Sugar and avoiding stirring. When the granola bakes with the maple syrup (or honey or sugar), the sweetener caramelizes and cause the ingredients to stick together. Leaving the granola to cool without stirring also allows it to further crisp up and become firm. Once broken up into clusters, stirring again will cause the clusters to break a little. It’s best to gently stir in the dried fruit so that the clusters don’t break too much.