Recipes

🎄 Day 18 — Granola Clusters (25 Days of Simple)

December 18, 2025

Crunchy, cozy, Christmas morning magic.

If there were ever a snack that tasted like the holidays and made your house smell like a Hallmark movie, it’s these homemade granola clusters.
Warm cinnamon, toasted oats, real maple syrup… everything about this recipe feels nostalgic, comforting, and wonderfully simple.

And unlike store-bought granola—which is often packed with seed oils, sugars, and preservatives—this version uses pure, whole-food ingredients you can feel good about.
Big crunchy clusters, minimal effort, and absolutely giftable.

Let’s make the kind of granola that disappears faster than you can say “save me some!”


✨ Why You’ll Love These Granola Clusters

  • Big crunchy clusters that hold together beautifully
  • Naturally sweetened with maple syrup or honey
  • No seed oils — only coconut oil or butter
  • Perfect for gifting in jars
  • Customizable with nuts, spices, or dried fruit
  • Snack, breakfast, or yogurt topper — it does it all

🥣 Simple, Real Ingredients

Use the best-quality whole foods you can—your tastebuds will notice.

Dry Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup coconut oil or melted butter
  • ½ cup maple syrup or honey
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Optional Add-Ins (after baking)


🍯 How to Make Crunchy Granola Clusters

1. Preheat your oven.

Set to 300°F, a low-and-slow temperature that keeps the granola golden, not burnt.

2. Mix dry ingredients.

Combine oats, nuts, shredded coconut, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.

3. Mix wet ingredients.

In a small saucepan, warm the coconut oil/butter with the maple syrup/honey until smooth.
Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

4. Combine + coat.

Pour the warm mixture over the dry ingredients.
Stir well so every oat is glossy and coated.

5. Press to form clusters.

Spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Press down firmly with a spatula—this is the secret to big clusters.

6. Bake.

Bake 25–30 minutes, rotating the pan once.
Do not stir. This keeps it chunky.

7. Cool completely.

Let it cool untouched for at least 30 minutes.
Once cool, break into clusters. Add any optional dried fruit or chocolate.


🍽️ How to Serve It

  • Over Greek yogurt with fresh fruit
  • As a cereal with raw milk
  • Sprinkled on top of chia pudding
  • By the handful—no judgment
  • On a holiday charcuterie/snack board

🎁 Gifting Idea

Fill a mason jar, tie with twine, add a cinnamon stick, and attach a tag:

“Granola Clusters — crunchy, cozy, made with love.”

Perfect for teachers, coworkers, neighbors, or tucked into a Christmas morning stocking.


🏡 Final Thoughts

Day 18 is all about simple joy.
A little crunch, a little sweetness, and a whole lot of comfort.
This granola shows how easy it is to swap processed snacks for something homemade, nourishing, and incredibly delicious.

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