Egg Whites Will Transform Your Granola Into A Crunchy Goodness

If you have yet to start making your own granola at home, you definitely should. This isn't even a slight nudge in that direction; you should be running toward making your own. Aside from being absolutely one of the most expensive food items you'll find yourself buying at the grocery store, store-bought granola can also be pumped full of preservatives and not-so-great, hard-to-pronounce ingredients that our bodies don't really need.

With National Granola Bar Day celebrated every January, now is a perfect time to start practicing — or perfecting — your homemade granola recipe (via Latest News). It's also relatively simple -– you could take this homemade granola recipe and swap in the added nut, seeds, and spice ingredients based on your preferences. Making and baking your own granola can be tricky to perfect immediately, especially if you're aiming for an abundance of crunchy clusters. If you're finding that your granola isn't hitting the benchmark in that department, consider adding egg whites to any granola recipe, and you'll be well on your way to some crunchy goodness.

If you're one to relish in the delicious bigger granola clusters in your bag of store-bought granola or be pleased when you find a couple of them in your homemade granola, then you're not alone. If you find that when you make your own granola, it falls a little short on the crunchy-and-cluster spectrum, don't worry. Did you know there's a way to obtain a crunchier and bigger-clustered granola when making your own at home?

According to self-taught home cook Deb Perelman in her The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook (via Serious Eats), egg whites are the key ingredient in transforming your granola into crunchy goodness. The thing about egg whites is that they help bind the granola together thanks to the added protein. "Nothing glues like protein," she writes in the recipe. 

The result? You'll be left with extra crunchy granola clusters without the need for extra sugar to keep them together. Simply Scrumptious Eats also deems egg whites a crucial ingredient. "Egg whites help form those perfect granola clusters," the recipe states.

Okay, so we know that using egg whites will successfully achieve our crunchy cluster granola goals. But how? It's actually very simple!

First, you'll want to place your oats of choice in a bowl and combine them with your added spices and toppings, such as almonds, seeds, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, or whatever your heart desires. Lightly mix, ensuring the spices you want combine with the rest of the granola to get a consistent overall flavor (via Simply Scrumptious Eats). Now it's time to bring those egg whites into the mix! According to Recipe Tin Eats, two egg whites are recommended to achieve that crunchy and cluster granola you're aiming for. Separate the eggs, whisk them together in a separate bowl, and gently pour them into the center well of your dry granola mix-ins. Add in your sweetener — maybe honey or maple syrup — oil and vanilla, and mix.

Finally, pour the sticky mix onto parchment paper, pop in the oven at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for around 20 to 25 minutes, flipping halfway through, and bake for another 20 minutes. You'll be left with perfect crunchy clusters of homemade granola.