Granola Cluster Cookies Food

GRANOLA CLUSTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Toss pecans, almonds, coconut, pumpkin seeds, oats, salt, and oil on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, tossing once, until coconut is golden and mixture is fragrant, 10-12 minutes. Let cool.
• Whisk egg whites in a large bowl until foamy. Gradually add sugar, whisking until mixture is thick and opaque. Add nut mixture and fold to coat evenly.
• Drop 1/4-cupfuls of mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing evenly (if your baking sheets are small, you might have to use 2). Bake cookies, rotating baking sheet halfway through, until edges are golden, 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
• Do Ahead
• Cookies can be baked 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

BASIC GRANOLA RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, mix together the oats, light brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Stir the honey, oil and vanilla extract into the dry ingredients. Use your hands if necessary to make sure it's well combined.
• Spread the mixture in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes and then remove from the oven and stir; add the chopped almonds. Return to the oven and bake until everything is toasted and evenly browned, an additional 10 minutes.
• Allow the granola to cool on the baking sheet, then add the dried cranberries and toss to distribute. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

BROWN BUTTER GRANOLA CLUSTERS

Steps:

• For the brown butter: Add the butter to a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook, swirling the skillet to keep the butter moving around, until it melts and bubbles up, 3 to 4 minutes. When the butter is a medium golden brown, remove the skillet from the heat (it will continue browning in the skillet over the next 30 seconds or so!). Pour the butter and any solids into a bowl and let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• For the toasted oats: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a bowl, toss the oats with the oil, melted butter and salt. Spread the mixture out on the prepared baking sheets and bake, shaking the pans twice during the cooking time and making sure the oats don't burn, until toasted, about 12 minutes. Set aside to cool a bit. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• For the clusters: In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, honey and molasses. Stir the mixture until combined, then heat over medium heat, stirring, until barely bubbling. Stir in the vanilla extract. Add the brown butter to the pan and stir.
• Toss together the toasted oats, rice cereal, wheat germ, cranberries, pecans, pumpkin seeds, almonds and flax seeds in a large bowl. Pour over the sugar mixture, stirring as you pour. Toss to combine; it will be sticky!
• Line a baking sheet with foil and thoroughly spray with coconut oil spray. Tip the mixture onto the baking sheet, spread out and bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Let cool, then use a fork to make clusters. Store in a jar until ready to use.

HEALTHY CHUNKY GRANOLA RECIPE (VEGAN, GLUTEN FREE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a medium or large baking sheet with parchment paper or greased foil. Set aside for later.
• Add all ingredients except coconut oil and maple syrup to a large bowl. Stir until well mixed.
• Add coconut oil and maple syrup. Using a rubber spatula, stir and fold until well mixed.
• Pour mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Using a rubber spatula, press down and pack the granola mixture together to create an even, flat, and very tightly-packed layer, about ½ inch thick. Your granola may not cover the entire baking sheet. Now, nudge the sheet of granola apart in the center (dividing the tightly-packed layer in half), to let air through.
• Bake for 20 minutes. Rotate baking sheet. Bake for 18-22 more minutes, until granola is a deep golden brown. Mine took 40 minutes total. Do not flip or move granola-it is fragile and needs to crisp up while cooling.
• Place baking sheet on a cooling rack. Allow to cool for about 30 minutes, or until completely cooled and firm. Break sheets of granola into clusters. Enjoy! Storing instructions below.

HOMEMADE GRANOLA (CRUNCHY CLUSTERS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix oats with almonds.
• In another bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, maple syrup, brown sugar (if using), vanilla extract, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg until well combined. Pour over oat/almond mixture. Stir well to combine.
• Pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet, pressing down so it's an even layer. Bake for 20 minutes.
• Rotate the baking sheet and bake the granola for another 15 minutes.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven, add coconut chips (or shredded coconut) over top and bake for another 3 to 4 minutes.
• Allow the granola to cool completely on the baking sheet before breaking up into clusters. The more you handle, the smaller the pieces you will have. If desired, stir in optional granola add-ins to taste. Serve and enjoy!

HEALTHY GRANOLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, nuts and/or seeds, salt and cinnamon. Stir to blend.
• Pour in the oil, maple syrup and/or honey and vanilla. Mix well, until every oat and nut is lightly coated. Pour the granola onto your prepared pan and use a large spoon to spread it in an even layer.
• Bake until lightly golden, about 21 to 24 minutes, stirring halfway (for extra-clumpy granola, press the stirred granola down with your spatula to create a more even layer). The granola will further crisp up as it cools.
• Let the granola cool completely, undisturbed (at least 45 minutes). Top with the dried fruit (and optional chocolate chips, if using). Break the granola into pieces with your hands if you want to retain big chunks, or stir it around with a spoon if you don't want extra-clumpy granola.
• Store the granola in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks, or in a sealed freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. The dried fruit can freeze solid, so let it warm to room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

BASIC LARGE CHUNK GRANOLA RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a (11x17 inch) baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Add the oil, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk until sugar is dissolved and oil is well incorporated.
• Add the oats and your chosen granola flavors. Stir well.
• Pour the oat mixture onto the baking sheet and spread it out into an even layer. Firmly pack the oat mixture into the baking sheet.
• Bake for 30 minutes, rotating the pan half way through cooking.
• Let the granola cool at room temperature for one hour.
• Use a small spoon to scoop up the granola off of the baking sheet. Use the spoon and your hands to break the granola into large chunks.
• Store at room temperature in a sealed container or zip top bag.

GRANOLA CLUSTERS

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 325°F In a large bowl, stir together the first 5 ingredients; set aside.
• In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and maple syrup together in the microwave on high.
• Stir the butter mixture into the dry ingredients and pour onto a lined baking sheet.
• Bake for 10 minutes, flip the granola over and bake for about 10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and toss with the dried fruit while still hot.
• Serve when cool.

BIG CLUSTER MAPLE GRANOLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Combine all ingredients but the egg whites in a large bowl, tossing to coat evenly.
• Whisk egg white in a small bowl until frothy. Stir into granola mixture, distributing it throughout.
• Spread in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until browned and dry to the touch.
• Halfway through baking, use a large spatula to turn over sections of the granola. Rotate the pan if granola bakes unevenly.
• Once finished baking, cool completely and then break into desired sized clusters.
• Enjoy!