Big cluster maple granola from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook: Recipes and Wisdom from an Obsessive Home Cook (page 26) by Deb Perelman

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Ingredients

ground cinnamon
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maple syrup
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- King Arthur Baking - United States
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Where’s the full recipe - why can I only see the ingredients?

Always check the publication for a full list of ingredients. An Eat Your Books index lists the main ingredients and does not include 'store-cupboard ingredients' (salt, pepper, oil, flour, etc.) - unless called for in significant quantity.

Notes about this recipe

LittleVikings on March 16, 2026

I never get big clusters but I love this recipe! It has a deep toasty flavor. I sometimes mix up the nuts or dried fruit.
Thompsonkrienke on January 18, 2025

I love this recipe. It's plenty sweet for me and I like that it uses less oil than many other recipes. I add some flax seed meal and skip the wheat germ to make it gluten free. I also skip the dried fruit and often add a T cocoa powder. Occasionally I'll add a bit of sourdough discard.
ldyndiuk on June 08, 2022

Pretty good! As others noted, it didn’t form large clusters for me (well, there were some but they didn’t hold together long) which is fine because I just eat my granola in yogurt anyway so I don’t really want it in clumps. But otherwise it came out really well. The flavor (other than the cherries) is more subtle than my usual granola (which is the one from the Love and Lemons website) but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
kzwa on July 28, 2020

Can confirm that this granola is super delicious. I left out the dried fruit. Great on yogurt, in milk, or out of your hand.
Shelmar on September 04, 2019

The bombastic style lowered trust, but the granola, though not vastly better than store bought, was better than major brands.
hirsheys on March 19, 2017

This granola is super tasty and it is also super easy. I like the idea of using two egg whites next time, and may up the maple syrup to the larger amount (I eat it with unsweetened yogurt, so wanted just a tad more sweetness.) I plan to try this with a bunch of different fruits - this morning was tart dried cherries, tomorrow will be dates, I think. Oh, and I used pecans instead of walnuts because I prefer them. 9.7.25 - 2/3 c maple syrup is just right for me, and I prefer using two egg whites, pecans, and dates. Very flexible recipe and really wonderful.
texannewyorker on September 14, 2016

The egg white is what does it - this might be my favorite granola to date. I shared my stash with others and they raved too.
WFPLCleanEating on August 30, 2016

I made modifications based on my preferences (1c apricots, 1/2c dark raisins instead of the cherries) and the ingredients I had on hand (nuts 2/3c walnuts & 1/3c pecans; canola oil instead of oil; and ~2 tbsp sunflower seeds instead of wheat germ). Cooked on the longer end of the cooking time. I thought the flavor was delicious, but it never 'clumped' up for me. Will definitely try it again. - Carol
LisaO on April 14, 2015

I'm trying to find the perfect granola. This one is NOT it. Tried to make it twice. It's not sweet at all. I even went and bought full sugar maple syrup, and added some honey. Barely clumps. Not even close to the great picture. The coconut gets completely overcooked unless you put it in at the end. I'll keep looking.
louie734 on January 07, 2014

All the girls at work wanted this recipe. Versatile, works every time, and makes the house smell outrageous. I got bigger clusters when I didn't stir as much as the recipe instructs - in fact, if your pan is lined with foil (to prevent swearing when cleaning up), you don't really need to stir at all.
Melanie on June 23, 2013

I skipped the toasted wheatgerm and substituted dried apricots and cranberries for the cherries. Lovely big clusters though, would make it again!