Stovetop Granola

In a quest to save time in my kitchen last week, I tried making some basic granola on the stovetop.

I love homemade granola, but hate the long baking time and the need to stir it every 15 to 20 minutes. I don’t always have the time to do that…or rather, I often forget to stir it and end up with not-so-good granola.

And guess what? It worked beautifully, was super easy, and took me 15 minutes, max.

Basic Stovetop Granola

• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 Tbsp light oil, Earth Balance, or butter (could use canola, safflower, coconut, etc)
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• pinch salt

Heat skillet over medium/high heat and toss in oats.

Toast oats, 5-7 minutes, until they turn a slight golden color and smell, well, “toasty”.

Remove oats from pan and add oil/butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt.

Stir together and let cook 1 minute or until fragrant.

Toss in the oats, stir to coat, and let cook together 2-3 minutes.

Once oats are completely covered with the syrup mixture, pour into bowl or onto baking sheet to let cool.

I made mine very basic (oats only), but that’s only because I always change my mind for mix-ins. This lets me add whatever I want right then! Nuts, dried fruit, seeds, chocolate chips – there’s no limit to the combinations you could make.

So far, I’ve used this in Stonyfield Whole Milk yogurt as a snack at work and just as bowls of “cereal” with some nuts, almond milk, and sliced banana.

The possibilities are endless!

I can’t wait to make more.

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