These keto granola clusters make a delicious snack or a healthy low carb breakfast. A sweet sugar-free treat that satisfies the craving for crunch.
The big crunchy clusters are the best part of any bag of granola. Sometimes they have them and it’s like you hit the jackpot. Sometimes they don’t and the granola is somehow less delicious and satisfying. Why is that?
I have been a granola girl for a very long time. My mother made the best granola, chock full of nuts, seeds, and nice big clusters. Of course, it was also chock full of carbs and sugars. But oh boy, I used to love that stuff.
And Trader Joe’s totally understood the appeal of the large granola clusters. I don’t know if they still have it, but they used to have boxes of their granola called “Just the Clusters”. I could snack on that stuff all day long.
But now I wouldn’t touch either of those things (sorry, Mum!). So it’s up to me to make my own keto granola. And the more clusters, the better!
Granola clusters make a great keto snack
I have several great keto granola recipes, including my famous Peanut Butter Granola and my Banana Nut Cereal. They are well loved by many followers and fan.
But I started thinking about good keto back-to-school snacks (scary how quickly the summer goes!) and it occurred to me that big chunks of keto granola would be ideal. I mean, what’s not to love?
Granola clusters are crunchy, sweet, and slightly salty too. The ideal snack, really, and they appeal to all ages. Oh and did I mention can be made ahead and stored for two weeks?
So they’re perfect for popping into bags and sending off to school to be munched as hunger strikes. Or kept on the counter for after school hunger, when kids rummage around the kitchen, looking for anything that stands still long enough to be eaten.
And my kids did much on these granola clusters, but you know who I think loved them best? My husband. He ate a few every time he came through the kitchen. And he made big breakfast parfaits with yogurt, berries, and a some crumbled clusters over top.
So they’re great for snacking but they’re also just as good for breakfast.
Developing a recipe for keto granola clusters
The recipe for these delicious granola treats was actually based off my favorite keto granola bar recipe. I love these bars, and I find them almost hard to resist when I make them. So I knew they were perfect as the base for my granola clusters, but I did make a few changes along the way.
For one, I skipped the cranberries and chocolate chips. I also used more pecans and less almonds, and used pumpkin seeds instead of sunflower seeds.
Finally, I used Swerve Brown for part of the sweetener, allowing me to skip molasses or Yacon syrup. All of these changes made the recipe lower in carbs and just as delicious as it was before.
And for a fun little flavor twist, I used maple extract in place of the vanilla. But really, either would be fine.
Tips for making granola clusters
As I experimented with this recipe, I did learn a few useful things along the way.
For one thing, if you want truly crunchy clusters, you need to use erythritol based sweeteners. At one point, I tried using some other sweeteners (mainly Bocha Sweet) and it made the clusters so soft. They were delicious but you couldn’t pick them up without having them fall apart in your hands.
Also, pressing the mixture down firmly onto the pan is key to getting them crisp. It can feel a bit greasy, so use some parchment or waxed paper overtop as you press down.
The edges will get more brown than the center so if you want to remove them early and keep baking the rest, you can do so. And as always with recipes like this, let it cool completely before breaking into clusters or chunks. It won’t be fully crisp until you do.
Serving and storing keto granola clusters
Unlike most recipes, I found there isn’t a good way to measure a “serving” by volume or size, as the clusters can be all sorts of different sizes. So in the end, I weighed out the entire recipe and divided it up that way.
This recipe makes 8 servings of each about 64g, or a little over 2 ounces. But it’s rich and filling so could easily be divvied up into 10 or even 12 servings, especially as a snack.
I stored my granola clusters on the counter in a covered container for over a week. Because it has no eggs or super perishable ingredients, it can be easily stored at room temperature. Glass jars work well, if you have one big enough to keep all the clusters. Tupperware is fine too.
Ready to make some keto granola clusters? Your whole family will love them!
More Delicious Keto Granola Recipes
No Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars
Keto Granola Clusters
Ingredients
- 1 cup pecan halves
- 1 cup flaked coconut
- ½ cup almonds
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter
- ¼ cup Swerve Brown
- ¼ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or maple extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, combine the pecans, coconut, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and salt. Process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. A few larger pieces are okay.
- In a large saucepan over low heat, combine the butter and sweeteners. Whisk until the butter is melted and the sweeteners are mostly dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Stir in the nut mixture into the butter mixture until well combined. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and spread out evenly. Top with waxed paper or parchment and press down firmly and evenly to a uniform thickness.
- Bake 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Remove and let cool completely, then break into large chunks with your hands.
- Store on the counter in an airtight container for up to a week.
Marsha says
If you just can’t stand coconut flakes, your suggestion?
Carolyn says
More nuts and seeds.
Vicki says
Outstanding! Wish I would’ve made a double batch. I have also made the PB granola on this site which is equally great.
LuAnn Turner says
Excellent. Followed the recipe exactly. My husband isn’t doing low carb, but tried the granola and he’s hooked. Thank you
Lexi says
This is such a great recipe, so good as a snack and makes a great cereal substitute with almond milk, Husband even loved it!! Second batch I made I added Banana extract and cinnamon for a yummy banana nut crunch!
Sherry Jarrell says
Oh, my, you’ve outdone yourself! This was so nice and crunchy to satisfy lots of yearnings. I substituted maple flavoring as someone suggested. Terrific taste! FYI: a hand blender for the nuts and cocoanut made a simple recipe even quicker.
Thank you
Lori says
This was my second time making this recipe. First time I made it as written and found it to be overly sweet for my taste buds. This time I added an extra cup of pecans to processer. After removing the mix from the food processor, I stirred in some leftover raw pistachio and sunflower seed (probably another cup or so). I only used about 5 tbs of butter and the 1/4 cup of brown swerve (left out the powdered swerve all together), plus the dash of maple extract. The final product was much looser this time around, which was perfect since I like my granola this way. Still plenty of yummy chunks, too! Only needed about 18 minutes in the oven. I’m not kidding when I say this was absolute perfection! I’m supposed to be saving it for breakfast, but I can’t stop eating it straight from the pan….
Irna says
Delicious, I made a batch to take on holidays. While I was away hubstar (he who does not eat cereal) ate nearly the whole lot as a trail mix (while watching adventurers on TV) Batch number 2 is a double batch and will be hidden!
Bev says
I made it once without the coconut as my husband doesn’t like it but it was pretty greasy from the butter. What can you use in place of the coconut?
Carolyn says
You need some more bulk so add more almond flour.
Ola says
So yummy ???? ???? ????
Natalie says
Thank you for the recipe can you substitute the brown sugar with sugar free maple syrup?
Carolyn says
I am not sure if that will change the consistency. A lot of it will depend on what sweetener the syrup is made with, because many will keep it from crisping up properly. But you’re certainly welcome to try!
Kristy says
Can you sub coconut oil for the butter for dairy free?
Carolyn says
Possibly but I haven’t tried it myself. I would cut back on it by a few tbsp as I find coconut oil makes things greasier.
Jen Schaffer says
Made this tonight because I was in the mood for something crunchy and sweet. This is the third time I’ve made this recipe and I love it every time. When I’m craving cereal I put some in a bowl with a splash of cream. Delicious and oh so satisfying!!
pc says
How much of cup would be 64g be? TIA
Carolyn says
You can’t measure clusters like this by cup. Sorry! You will need to simply eyeball it to get 8 servings if you don’t have a kitchen scale.
Nicole S says
This looks really good & I can’t wait to try it!
I don’t care for coconut, though. Is there a suitable substitute?
Also, a tip for spreading granola in a pan… when you top the granola with waxed paper, place a clean baking sheet on top of that. Press down on the baking sheet. It helps spread the granola evenly!
Carolyn says
You can use sliced almonds.
Tracy says
I just made this today and I love it. I like to have something crunchy instead of mushy and this satisfied my sweet tooth. Thanks
Becca Carrera says
Oh my, so delicious. The recipe says leave in a container on the counter for up to a week and now I find myself standing at the kitchen counter indulging. Yum, yum.