What’s better than homemade granola? It’s quick and easy to make, packed with nutritious grains, nuts and seeds and naturally sweetened with (just a little) maple syrup or honey and always so flavourful and delicious. A smashing crunchy, chunky, and nutritious breakfast, snack or dessert topping.
It is commonly said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But you see, I am not a breakfast person. At all! I have to really force myself to eat in the morning. On the days that I get to eat breakfast, I may have mentioned on more than one occasion that my go-to breakfast choice is a granola yoghurt parfait. Not too sweet granola, crunchy and full of healthy nuts, layered with some creamy yoghurt and diced seasonal fruit and I am ready to kick-off my day.
So what is granola? Granola is a breakfast food and snack, mainly consisting of rolled oats and nuts, and a whole variety of add-ins, sweetened with healthy sweeteners and usually baked until it is crisp, toasted and golden brown. Excellent as a breakfast cereal drowned in milk, or mixed with fresh fruit and yoghurt into parfaits for easy breakfasts and snacks. Granola is great for dessert too. If you want to dress up a bowl of ice cream or banana split, simply heap some crispy delicious granola on top. Yum!😋
So why make your own granola? Personally, I just really really really love everything about homemade granola but of course, there are plenty of other arguments why you should be making yours.
» First of all, homemade granola is just downright delicious and tastes way way better than any store-bought one. You have no additives or preservatives or added sugars which aren’t great health wise or might even alter the taste and flavours of the final product. Homemade granola is full of feel-good ingredients, including lots of protein and omega-3s and it isn’t overly sweet; just lightly tossed with a bit of honey or maple syrup and you are good to go.
» Next, granola is cheaper, super quick and easy to make, with ingredients you probably already keep in your pantry. It is ready in 20 minutes or less and you can make for less than 1/3 the price of pre-packaged ones at the grocery store.
» And lastly, homemade granola gives you that perfect crunch and is easy to customize with whatever ingredients you love most. You know what is in your granola because you can add in your favourite stir-ins such as chopped nuts, dried fruits, chocolate chips, etc, store in zip-lock bags or airtight container and voilà!
I am constantly making various kinds of granola (and granola bars) to keep on hand for easy breakfasts or snacks. And as already mentioned above, my go-to way of having granola is for breakfast, as a parfait. Slice or dice any fruit(s) of your choice, add to any kind of yoghurt you have on hand and some granola for crunchiness. Serve in a bowl or alternate layers of these components in a transparent glass and you have yourself a healthy and delicious breakfast/snack/dessert.
Another way to have homemade granola is as a simple and delicious breakfast cereal. Add a little almond milk and you have a nutritious, kid-approved, breakfast.
Granola could be used also to add some crunch to a smoothie breakfast bowl with lots of fruits and healthy seeds and all that good stuff, for a super healthy breakfast packed with nutrients to get your day started on a good foot.
Want to customize your granola a little bit more? Feel free to mix and match nuts and the dried fruits to really make it your own!
⊕ Nuts — Nuts are extra delicious when they are toasted. They add lots of flavour and crunch to granola and are super healthy, packed with fibre, vitamins, monounsaturated (good) fats, minerals, and proteins which help you feel full and satisfied for longer. There are a whole variety of chopped nuts you can add to your granola – walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, cashew nuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, etc
⊕ Healthy seeds — Any vitamin and mineral-rich seeds are a great addition – chia seeds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, etc
⊕ Dried fruit — Any kind of chopped dried fruit would be delicious here – currants, cranberries, raisins, dates. Don’t add your dried fruit until the granola is done cooking: since the fruit is already dried, you don’t need to cook it! You’ll add it once the granola is cooked and has cooled off.
⊕ Chocolate chips — Because, of course! If you are a chocoholic, feel free to toss in your favourite chocolate chips in there as well. Just like dried fruit, add your chocolate chips only after your granola has cooled off completely otherwise, they would melt.
⊕ Coconut flakes — Just like chocolate chips, because why not? Who doesn’t love thin crunchy lightly toasted coconut flakes? Add it halfway through cooking for perfectly toasted results. Absolute must-have for me.
⊕ Peanut butter — Most granola recipes call for the addition of peanut butter. I prefer not to add it in mine, but if that’s your thing then go for it.
⊕ Warm spices — If you like a rich warm taste in your granola, feel free to add in any warming spices that you love, such as cinnamon, ground nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, ginger, allspice, etc
For today’s post, I’m sharing an easy stovetop granola recipe/video which you can make in 10 minutes or less. Most granola recipes are made by tossing the ingredients together until thoroughly mixed, then baked in the oven for about 20 minutes or so. This recipe is a good variation from the traditional oven granola, made on the stovetop, with your granola still tasting fabulous. So if you are too lazy to use the oven, or you just don’t have one, you’re in the right place. This stovetop granola only requires one pan, a stirring utensil and a few simple ingredients — that’s it. It couldn’t be easier!
Coconut oil is delicious in granola, but if you would like to change the flavour of your granola, try using canola oil, olive oil, or butter in place of coconut oil.
INSTRUCTIONS
¤ Heat a tablespoon of oil (I prefer to use unrefined coconut oil) in a heavy bottom pan or skillet over medium heat.
¤ Add in 2 cups of old fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking oats), 1/4 cup each of chopped nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds or pecans) a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg or a teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1/4 cup of honey (you could use maple syrup or agave), pinch of salt.
¤ Cook and stir continuously for 5 – 10 minutes, or until the oats are golden brown.
¤ Add in 1/4 cup of coconut flakes to the oats and cook a couple of minutes (just enough for the coconut to be slightly toasted) before you take the pan off the stove.
¤ Let cool completely and transfer into a deep bowl. Add in chopped dried fruits (raisins, cranberries, apples), and/or chocolate chips and gently mix with hands or spatula.
¤ Store in zip-lock bags or airtight container for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to a month (trust me, it’s not going to last that long!).
Who says homemade granola, immediately means easy no-bake granola bars for me — perfect on-the-go snacks for everyone and any age. If you can make your own granola, you can definitely make your own granola bars. Granola bars consist of granola mixed with honey, peanut butter or any other sweetened syrup, pressed into a slab, put in the fridge to set and cut into bar shapes. Just a few extra steps, no baking and you will be chewing on these fabulous treats. Naturally protein-packed and irresistibly delicious.
Top Tip: I love to make my granola bars with pre-made granola; but if you want to start from scratch by using rolled oats and all your favourite add-ins, that’s fine too. If that is the case, make sure you toast the oats and nuts first! This is very important because raw oats taste dusty and feel pasty in the mouth, which can result in your granola bars being rather lacklustre. You’ll add a nice delicious toasty flavour to your granola simply by giving them a turn in the oven or skillet before they’re mixed with the other ingredients and made into bars. This extra step doesn’t take up a ton of extra time or effort: it’s just a matter of spreading the oats and nuts on the same baking pan you’ll use to make the granola bars and letting them bake to golden brown in the oven while you gather and measure all of your other ingredients.
» Line a baking dish with parchment paper, and in a bowl, break up your granola chunks into cereal form.
» Combine some honey, butter or coconut oil, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of salt in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat and allow to cool for about five minutes.
» Pour the honey mixture over the granola (or toasted rolled oats and nuts) to bind everything together. If you want any extra mix-ins, now will be the time to add them — nuts, seeds, dried fruit — mix very well in a bowl to ensure that everything is fully combined.
» Use your fingers or a spatula to press the mixture firmly into your prepared baking pan until uniformly flattened. Sprinkle on additional mini chocolate chips, cover with parchment or plastic wrap and pop it in a fridge to set for at least one hour.
» Lift up from the parchment paper to transfer the slab of granola to a cutting board, cut into desired shapes, drizzle on some chocolate, and there you have your no-bake granola bars as a dessert or snack. . Store in a sealed container for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to a month.
Granola is something I make sure to never ever run out of in my home. Like never ever! There were times when I would drive all over my city for hours, going from store to store looking for my favourite brand of granola (yes I am very particular about my granola). But long gone are those days!
I now make my own granola and have not returned to store-bought granola ever since I made my first batch.
I hope you love this stovetop granola recipe as much as I do. This is different from the usual oven-baked granola recipe, but with the same amazing results. So if you are looking for a super-snappy, back-pocket, tried-and-true, perfectly-crunchy, all-kinds-of-flavourful, feel-good granola recipe, I highly recommend giving this one a try and customizing the ingredients as much as you like. I think you’re going to love it! Please let me know if you make it by leaving a comment. I’d love to hear from you!
Homemade stovetop granola: so so easy!!!
