How do I make granola stickier?

[newhavener07]

Just started making my own granola and love it, using Nigella Lawson's recipe and it's super tasty. However, I want it to be a little stickier so you get bigger clumps for snacking but don't want to undercook it. I thought about adding Golden Syrup--recipe as it is calls for honey, brown rice syrup, applesauce and brown sugar as binders, with a bit of oil. Any suggestions?

[JanRan]

I use a lot of water in my recipe. When using a box of oats (18 oz) and two cups of nuts, my liquid is 1/2 cup each - water, maple syrup and oil. I spread the mixture in the pans and tamp it down with the back of a large spoon. Then I bake it undisturbed for about 20 minutes, then stir every 10 -15 minutes. It comes out very chunky.

[Jennalynn]

Gordeaux is right...

You bake it... Leave it on the pan... compress it while it's hot.

Then let it cool completely!

When you break it up, it will clump.

[pigtails]

well, this is not nutritious, but it is very clumpy:

when the granola comes out of the oven, toss it with chocolate chips (over some parchment).

the chocolate melts, then it hardens, and it is very clumpy.

[kodothedrum]

I have been making my own granola (albeit sans a recipe) and have 3 techniques I'd like to share with you: 1. Add a teaspoon or two of water when you mix up the ingredients (before baking). I've found it makes clumping happen more easily. 2. Add dried fruits (cranberries, raisins or snipped up apricots) AFTER it comes out of the oven to keep the fruit from getting rock-hard. and 3. Be sure to try using kamut flakes, rye flakes and wheat flakes in addition to the oatmeal. They add more interest. Also: I sometimes use (real) maple syrup or dark Karo syrup or fruit-flavored pancake syrups in addition to brown sugar for a slightly different flavor from honey. And I always put in about a teaspoon of vanilla extract (real, of course) when mixing up the ingredients. Now you've gotten me curious -- I'll look at Nigella's recipe to see what hers includes.

[ipsedixit]

peanut butter.

[gordeaux]

The clumps come more from pressing the final product than the binders. Sure, the binders are definitely needed, but for nice clumps, you gotta PRESS your granola after it's cooked. My trick that I learned probably from looking on the web:
Buy two short lipped jelly roll pans or cookie sheets. When you are done cooking your granola, press the bottom side of the second cookie sheet into the granola (like you were stacking them for storage. MASH IT DOWN. GOOD. Press down hard all over, and then put a few books on top. let it cool. Break your granola apart into chunks.

[newhavener07]

Thanks for the advice, gordeaux, I'll try it this weekend.

[sarah galvin]

Why not make it clump manually. I don't find my home granola to be clumpy. You could also make granola cookies.