This quick, light granola is made with fine rolled oats for a delicate, crisp texture. Enjoy it as crunchy clusters or crumble it over yoghurt or almond milk, chia bowl, or fruit.
I prefer a combination of crunchy clusters and loose, delicate pieces.
tips for perfect clusters
For larger, crunchier clusters, follow these simple tips:
- Press before baking: Spread the granola evenly on a parchment-lined baking tray, then gently press it down with a rubber spatula to compact the mixture.
Use the right pan: A half-sheet pan (18 × 13 inches / 46 × 33 cm) gives the granola the ideal thickness for crisp, even clusters. - Bake low and slow: Bake at 150°C (300°F), rotating the pan halfway through for even browning.
- Don’t stir: Resist the temptation to stir during baking. Leaving the granola undisturbed allows the clusters to form.
- Cool completely: Let the granola cool completely on the tray before breaking it into clusters. This is when it becomes crisp and holds together.
golden cluster granola
I found this recipe on Instagram, but my screenshot didn’t identify the account. Apologies for not being able to give credit, and thank you to whoever inspired this!
preparation time 10 minutes
cook time 40 minutes
makes 5 cups
ingredients
3 cups/225g fine rolled oats
½ cup/35g unsweetened shredded coconut
1½ cups/100g flaked almonds
1 cup/100g chopped walnuts or pecans
2 tsp cinnamon powder
2 Tbsp brown sugar
½ tsp fine rock salt
6 Tbsp coconut oil or ghee
⅔ cup/210g rice or maple syrup
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup mixed raisins & goji berries
preparation
- Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F).
- In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt together the coconut oil, syrup, brown sugar and salt. Once the sugar has dissolved and everything is well combined, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, coconut, almonds, chopped walnuts and cinnamon.
- Pour the syrup mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until everything is evenly coated.
- Spread the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking tray in an even layer. Press down with a rubber spatula.
- Bake for 40 minutes, rotating the tray throughout until evenly lightly golden.
- Cool the granola completely, then break up the granola slab into clusters and transfer to a large container to store. Sprinkle in the raisins & goji berries.
optional
Add ½ cup/90g buckwheat groats to the dry ingredients along with the oats, coconut, and nuts before mixing in the syrup.
a simple accordion book with a recipe template
I love giving granola as a gift, and this is such a lovely way to package it. As I spend so much time working at my computer, I’ve been trying to make more time each week for creative projects, and making little books has become a real joy.
I also find that when I give recipes on individual pieces of paper, they tend to get lost. Put them together in a little book, however, and they become something special—a little treasure to keep or add to a shelf in the kitchen.
download the template here!
The template was created in Canva using two landscape A4 measurements, divided into three sections.
printing
Select double-sided, flip on the short edge. The pages will line up perfectly back-to-back, and all you need to do is measure and cut each sheet into thirds. This gives you three little books to gift—one for you and two to share.
get creative
You can personalise the books with a little stamp, beautiful cover paper, or whatever creative touches you like. I use alphabet stamps for the title, then cut them out and paste them onto the cover. These little handmade details make the gift feel especially personal.
