m going to try a version of this but perhaps with pecans and cashews or sunflower seeds. I think I must be the only person on the planet that absolutely loathes the taste of almonds. Hahaha. Also, I just happen to have been gifted a rather large package of sun-dried figs recently and was wonder just what exactly I could do with them. How very timely of you to let me know at the perfect moment. :) I’m thinking dried cherries and figs?? Orrrrrr, maybe I’ll stick with raisins and figs – sounds like a better combination.
Did you use your homemade “maple” syrup, or did you use the real thing in this recipe? Inquiring minds really need to know.
Have a fabulous day!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Trixie I used the real stuff in this. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Holy cow. YUM!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.