Quick and easy stovetop granola is so delicious and a real money saver! Plus when you get to decide what goes in it, you can make it that much more wholesome.

Granola is one of those staples you need to have at home: it’s sweet, it’s filling, it’s an easy complement to a wholesome breakfast, and even pairs nicely as a dessert! The thing is, good quality granola is crazy expensive!! My favorite brand charges almost $8 a bag and seems to last only five minutes when my kids get to it. Not only that, but even for a “healthy” treat, it still has a bit more sugar than I would like for a breakfast item.

When I realized how easy (and cheap!) it was to make my own granola at home, I never looked back. For some reason I expected it to be a much lengthier, more complicated process, but it really is as easy as heating a few easy and inexpensive ingredients on the stove.

Making granola at home also gives me the added benefit of eating it warm!!! You haven’t had granola until you’ve had it straight out of the pan with a scoop of ice cream pinch me. It’s so good, you have to try this.

Here’s what your need:

The basics

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 cups rolled oats – I like this brand (linked cheapest price I’ve found)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (maple syrup is preferred over honey, see notes below)
• pinch of salt – I like Jacobsen’s. Linked cheapest price here (you save 10% when you get 2+)

The add-ins (choose just 2 or all of ‘em! The possibilities are endless)

• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup dates or dried fruit of choice
• 2 tbsp coconut flakes
• 3 tsp chia seeds
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

How to Make

1. Heat coconut oil in a large non-stick pan on medium-low.
2. Add in maple syrup and stir constantly until bubbly. Add oatmeal, nuts, seeds, fruit, coconut flakes, cinnamon, and salt.
3. Increase the heat to medium and use a wooden spoon to stir and evenly coat all the ingredients. Cook about 5-10 minutes until granola starts to brown.
4. Enjoy warm or let it cool and store in the airtight container. Serve with yogurt, smoothies, or by itself!

Get Creative!/Make it Your Own!/Options & Substitutions

What I love about this recipe is that it’s entirely customizable. I’m just giving you the bones, but I want to inspire you to make this your own! Use whatever fun items you have in your fridge or pantry. In experimenting with my own granola at home I’ve had some hits (dates, coconut, dried banana, coconut) as well as some misses (baked lemon rinds… hard pass). There’s beauty in the trial and error. See below for some suggestions and let me know what creations you come up with!

Substitutions

Coconut oil: I think coconut oil pairs the best with granola but you could also try olive oil

Rolled oats: I prefer to use old fashioned rolled oats, but you could use whatever oats you have on hand as long as it’s not quick oats. I like this brand (linked cheapest price I’ve found)

Maple Syrup is preferred over honey because once you heat honey, it loses all of its nutritional benefits including it’s antioxidant properties. If you love honey, a workaround to that could be to add it to your granola after it’s cooled.

Salt: I like Jacobsen’s because of it’s low lead ppb and no microplastics. Linked cheapest price here (you save 10% when you get 2+

Chopped almonds: You could sub macadamia nuts, walnuts, brazil nuts, etc.

Pumpkin seeds: sub sunflower seeds

Dates: You could also use dried figs, raisins, mango, cranberries, blueberries,

Coconut flakes or shredded coconut are a nice addition but you could omit if you’re looking to keep fat content down.

Chia seeds or flax seeds work!

Cinnamon you could replace with nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice for some different flavors. I like using Ceylong cinnamon because of its higher antioxidant properties.

If you loved this recipe, check out these other breakfast favorites:

• Sweet Potato Protein Waffles
• Viral TikTok Custard Toast
• 3 Ingredient Breakfast Cookies