The Best Way to Make Clumpy Granola

All granola-lovers fall into two camps: clumpy and unclumpy (you recognize, the granola the place the toasted oats and crunchy add-ins by no means fairly stick collectively). I’m firmly within the former class, and all the time have been. Give me all of the craggy, crunchy clumps.

Clumpy granola is right for consuming over yogurt or chia pudding or just with milk, and can also be excellent for consuming by itself as a snack. I’ve made numerous batches of granola all through the years, all the time with the purpose of getting as a lot of these irresistible clusters as doable. However what’s the easiest way to make clumpy granola?

Is a crushed egg white the key to super-clumpy granola? What about different binders, like flour or wheat germ? Or is it so simple as utilizing a decrease oven temperature and never stirring the granola? To search out out, I pored by means of recipes and ideas on the web and located 9 common strategies that I used to be excited to strive — a few of which I’ve used earlier than and many who have been new to me.

Whereas there are a selection of strategies that labored rather well, I discovered two prime strategies for making clumpy granola. One merely depends on a really low oven temperature and produces small clumps, whereas the opposite — my private favourite — includes spreading and compacting the oat combination on a rimmed baking sheet, creating giant shard-like clumps. Learn on to study extra about these two strategies — and different strategies you would possibly need to strive.

Components: I bought contemporary packages of all elements from the identical retailer, on the identical day, and used the identical model of like elements.

Exams: Every batch of granola was baked in the identical oven. For every technique examined, I used the identical rimmed baking sheets and the identical sort of parchment paper (when known as for within the recipe).

Rankings standards: I rated every technique on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 representing the right splendid. I judged every technique on the next standards: Quantity of clumps, measurement of clumps, how properly the clumps held collectively over time, texture of clumps, ease of consuming, ease of technique, whole time required, and availability and value of elements.

About this technique: I examine this tip on Food52, which references Bon Appétit‘s recipe for Surfer’s Granola. Right here, a full cup of scorching faucet water is stirred into the dry oats, then left to sit down for quarter-hour earlier than you proceed with the recipe (which additionally skips any stirring throughout baking). The concept is that the water softens the oats, and stickiness from the starch will create extra clumps, which received’t be damaged aside by stirring.

Outcomes: I used to be particularly intrigued and hopeful about this technique. The positives first: This technique resulted in a number of stable clumps of granola. However as a result of last texture and uneven prepare dinner, it actually fell quick.

When the granola first got here out of the oven it wasn’t very granola-like. As an alternative it was tender, overly chewy, and jogged my memory of an oatmeal cookie. Whereas the granola did agency up considerably because it cooled, the last word texture was extra like a crunchy cookie, somewhat than the fragile crisp you sometimes get with granola. The clumps additionally didn’t maintain up properly — by the subsequent day they misplaced any crunch they’d and have been very chewy and difficult to eat.

About this technique: The concept of this tip, which I picked up from Food52, is to bake the oat combination at a excessive temperature for a short while (375° F for 10 min), then flip off the oven and let granola cool fully within the oven, ideally in a single day. In concept, this could work with nearly any granola recipe. Whereas Food52 doesn’t give directions about spreading the granola, I took the intel I gleaned from making 10+ batches of granola in a row and unfold the oat combination in a skinny, cohesive layer on the baking sheet in an effort to encourage extra clusters and clumps.

Outcomes: I beloved the simplicity of this low-effort technique, however sadly the feel didn’t ship. Sure, there are many clumps, however the quick burst of warmth wasn’t sufficient to completely dry out and crisp the oats, so the oats retained a good quantity of chew.

About this technique: This technique, utilized in a recipe from Sally’s Baking Recipes, takes a two-pronged method at making granola clusters. First, it provides a combo of entire wheat flour and almond flour (or almond meal), which act as a binder to carry the oat combination collectively. Second is the bakeware. This recipe opts for a 9×13-inch baking pan as a substitute of the usual rimmed sheet pan. The opposite twist is that simply earlier than the ultimate 10 minutes of cooking, you narrow the granola into squares and break it into smaller clusters.

Outcomes: If this method instantly reminds you of granola bars, you’re not alone. I feel the flour labored properly as a binder and there have been some giant clusters, however total this technique yielded principally small granola clusters and a number of oat crumbs.

Going into this take a look at, I used to be significantly inquisitive about how the duo of flours would have an effect on the style and texture of the granola, and I’ve to say that I used to be pleasantly shocked. I discovered the flour to be undetectable when it comes to style, and it gave the clusters a barely sandy texture that jogged my memory of a Nature Valley granola bar. I do suppose that this technique (the flour addition, at the least) would yield bigger clumps of granola if the oat combination have been cooked on baking sheet.

About this technique: In line with Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen, “Nothing glues like protein.” Whereas there are lots of granola recipes that embrace an egg white, I received this tip from the Massive Cluster Maple Granola recipe in The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. The egg white is whisked till frothy (20 to 30 seconds will do it), then stirred into the oat combination. The concept is that the egg’s protein will assist the oats bind to one another and create delicate clusters. 

Outcomes: Not solely does the egg white work as a glue to carry the oats collectively, however it additionally provides the granola an extremely crispy chew. This technique produced principally small, delicate clumps (and a good quantity of granola “crumbs”), which simply break aside. Whereas the granola wasn’t too laborious to chew, it did have a troublesome chew that I didn’t look after and simply couldn’t get previous.

About this technique: This method from Cookie + Kate depends on naturally gluten-free chickpea flour to create golf equipment. This no-stir method requires spreading the granola in an excellent layer on the baking sheet so it’ll naturally clump collectively because it bakes.

Outcomes: The oat combination baked right into a sheet of granola with a carefully crisp texture, which was straightforward to interrupt aside into clumps that held collectively properly with minimal oat “crumbs.” The chickpea flour labored properly as a binder, though it’s value noting that it does impart a delicate taste and gritty texture. That wasn’t a downside for me, however this granola may not be for everybody.

About this technique: This unconventional method comes from former Bon Appétit editor Claire Saffitz, who tweaked her mom’s recipe to create this granola. Once I noticed bran flake cereal on the ingredient checklist and skim Saffitz’s declare that the clusters are what make her recipe so incredible, I knew I needed to give it a strive. “This produces clusters of all completely different shapes and sizes, some giant and a few small,” she writes. The concept is that the cereal flakes act as a raft of types for the opposite elements to cling to, whereas the wheat germ (together with an egg white) act as a binder to attach all the things collectively. You received’t need to stray too removed from the kitchen whereas the granola bakes since you’ll must to stir it midway by means of.

Outcomes: Because of the cereal flakes (and binders), there have been craggy, bite-size clumps earlier than the baking sheet even went into the oven. The cereal flakes encourage cluster creation and their delicate crispiness provides one other layer of texture to the granola, which is basically superb.

In the event you like a granola with small clumps (somewhat than shards damaged from a sheet of granola) and don’t thoughts unfastened granola “crumbs,” this technique is value making an attempt.

About this technique: A twist on the spread-and-press technique, Food52 shares this recipe from former pastry chef and cookbook writer, Alana Taylor-Tobin. In enjoyable story that’s like a recreation of phone, Taylor-Tobin memorized the recipe from her pastry college trainer, Clair Legas, who stole it from chef Casey Hayden once they labored collectively. The tactic requires spreading the granola in a skinny layer (though barely thicker across the edges, the place it cooks quicker), then topping it with one other layer of parchment and a second baking sheet. The granola is sandwiched between two baking sheets whereas it cooks and stays that method till it’s fully cooled.

Outcomes: You’ll want an additional piece of cookware right here, however it’s value it. The result’s a big sheet of evenly-colored, deep golden-brown granola that’s crispy and clumped collectively. Taylor-Tobin likens it to a fragile granola bar and I couldn’t agree extra. The granola is simple to interrupt aside into no matter measurement clumps you want and may be very straightforward to eat. Complete nuts don’t stick within the clumps very properly (sliced or chopped nuts would work higher), and also you’ll get some teeny-tiny clusters and oat crumbs, however on the entire this technique makes for good measurement granola clumps that maintain collectively properly.

About this technique: This simple technique, suggest by a number of sources, together with Alexandra Cooks, depends on a really low oven temperature (275°F, which is decrease than most granola recipes) and an hour-long bake time, with completely no stirring. Whereas many granola recipes depend on stirring the oat combination to make sure even cooking, it’s additionally what breaks up the clumps — that’s presumably why this recipe and most of the others I examined don’t embrace stirring.

Outcomes: There’s really nothing fancy right here, which is without doubt one of the issues I really like about this technique. It produces an evenly cooked batch of granola with crispy, bite-size clumps. Given the hour-long prepare dinner time and lack of stirring I used to be particularly impressed by how evenly the granola baked. If you need a super-straightforward technique and like bite-size granola clumps over huge shards, you actually can’t beat this technique.

About this technique: The concept behind this technique, used within the Mega Clump Granola recipe in The First Mess Cookbook, requires spreading the combination to the sides of the rimmed baking sheet, then urgent all the way down to compact the combination. The granola is baked in a reasonable oven (325° F) with out stirring, then is left to chill fully on the baking sheet. 

Outcomes: The factor that stood out to me most about this method is how sturdy the granola clusters have been, with out being laborious or robust. As soon as the granola cooled it was very easy to interrupt the sheet into no matter measurement clumps I wished. And there have been very minimal granola “crumbs.” The clumps of granola have a crispy, crunchy texture, and have been straightforward to eat. This was my private favourite technique and the one I can’t wait to make once more.

If large, sturdy shards of granola are what you’re after, you’ll love this technique.

After testing 9 completely different strategies for clumpy granola (a few of which I made greater than as soon as), there have been a number of frequent methods that popped up repeatedly, together with some normal ideas that may enable you to make clumpy granola, whatever the recipe you employ.