With the recent closures of everything here in California, I feel like I am reverting back to how I was when quarantine began back in March. I’ve been craving comfort food and junk food once again. (By the way, Happy National Junk Food Day.) After a weekend of heavy eating I wanted nothing more than yogurt bowls and hearty salads for the week. I like to have a nice crunchy element to my yogurt bowls, so I decided to make these Coconut Cranberry Granola Clusters.
I love a good granola cluster. There is something just so satisfying about the crunch when you bite into one. There is this store bought coconut cranberry granola that I just adore, however, it is not available all the time. I decided to try to recreate it at home using what I had on hand. Thankfully, I had dried cranberries, shredded coconut, and coconut oil, so I went to work creating this recipe.
I’d like to think I nailed it. It’s very close to my favorite store bought version in flavor and texture. If you want to dial back the sugar a little bit, you can use unsweetened coconut too. I would have loved to use coconut chips in here, but I did not have any on hand. It was not worth a trip to the grocery store, but maybe next time! If you do, it would make for a great addition to these coconut cranberry granola clusters.
Ingredients
- Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: Old-fashioned rolled oats are the oats of choice most of the time when baking. They hold their shape better when baked in the oven. Visually, you can see the difference between old-fashioned oats and quick-cooking oats. Quick-cooking oats are cut into more pieces during processing, in addition to being rolled thinner. For the purpose of this recipe, old-fashioned rolled oats are necessary. They hold their own much better.
- Inclusions: The flavors of this granola come primarily from the sweetened shredded coconut, coconut oil, and the dried cranberries. This recipe also calls for maple syrup and cinnamon. I think sliced or slivered almonds would be a lovely addition to these granola clusters as well.
- Fats and Oils: This recipe only calls for coconut oil. This ingredient is necessary to add to the overall coconut flavor of the clusters. It can be substituted with another oil, such as avocado oil, but it will dilute the coconut aspect of this recipe.
Procedure
This recipe is really simple and quick to put together. The first step is to preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. You will want to line a baking sheet tray with a sheet of parchment or a silpat.
In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, shredded coconut, and dried cranberries. Stir in the cinnamon. In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut oil and the maple syrup. Pour the liquid ingredients over the oat mixture, and stir together until everything is coated and well incorporated.
Pour the oat mixture onto the center of the prepared baking sheet. With your hands or a rubber spatula, flatten and press the granola down into a tight rectangle. The key here is to press everything together as much as you can, almost like a giant granola bar. This process is what is going to give you those lovely clusters of granola.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Rotate the pan, and bake for approximately 15 more minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Once cooled, break into clusters. You may have some bits that break off. Enjoy with yogurt or milk. You can also just eat it straight from the tray with your hands (wink, wink.)
These clusters should stay fresh for about 5 to 7 days, in an air tight container.
I hope you enjoy these coconut cranberry granola clusters. They make for a healthy addition to your day, whether as part of your breakfast or as your afternoon snack. These clusters would even make for a healthy dessert with fresh berries and honey.
Stay strong and stay safe <3
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Coconut Cranberry Granola Clusters
Ingredients
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ⅓ cup liquid coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat, set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, shredded coconut, and dried cranberries. Sprinkle with the cinnamon, stir to combine.
- In a seperate bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and liquid coconut oil. Pour over the oat mixture and stir until everything is well coated.
- Pour oats onto the center of the prepared sheet tray. Using your hands or a rubber spatula, press the oat mixture into a tight, flattened rectangle. Make sure to press together as much as you can, this process is what is going to make the clusters of granola.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the pan in the oven, and bake for another 15 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool before breaking into pieces.
- Store in an air tight container for up to 5-7 days.
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