Vanilla Coconut Granola Clusters

Name: Vanilla Coconut Granola Clusters
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 cups unsweetened large coconut flakes (raw coconut chips); 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats; 1 cup unsalted pepitas (or shelled raw pumpkin seeds); 1/2 cup hemp hearts (optional); 1/4 cup coconut sugar; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/3 cup coconut oil, cold pressed & unrefined; 1/3 cup honey; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

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Vanilla Coconut Granola Clusters! Learn how to make these crazy delicious, homemade crunchy granola clusters. A super easy and healthy make ahead breakfast or snack that will satisfy your sweet tooth!

Vanilla coconut granola clusters on a parchment paper lined baking sheet with a wooden spatula.

Are you looking for an easy and delicious breakfast or snack idea? These homemade granola clusters are a great option! Made with simple pantry ingredients and super easy to make (just 10 minutes of prep time!). This crunchy coconut granola recipe can be broken into large or small clusters making it perfect for a quick breakfast or snacking on by the handful.

Hand holding a homemade coconut granola cluster.

Why These Granola Clusters Are Amazing
Ingredients You’ll Need
How To Make Granola Clusters
Helpful Tips
Storage + Meal Prep
Ways To Serve
A Few Questions Answered
More Recipes With Oats
Vanilla Coconut Granola Clusters Recipe

Why These Granola Clusters Are Amazing

This nut free granola recipe is absolutely delicious and has stolen the hearts of everyone who has tried it. Every time I have made it for friends or family over the years, they have raved about it and immediately asked for the recipe. So I figured it was time to share it here! If you’re a granola lover, you need to try this!

Way better than store bought: I may be a little biased but this homemade granola tastes way better than any store bought granola I have tried (and it’s made with quality ingredients as well!).
Makes a great gift: It’s a wonderful homemade gift for the holidays or any time. Allow the granola to cool completely, break into clusters and then fill up a mason jar and add a ribbon.
Perfect for meal prep: Lasts for a couple weeks in a sealed container and can also be frozen.
So easy to make: Simply mix together the ingredients and bake. Takes just 10 minutes of prep time!
Nut free: This is a nut-free granola recipe making it a great option for anyone with nut allergies and a lunch box friendly option for kids.

Ingredients You’ll Need

All you need is the following pantry ingredients to make these granola clusters:

Labelled image of ingredients needed to make vanilla coconut granola clusters.

Coconut Flakes/Chips: Be sure to use unsweetened, large coconut flakes (also sometimes known as raw coconut chips). The larger flakes give this granola an amazing crunchy texture which you won’t get with shredded coconut.
Rolled Oats (Old Fashioned Oats): The best type of oats for granola are old fashioned rolled oats.
Pepitas: Look for unsalted pepitas. May also be called shelled, raw pumpkin seeds.
Hemp Hearts: I like to add these hemp hearts for some added protein and omega-3 fatty acids. However, feel free to leave out.
Coconut Sugar: The coconut sugar adds some sweetness and a delicious caramel taste. Also helps the granola stick together as the sugar caramelizes.
Salt: A bit of salt balances out the flavors. I like to use fine sea salt or Himalayan pink salt.
Coconut Oil: Look for cold pressed and unrefined coconut oil.
Honey: To sweeten and help everything stick together to make nice big clusters.
Vanilla Extract: Adds delicious vanilla flavor to the granola.

Detailed ingredient list and directions located in the recipe card below.

How To Make Granola Clusters

Homemade granola clusters are so easy to make. Let’s walk through it step-by-step.

STEP 1: Stir together dry ingredients. In a large bowl, stir together the coconut flakes, rolled oats, pepitas, hemp hearts, coconut sugar and salt.

Dry ingredients for coconut granola being mixed together with a wooden spoon in a large glass bowl.

STEP 2: Heat wet ingredients and combine granola. Place the coconut oil and honey in a small saucepan and melt together over low heat. Add the vanilla extract and whisk together until combined. Immediately pour over the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Photo collage of 2 photos, first showing wet ingredients for granola clusters being heated and whisked together in a saucepan and second showing all the granola ingredients being mixed together in a glass mixing bowl with a wooden spoon.

STEP 3: Spread out on baking sheet. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour the granola mixture onto the baking sheet and spread out in an even layer, gently pressing it down with a spatula.

Uncooked coconut granola spread out evenly on a large baking sheet.

STEP 4: Bake. Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 300F / 150C oven. Rotate the pan for even cooking (no stirring) and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until granola looks golden. The granola will still look soft when you pull it out. It will get crispy as it cools.

Baked vanilla coconut granola on large baking sheet before being broken up into clusters.

STEP 5: Cool and break into clusters. Allow the granola to cool completely on the baking sheet before touching it. The magic happens as it cools – will crisp up and hold together. Once cool, use your hands to break it apart into clusters (any size you like). Enjoy!

Granola clusters on baking sheet with wooden spoon.

Helpful Tips

Here are some helpful tips for making perfect granola clusters:

Keep an eye on it! Granola can quickly go from golden to burned so keep an eye on it once you rotate the pan during the second half of the bake time.
Avoid stirring during baking! As the sugars caramelize, they cause the ingredients to stick together and form those amazing clusters. Stirring will break up the clusters so leave it alone! Rotating the pan half way through is enough to ensure it cooks evenly.
Let it cool undisturbed! Most importantly, once the granola is done baking, let it cool completely before touching it. Patience is key! It will crisp up and harden as it cools which will then allow you to break it apart into large clusters (or small ones if you prefer).

Yogurt topped with vanilla coconut granola and blueberries in a white bowl with spoon.

Storage + Meal Prep

Make sure granola is completely cooled before storing!

To store: Store in a large jar or container at room temperature for several weeks. I doubt these addictive granola clusters will last that long though (they disappear fast around here)! I like to store homemade granola in large glass jars but any airtight container will work just fine.
To freeze: Can also be frozen stored in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months.
Meal prep: Perfect for meal prep since it stores well for weeks and can also be frozen.

Nut free coconut granola in a glass jar with lid resting next to it.

Ways To Serve

Break the granola up into large clusters to grab by the handful as a quick snack throughout the day. Or break into smaller clusters for a quick breakfast served over some yogurt or with a splash of milk and some fruit.

These coconut granola clusters also make a great topping! Put them on top of smoothie bowls, blender ice cream, yogurt parfaits, overnight oats, etc.

A Few Questions Answered

How do you make granola clump together?

The honey in this recipe acts as a great binding agent. Then the real magic happens when the granola cools. It will still look soft when it comes out of the oven but will crisp up and harden as it cools. So be patient and leave it alone! Once cool, you can break it apart into clusters.

How long will homemade granola last?

Homemade granola will last for 3-4 weeks if stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. Can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

Can the honey be substituted to make this granola vegan?

To make this recipe vegan, use maple syrup instead of honey. The granola won’t stick together quite as much but will still be delicious.

Granola clusters pouring out of a jar onto a white surface.

More Recipes With Oats

Looking for some more ways to use oats? Here are some oat recipe ideas that you might enjoy:

I hope you love these vanilla coconut granola clusters! Please leave me a comment below if you make them!