August 7, 2019

Keto Granola Clusters

Name: Keto Granola Clusters
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 cup pecan halves; 1 cup flaked coconut; 1/2 cup almonds; 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 cup butter; 1/4 cup Swerve Brown; 1/4 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener; 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or maple extract

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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

Paleo Coconut Granola

Keto Maple Pecan Granola

Almond Joy Granola Bars

Nutty Chocolate Granola

A bowl of granola clusters with berries in the background

Keto Granola Clusters

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.

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword granola clusters, keto granola

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 327kcal

Ingredients

1 cup pecan halves
1 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup Swerve Brown
1/4 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
1/2 tsp 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.

Nutrition

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

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