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
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.
- 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
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.
Patricia says
Hi Carolyn, These looks so yummy ! Just checking to see if you think I can use a vegan butter and they still turn out good? I have to be dairy free! Thank you in advance.
Carolyn says
I think so, yes.
Debi says
Unfortuantely I can’t abide coconut. Would flax work or do you have another recommendation?
Carolyn says
Perhaps just some sliced almonds.
Allison says
Can’t wait to make this! Carolyn what size pan did you use? I have a huge bag of Sunflower seeds I need to use up so I am hoping I can use then instead of the pumpkin. I love the maple extract!
Carolyn says
As long as it’s a big rimmed pan, it doesn’t matter. You aren’t filling the pan, you are just pressing the mixture down as firmly as you can.
Lisa Gabriel says
Can I use stevia?
Carolyn says
No, I am sorry. It won’t create the right texture and they will fall apart and won’t be crisp.
Chrysann says
Thoughts on coconut oil vs. butter or half of each? I wanted to see what you thought before making it because I have limited supplies and live in a very rural area (order most of my pantry supplies). Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experiences with us!
Carolyn says
Butter works best, to be honest, but if you need to be dairy-free, coconut oil should be okay. It doesn’t combine as well and can feel a bit greasier when baking it.
Julia says
Would ghee work?
Carolyn says
It should!
Trisha says
Trader Joe’s still sells “Just the Clusters”. It was beckoning me just last week. Can’t wait to try this one!
Carolyn says
Good to know. I will stay clear of the cereal aisle at TJs! 😉
Kelly says
Thank you for another great recipe! Have you noticed brown sugar swirls affecting or elevating your blood sugar more than regular swerve? We tried one bag and it seemed My t1d Daughter.
Carolyn Johnson says
Brown swerve affects my blood sugar as well. Not nearly as much as a simple sugar, but definitely a spike. This is tasty though. I just finished the last of my Swerve, hopefully this is as tasty with Sukrin, but without the blood sugar jump. Thanks for another great recipe Carolyn!
Cristy says
Can I use walnuts instead of almonds?
Carolyn says
I think that should be fine.
Sarah says
Love this! Mine seemed to be a little oily when finished baking. Any ideas what I might have done wrong. It still tastes amazing just oily…?
Carolyn says
Not sure but sometimes if it’s not absorbing, just set the pieces on paper towels or blot them drier.
Amanda says
I don’t know how to rate this! This is seriously delicious. Absolutely addicting. Like….I don’t know whether to set your site as my homepage (which let’s be real…when I get up the first thing I do is check your site anyway because you are amazing) or find some way to keep from ever visiting it again…because you make this lifestyle completely delicious. I hadn’t realized how much I missed things like granola until I made this recipe. And unlike a lot of these type of treats…rather than pushing me towards the store to get the “real” thing; all I want is the whole jar of this granola.
I’m so sorry for the long post, but I had to say just how EASY and delicious this is. Highly recommended; you won’t be disappointed (Maple all the way!!!!)
Carolyn says
Thanks, Amanda!
Katie Whitson says
I was wondering if these would hold up as bars instead of clusters. Then I guess if one wanted the cereal or cluster effect could crumble the bars. Or will the bars not hold up as well because it uses swerve vs yakon syrup? The peanut butter granola is delicious and the bars we delicious too. Excited to try this version too.
Carolyn says
They are based on my bars so they should. They might be a bit brittle as bars, though.
Janis says
Oh my, Carolyn, this stuff is heaven! I made a double batch last night using pecans, cashews, almonds & coconut. What a heavenly treat! Thank you for the recipe!
Carolyn says
So glad you liked it!
Sandra says
So good…and addictive! Took longer than I expected to harden/crisp out of the oven, but I’m not sure I would have cared anyway-it’s THAT tasty! (#teamvanilla)
Carolyn says
Glad you liked it!
Sandra says
edited to add: WARNING!…SERIOUSLY ADDICTIVE!! Just had my husband hide the remainder from me for a few days!:)
Roberta says
Unfortunately inulin causes me heavy GI issues, and also spikes my BG, so can I use golden monkfruit (like Lakanto Golden) and powdered erythritol instead the two versions of Sweerve mentioned in the recipe? I’d really like to try this yumminess… Thank you for support our needs of healthy jet tasty diet: your recipes are always a huge resource 🙂
Carolyn says
Only erythritol sweeteners will work here but any of them should
Carolyn says
By the way, Swerve does not contain inulin. It contains oligosaccharides.
Julia Frey says
Absolutely the best and tastiest snack on the go. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Toni says
This is such a perfect snack! My kids can’t stop eating these!
Kara says
My whole family loves coconut, so these would be a huge hit! School starts next week, so I’ll have to make them for after school snacks!
Kathlyn Ellis says
Help! I made this recipe today…bought Swerve brown and powdered sugars. Followed your recipe exactly. It tastes great, but it is not at all crisp and is very buttery. I used 1 stick of Kerry Gold butter. Where did I go wrong? I am putting it back in the oven, as it is really too soggy to enjoy 😢
Carolyn says
Well, if it’s soggy, then it isn’t baked through. Perhaps you didn’t spread it out enough in the pan? Putting it back into the oven is exactly the right thing to do and you could leave it in a low temp oven for a while. 175F would help dry it out.
Lauraa Reese says
This recipe is perfect for back to school!
Estelle says
This was way too easy to make, as for the portion size, also wayyyy too small! since I made it last night, I kept on ‘tasting’ about a quarter of the whole batch… less than a day has passed and I cannot stop tasting it 🙈 that is how spot on the balance between sweet and salty it is. Even though my powdered sweetener was part xylitol and I used erythritol with some molasses for ‘brown’ , it worked out sufficiently crisp for me. Thank you for a great recipe once again!
Becky Hardin says
These are the perfect snack. So good.
Pamela says
OMG. This is sinfully delicious. Besides topping my morning yogurt, imagine it on keto ice cream. I used sunflower seeds instead pumpkin seeds and baked five minutes longer. I love all your recipes, Carolyn.