I’ve found the secret to making large granola clusters so you don’t have to! Trust me, I’ve tried countless recipes and this one does not disappoint. Bonus: it’s free from refined sugars that are often one of the first 3 ingredients in your common store bought granola.

The secret is to bake the granola without stirring it at a low temperature and letting it cool before breaking into chunks — I know, waiting is the hardest part, but the outcome is worth the wait!

Ingredients:

1 cup almonds
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup oats (or omit & sub with more nuts for a grain-free granola)
1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup melted virgin coconut oil
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla
4-6 tbsp. maple syrup (based on how sweet you like it!)
1/4 tsp. salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 275

Put 1/2 a cup of the almonds into a food processor and pulse for 10 seconds until the nuts are a very fine texture. Remove and place into a bowl.
Add the other 1/2 cup of almonds and walnuts into the food processor and pulse for 5 seconds to roughly chop the nuts into smaller pieces — not a fine ground. Remove and add to the bowl.
In the bowl, combine the remaining nuts, seeds, oats, shredded coconut and spices.
Add the melted coconut oil, vanilla and maple syrup to the dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined.
Use a spatula to spread the granola into a ½-inch layer on a baking sheet and gently press down to compact it slightly.
Bake at 275 for 45 minutes. No flipping or mixing! Let it cool for 1 hour. This is key to allow the granola to harden into large clusters !
Store the granola in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
Best served on top of yogurt with fruit or for snacking on by the handful !

Tag me @eatw.rae if you try it!

Photos by Regan Harder