Are you craving granola, but it’s sadly absent from your pantry? Are you settling for toast instead? That used to be me, until I had a brainstorm and created this Quick Skillet Granola. Craving satisfied!
This morning I craved a yogourt and fruit parfait for breakfast, bringing together tangy and creamy with bright berry sweetness. I knew I’d need something else to add a complementary crunchiness: granola. The problem? I had none.
That’s when a brainstorm hit … I could toast some oatmeal and nuts in a skillet with maple syrup added in for sticky, sweet crunch. Now surely I’m not the first person to think of such a thing (and having just done a quick search, I see that plenty of others have beat me to it), but there’s a particular pleasure in coming up with a quick and inventive solution to a problem without losing 20 minutes trolling the internet first. Original thinking doesn’t necessarily mean being first!
In the space of about five minutes, the granola was cooling while I was readying the berries for the parfait. Since I like to use plain unsweetened Greek yogourt, I made the granola a little sweeter than I might have otherwise. It was just what I was looking for to complete my parfait: sweet, with a hint of cinnamon, a bit sticky and pleasingly crunchy.
This was the best breakfast I’ve had since eating at Stella’s in Winnipeg, and it’s good to know I can whip it together so quickly anytime I like, whether there’s granola in the cupboard or not!
Let’s Make Quick Skillet Granola
- 1/4 cup large flake oatmeal
- 5 or 6 walnut halves, broken into pieces
- 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp or so ground cinnamon
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Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl until the oatmeal and nuts are well coated with the oil and syrup. Put into a small skillet (I used non-stick) over medium to medium-low heat, and stir and turn frequently. If you don’t like clumps in your granola, just break it up with the spatula. Keeping a close eye on it to prevent burning, toast the granola mixture until it’s golden brown or to your liking. It took me less than 5 minutes to achieve that state.
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Remove from the skillet and cool, then use as desired.
Looking for More Granola Recipes?
I find it fun to come up with new ideas for granola. Some of my granola recipes are definitely special occasion worthy (like breakfast every day, right?) and some are more straightforward. Here’s a selection for you: Orange Almond Granola; Chocolate Ginger Granola (one of my more extravagant recipes and worth it!); and Triple Apple Granola. And as an added bonus today, here’s my primer How to Make Basic Granola.
First Published 2016 06 16
Republished 2022 10 24
I am definitely trying this! I wonder, would a little ground flax be a nice addition to the granola?
Jennifer, I think there are many variations that could be made to this recipe: adding pipitas, flaked coconut, different spices and, yes, some ground flax, too!
Love those kind of breakfast…. interesting… combination….
I’ve ben eating this everyday now, and I love it each time!
What a great idea! I like that “Original thinking doesn’t necessarily mean being first!” And congratulations on making the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance’s list of food blogs!
Thanks Cathy! It was a total surprise to learn that Urban Cottage Life made the list, and very exciting too!
This is my husband’s favorite breakfast although his is just in a bowl rather than made into a pretty parfait.
I have to confess, Karen, the only day I enjoyed this breakfast prettily displayed in a glass was the day I took the photo. The rest of the time I just layer it all up in a bowl and have at it! I like your husband’s taste in breakfast, by the way!
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