Coconut Almond Cluster Granola

By Melissa Clark

Updated Oct. 16, 2023

Coconut Almond Cluster Granola
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour, plus cooling
Rating
5(678)
Comments
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As terrific as homemade granola tastes, its texture often lacks the thick, crunchy clusters found in store-bought versions. This recipe is an exception, filled with crisp, sweet clumps of oats, coconut flakes and seeds. The secret is grinding a portion of the oats and coconut into flour, which helps bind the ingredients together. Feel free to mix up the spices, nuts and seeds to taste, and to add dried fruit or chocolate chips after it cools if you like. Granola is adaptable, so make it the way you like it. You can also cut the brown sugar in half. The granola will be less sweet and less cluster-packed but still quite satisfying.

Featured in: Granola That’s Packed With Clusters

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Ingredients

Yield:8½ cups
  • ½cup/120 milliliters coconut oil
  • 1tablespoon olive oil (or use more coconut oil)
  • ⅔cup/160 milliliters pure maple syrup
  • ⅔cup/160 grams packed turbinado or light brown sugar
  • ⅔cup/160 milliliters coconut or almond milk
  • 1½teaspoons fine sea salt
  • 2teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 5cups/455 grams old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1cup/50 grams unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 1teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1teaspoon ground ginger or cardamom
  • 1cup/85 grams sliced almonds
  • ½cup/70 grams raw pumpkin seeds
  • ½cup/65 grams sunflower seeds (optional, or use more pumpkin seeds or almonds)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (18 servings)

312 calories; 17 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 37 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 17 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 181 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

  2. Step 2

    In a saucepan over medium heat, combine coconut oil, olive oil, maple syrup, sugar, coconut milk and salt and bring to a simmer. When sugar has dissolved, stir in vanilla extract and let cool slightly.

  3. Step 3

    In a food processor, grind 1¼ cups/105 grams of the oats and ¼ cup/12 grams of the coconut into a flour. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in remaining oats and coconut, the spices, the nuts and the seeds. Pour maple syrup mixture over and stir to combine. Let sit 10 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Using your hands, drop oat mixture onto prepared baking sheets in one layer, and pinch together into clumps with your fingers.

  5. Step 5

    Bake 40 to 50 minutes, flipping the mixture (taking care not to break up the clumps) every 15 minutes. The mixture is done when it’s golden brown all over and starting to crisp. It will continue to crisp up after as it cools. Transfer pans to wire racks and let cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
678 user ratings
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Comments

Tom

Grinding the oats and coconut to help form a paste is a great idea, however your recipe calls for 1 1/3 cup of sugar, about twice what I use to make my granola with the same amount of oats, nuts and seeds. Mine is already sweet enough and I am gradually reducing the sugar. Have you tried?

MC

Using the oat & coconut flours in my pantry is easier than getting out the food processor. 1 cup oat, 2T coconut is about right, weight-wise.

Gail

I just finished making a batch of the Granola. So yummy. I found that the later trays stuck together better then the first trays. So the longer the liquid soaks the oat mixture the better the clumps stay together. Also I found turning them at 15 mins really didn't work. So I waited 30 when when were more set.

Kathy A.

This is delicious, though I used 1/2 tsp nutmeg instead of cardamom because that’s what I had. I was unable to preserve the clusters when I turned at intervals, but even all stirred up it clumped together satisfactorily as it cooled. Will make again!

JP LA

I’ve been making this since the pandemic and keep coming back to this recipe - it’s the best granola hands down. My friends and family are thrilled when I make it - and there’s always plenty of it! I use 1/2 c. water instead of almond milk and it doesn’t affect the taste at all. One less ingredient to buy! I also increase the amount of oats - to about 6 1/2 cups, and use 1 c. sliced almonds + 1/2 c. Pepitas and 1/2 c. roughly chopped pecan halves. The only spice I add is 1 t. cinnamon - enhances the coconut/maple flavor perfectly. I think the key is in the baking - stirring/turning gently with a spatula and rotating/switching the trays every 12 or so minutes, watching carefully til it browns and taking it out before it gets too dark. 40 minutes seems to be the magic number! I stir in a handful of dried cranberries to each tray while it’s warm out of the oven. It’s a modestly clumpy granola - just right for snacking or eating over yogurt!

Sadie

I screwed this up so bad that I feel the bad review is based on false pretenses. I accidentally baked it on one sheet pan at too high a temp so it somehow burned and steamed itself all at once.

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