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Sometimes finding snacks on the keto diet can be a challenge. These keto coconut clusters are perfect as a snack but they also double as an amazing granola substitute when you need some crunch on your low carb yogurt or smoothie bowl!
These keto coconut clusters were inspired by some coconut clusters
I found at Costco for my kids. As far as pre-packaged snacks go, they’re better than most in terms of ingredients and macros and whatnot.
They are, however, still a bit too high carb for a ketogenic lifestyle. And yet I found myself snitching juuuust a little piece (or two… or three…) whenever my kids were getting them for their snacks.
They’re just that good.
So naturally I had to make myself a low carb version.
Keto Coconut Clusters
These coconut clusters are lightly sweet and salty, satisfy the need for crunch, are nut free*, gluten free, grain free, and vegan. Everyone wins!
*Ok, so coconut is classified as a tree nut on a lot of allergy information labels. However, most people with tree nut allergies do not react to coconut. Obviously, you should ask anyone with a potential allergy whether they react to coconut before you serve them this.
Alright. We start with coconut flakes– the big kind
— and add pumpkin seeds
, sunflower seeds
, and chia seeds
.
The pre-packaged stuff does not have any added oils (probably because people still think low fat foods are good for them) but to make this keto version, I used a little bit of coconut oil
.
In this way, it’s more like a traditional granola recipe.
For sweetener, I used my low carb sweetener blend. But you can use whatever 1:1 sugar substitute you like.
So here’s a little note about my sweetener blend: it’s a mix of erythritol and stevia in a ratio that I find to be perfect for most baked goods in terms of not leaving either a cooling effect (from the erythritol) or a bitterness (from the stevia.)
However, on it’s own it retains a little bit of the cooling sensation. Because of this, and because we’re not mixing it into a typical sort of baked good here, I added just one drop of stevia glycerite
to balance out the cooling sensation. This isn’t strictly necessary and really depends on how your taste buds react to low carb sweeteners, but I feel it gives a more neutral sweetness.
Once you’ve mixed the coconut/seed mixture into the coconut oil mixture, spread it out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. If you’ve ever made granola before, this should be familiar to you.
Bake in a 350° oven until the coconut flakes are turning golden brown.
Because coconut flakes brown quickly, you’ll need to keep an eye on this the first time you make it. Ovens are really variable, but this should take somewhere in the 5-10 minute range.
I like mine a little more toasted than the original, but you can take this out at whatever level of browning you prefer.
For most even browning, give this a little stir after about 3 minutes or so.
Let this cool completely on the pan before breaking it up into clusters.
A 1/2 cup serving of this comes out to 2.2 net carbs, verses 8 net carbs from the original.
I’d call that a win!
But I would definitely still suggest measuring out a serving instead of hanging out near the jar… these things have an addictive quality for sure.
I feel like they fulfill a similar role as kettle corn– lightly sweet, a little salty, a nice crunch.
While I love eating these on their own, they really shine atop some low carb yogurt, like Two Good or Elli Quark. It’s the perfect level of crunch.
Did I mention you can whip these up in 15 minutes? I call that a total snack win.
Keto Coconut Clusters
These Keto Coconut Clusters make a great snack or topping for your favorite low-carb yogurt!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Combine coconut flakes, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and chia seeds together in a medium bowl.
- In a large skillet over medium-low heat, melt coconut oil together with sweetener, optional stevia and salt.Stir until sweetener is completely dissolved.
- Stir coconut mixture into oil mixture to coat well.
- Spread on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 5-10 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes, or until coconut flakes have turned golden brown.
- Allow to cool on sheet pan, then break up into clusters. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Notes
Can easily be doubled.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1/2 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 156Total Fat: 14.7gSaturated Fat: 7.7gSodium: 58mgCarbohydrates: 5gNet Carbohydrates: 2.2gFiber: 2.7gSugar: 0.8gProtein: 3.7g
Hi!! Love the taste but less the greasyness of it… I let them cool after they cooked, but still, there was so much coconut oil every where, and under the clusters too. I put 2 tablespoons of coconut oil just like the recipe asks for, but I mesured it solid… Should have I melted it first?
Hi Amelie!
I haven’t had that problem with the coconut oil, and I measure it solid as well. There’s a little oil while it’s still warm, but when it cools it’s not greasy. Do you live in a warm climate? That might make a difference. You can definitely cut down on the coconut oil if that’s happening for you. You mostly need enough to dissolve the sweetener. Maybe try just 1 tablespoon next time and see if that works?
I tried to make these today (as someone at work introduced me to the amazing Costco clusters I didn’t know existed). But, the sweetener dissolved into the coconut oil then turned into what looked like cookie icing. As I grabbed my coconut mixture the sweetener separated into a clump and the oil into a puddle. I have no idea what happened. Thoughts? Thanks!
Oh no!
I’ve not had that happen. What sweetener were you using? I wonder if the oil got too hot?
I made this recipe today and I love it!!! Just as good or better than Costco’s. I made it exactly like recipe and it turned out great. Next time I would use less coconut oil and less sweetener. There was no pool of oil but feel I could cut back maybe 1/2 tablespoon. Just have to stir it really well. I used Swerve confectioners sugar and it’s very sweet so I would use maybe 1/4 cup or maybe monk fruit sweetener or maybe a brown sugar. This will be one of my go to snacks! Thanks so much for sharing.
Does it change the recipe much to add pecans or almonds?
Those are included in the keto crunch from Costco.
I think it would be just fine, as long as you don’t add a ton (if you wanted a higher ratio, I’d take out a bit of the other ingredients to make sure there is enough of the wet ingredients to coat them.) I haven’t tried the official keto version from Costco. When I created this recipe, there was only the regular coconut clusters. 🙂
I have made this twice and both times it did not clump like costco’s do. could you tell me why?? tastes very good but had to be eaten with a spoon rather than fingers
Hmm. I’ve always gotten very large clumps when I make this. Did you make any substitutions with the sweetener? Are you using coconut oil that’s solid at room temperature (not the fractionated kind)? The only other thing I can think of is stirring it too frequently when it’s cooling.
I made this and added 1/2 c sliced almonds. turned out great except too much grease. will cut down on oil next time. good didn’t clump as much as Costco but ok. these werent as dry as Costco..will keep trying
any other suggestions to dry out a bit