These easy fruit and nut coconut clusters made from pantry staples are crisp, crunchy and perfect for snacking.
I always like to have a few healthy snacks on hand for an afternoon treat; something to grab when I’m feeling my energy dip or just feel like something sweet that doesn’t require any preparation. These days it’s my fruit and nut coconut clusters. They’re crisp, crunchy and just sweet enough to satisfy my sweet tooth without veering into desert territory.
If you’re one of those people that always go for all the big crunchy clumps in your granola first then these coconut clusters are for you. A cross between trail mix and granola these coconut clusters combine the crunch of toasted coconut flakes, with the nutty goodness of almonds and cashews and the sweet/tart flavor of dried cranberries all in one delicious bite.
The clusters are gluten-free, paleo and vegan and call for only a few ingredients you may already have in your pantry like: coconut flakes, apple sauce, nut butter, maple syrup, almonds, cashews, and dried cranberries or cherries. Of course feel free to substitute whatever nuts and dried fruit you have on hand to customize the fruit and nut coconut clusters to your likes and to what happens to be in your pantry at the moment.
Apple sauce, nut butter and maple syrup creates a sticky glue to help bind the coconut clusters together as they bake. Everything is simple stirred together by hand in a large bowl, which makes this a great recipe for little ones to help with. Create little stacks by spooning the mixture into mounds on the parchment or simply spread it all out evenly on the sheet pan to break into whatever sized chunks you’d like afterwards.
A long slow bake in a low oven ensures that the coconut and nuts don’t burn before drying out and crisping up. What you end up with are clusters that are toasty, crisp and irresistibly good. Eat them by themselves as a snack or try crumbling a few pieces as a topping for yogurt or ice cream.
Happy Snacking!
Serves 12
Sylvie Shirazi
Yields 12
10 minPrep Time
40 minCook Time
50 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 Tablespoon/15g unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 Tablespoon/15g maple syrup
- 1/2 Tablespoon/7g cashew or other nut butter
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- ½ cup/30 g unsweetened coconut flakes
- 2 Tablespoons/14g cashews, coarsely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons/14g almonds, coarsely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons/20g naturally sweetened dried cranberries , coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
- In a large bowl stir together apple sauce, maple syrup, nut butter, vanilla extract and salt. Add the coconut flakes, cashews, almonds and cranberries and stir again to combine.
- Using two spoons place small mounds of the mixture about 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes (until lightly golden around the edges), then turn off heat and leave pan inside the oven to cool completely.
- Store cooled coconut clusters in an airtight container at room temperature.
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Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she’s been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
The post Fruit and Nut Coconut Clusters (Paleo, Vegan) appeared first on Gourmande in the Kitchen.