• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipes
  • About me
  • Shop
  • Subscribe

Throughthefibrofog

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About me
  • Shop
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About me
    • Shop
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Snacks

    Published: Sep 6, 2019 · Modified: May 7, 2022 by Claire · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 5 Comments

    Pumpkin seed clusters

    A fun and crunchy treat, these homemade pumpkin seed clusters are a sweet snack that adults and kids alike will love. Made with nuts, seeds, coconut and a hint of maple syrup for some decadent sweetness they come together in under 30 minutes. Perfect alternative to cookies if you fancy a change!

    pumpkin seed clusters on a lined wire rack.

    Now speaking of cookies . . . If you have a sweet tooth you may like to check out my cardamom oat cookies and honey spelt cookies. I love making cookies and I think you will love them too!

    And for another fun treat, my apple trail mix combines healthy fruit, nuts and seeds for a tasty snack that's quite healthy.

    These vegan pumpkin seed clusters require mostly pantry staples and come together in around half an hour. They are such a tasty snack, and feel quite indulgent. Perfect for when the mid-afternoon sugar craving hits and they come together so quickly!

    Jump to:
    • Why this recipe is so good
    • Ingredients
    • Step by step instructions
    • Recipe tips and notes
    • Equipment needed
    • More fun and tasty snacks
    • Recipe

    Why this recipe is so good

    The best crunch. The nuts and seeds go perfectly crisp and crunchy, with a lovely sweetness.

    Pantry staples snack! With minimal ingredients, and all pantry staples you won't need to run to the store for these seed and nut clusters.

    Vegan and gluten free. The clusters are suitable for both dietary requirements, as well as being a low histamine snack.

    Easy to make. Just a bit of 'hands on' time and then the oven does the work for you.

    Ingredients

    small bowls of seeds, coconut and maple syrup.

    All you need for these clusters are nuts and seeds, maple syrup and a sprinkle of salt. Some notes on a few of the ingredients you will need:

    • Pumpkin seeds - the main ingredient of these clusters. You want raw seeds, not those have been salted or roasted. The Terrasoul organic pumpkin seeds are good.
    • Coconut - you want the dried coconut flakes not fresh coconut, which would be too wet.
    • Chia seeds - as well as being healthy, they help to 'stick' the clusters together. You need the whole chia seeds, not milled chia. The Terrasoul organic chia seeds are good.
    • Salt - personally I like to use pink Himalayan salt for a milder flavour than regular table salt.

    Make sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients and their quantities!

    Step by step instructions

    nuts and seeds in a glass bowl.
    nuts and seeds combined with maple syrup in a glass bowl.

    Step 1

    Add the seeds, nuts, coconut flakes and salt to the bowl, then drizzle on the maple syrup (image 1). Stir very thoroughly so that the maple syrup coats all the nuts and seeds (image 2).

    nuts, seeds and coconut in a layer on a lined baking tray.
    pumpkin seed clusters on a lined wire rack.

    Step 2

    Spread the mixture onto a lined baking tray so that there is a thin layer (about 0.5cm thick), with no gaps (image 3). Bake the mixture on the bottom of the oven for 20 minutes (watch for any signs of burning in the last few minutes).

    Step 3

    Once the mixture has cooled, carefully break into clusters of the size of your choice (image 4).

    Recipe tips and notes

    • Stir the mixture very thoroughly so all the nuts and seeds are coated in the maple syrup.
    • Be sure to have the cluster mixture in a fairly even layer on the baking tray so it bakes evenly.
    • Make sure to place the mixture at the bottom of the oven, not the top or middle as that would be too hot.
    • Watch the mixture towards the end of cook time for any signs of burning. It can turn fast!
    • Allow the mixture to cool thoroughly before trying to break into clusters. It will solidify as it cools and won't 'crack' into small pieces before that.

    Equipment needed

    Baking tray and parchment paper - to bake the clusters.

    Wire rack - to allow the pumpkin seed crunch clusters to cool before breaking into pieces.

    Bowl - to combine the nuts, seeds and maple syrup.

    pumpkin seed clusters on a lined wire rack.

    More fun and tasty snacks

    Love sweet treats? You will find lots to choose from on my snacks page, including fun ideas such as my coconut macadamia nut cookies and apple trail mix. Some other tasty recipes:

    • Turmeric cookies
    • Cardamom apple fritters
    • Turmeric ginger energy balls (no bake, without dates)
    • Coconut energy balls

    I’m always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes. And please do leave a star rating if you tried the recipe!

    Recipe

    pumpkin seed clusters on a lined wire rack.

    Pumpkin seed clusters

    Claire
    Super easy to make, these pumpkin clusters are a great sweet treat for adults and kids alike. Have as an afternoon snack or break them up as a topping for other desserts. Suitable for a vegan and low histamine diet, this recipe is great for all those times you need a little sugar fix!
    5 from 2 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Snack, Sweet treat
    Cuisine American, British
    Servings 10 clusters

    Equipment

    • Parchment paper
    • Small bowl
    • Wire rack

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ cup pumpkin seeds
    • ¼ cup coconut flakes (dried coconut not fresh)
    • ¼ cup flaked almonds
    • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
    • 2 tablespoon maple syrup
    • sprinkle pink himalayan salt

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 170C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
    • Add the seeds, nuts, coconut flakes and salt to the bowl, then drizzle on the maple syrup. Stir very thoroughly so that the maple syrup coats all the ingredients.
    • Spread the mixture onto the parchment paper so that there is a thin layer (about 0.5cm thick), with no gaps. Bake the mixture on the bottom of the oven for 20 minutes (watch for any signs of burning in the last few minutes). Take out of the oven and don't touch it! The mixture will solidify as it cools and stick together.
    • Once the mixture has cooled, carefully break into clusters of the size of your choice. This is a delicate process so approach with care!
    • Serve immediately or store in a sealed container. Enjoy!

    Notes

    • Stir very thoroughly so the maple syrup coats all the nuts and seeds.
    • Watch the oven towards the end of cook time, as the clusters can burn easily.
    • Allow the mixture to cool before handling or breaking into the clusters. The clusters are rather fragile, so handle with care! But even if they break a little they are still delicious! You could even use any broken bits as a topping for other sweet treats.
     

    Swiss Interest Group Histamine Intolerance

    All ingredients score a '0' on the SIGHI scale, with the exception of:
    • almonds score a '1' - change up for more pumpkin seeds or other nuts or seeds if you are unable to tolerate.
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    Tweet
    Share
    Pin
    Share
    « Cherry caprese salad (without tomatoes)
    Berry smoothie without yogurt »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jana says

      January 14, 2021 at 5:56 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe looked really simple, well it is haha, but I just didn't expect much from it but gosh was I wrong. This is the best snack ever! My family/friends absolutely love it too. It's so easy to make and so delicious, thank you so much for sharing this recipe 😊

      Reply
      • throughthefibrofog says

        January 14, 2021 at 6:08 pm

        Hi Jana, I'm so happy you liked the recipe! So simple isn't it, but perfect as a treat. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment, so kind of you 🙂

        Reply
    2. Katie Clark says

      December 29, 2020 at 1:03 am

      Going to try this. I need snacks that are dairy and gluten free. These fit the bill.

      Reply
    3. J says

      November 18, 2019 at 7:43 am

      Hi. I tried this with fresh coconut and mine didn’t get crispy. Did I do something wrong? I’m so disappointed

      Reply
      • throughthefibrofog says

        November 18, 2019 at 8:50 am

        Hi, sorry to hear that it didn't work with fresh coconut. It is probably too wet to get crispy. The recipe is best with dried coconut flakes and that is what I always use. Sorry if that wasn't clear in the recipe notes, I will amend them. Hope you get to make them soon!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I’m Claire. After a diagnosis of MCAS I began to follow a low histamine diet, which has helped me manage my symptoms. Here I hope to show that a restrictive diet can still be full of flavourful meals, and help you enjoy being creative in the kitchen.

    More about me →

    Popular recipes

    • Ginger beer (yeast free)
    • Spiced poached pears (without wine)
    • Rosemary chicken fillets (pan fried)
    • Apple and pear smoothie

    Recent Recipes

    • Pesto chicken risotto
    • Turmeric turkey breast fillets
    • Cucumber mint mocktail
    • Low histamine teas (and coffee alternatives)

    As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Please see my disclaimer. I am not a doctor or healthcare professional. All posts are for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice in any way.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Disclaimer
    • Cookie Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Work With Me

    Copyright © 2022 Through The Fibro Fog

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT