If you’ve been around here awhile, you know I’m a bit of a granola junkie. I eat the stuff almost everyday. I have five recipes in the archives and another twenty that haven’t been posted. Heck, I even have a recipe for Granola Cookies! What I’m saying is that if you’re into granola, you’ve come to the right corner of the internet.

All the recipes in the archives are made the traditional way—baked at a relatively low temperature with frequent stirring to prevent burning. Each variation makes enough for three weeks worth of breakfasts. Yes, granola is a great thing to prep-ahead and have stashed in your cabinet on busy mornings.

But there are times when I am out of town for a week, or that I am working on a breakfast recipe for an extended period, or even that I just don’t have time for breakfast at home. And, very occasionally, I come up with a flavor combination that simply doesn’t work (Orange-Pistachio comes to mind), and then I’m stuck eating subpar breakfasts for three weeks so that I don’t waste food…

…until recently, that is.

I started making granola on the stovetop this past October and I totally love it. Not only does it take just a quarter of the usual cook time, but it makes a smaller batch! This means that I don’t have to worry about it turning stale in a few weeks or just growing tired of the flavor combination—it’s gone long before that happens.

Today’s granola recipe was made as most of mine are: as a way to use up odds and ends from my mix-in cabinets. There are oats of course, but the rest is just based on ratios.

For two cups of oats, I add in one cup of chopped nuts and seeds (pecans, pepitas and sunflower seeds, in this case). Those get toasted in a dry skillet until they are fragrant and the seeds are starting to pop.

Next come three tablespoons of oil (I used coconut) and six tablespoons of sweetener. I went for maple syrup and dark brown sugar for this batch, but if you don’t like the idea of straight-up sugar in your breakfast, you may sub coconut sugar or use all maple. Don’t forget to add some salt for balance.

Cook the granola a few minutes more before removing it from the heat and adding in some dried fruit. I went with dates—I impulse-bought a huge bag of them on a recent trip to Costco and now I’m throwing them in everything. If dried fruit isn’t for you, leave the granola as-is.

Spread the granola out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let it cool. If you’re the type of person who adds chocolate chips to granola, this is the time.

Pile your finished granola into a jar. Who knew oats, nuts, and seeds could look so pretty?!

This Stovetop Granola doesn’t cluster much, but that can be remedied by using a thicker sweetener like honey or brown rice syrup. Real cluster enthusiasts might want to add an extra tablespoon or two, just in case.

I, however, don’t mind clusterless granola. Paired with some plain yogurt and a full French press…well, I have no complaints at all.

10 Minute Stovetop Granola
makes about 1 quart

2 cups old-fashioned oats (use certified gluten-free oats for gluten-free granola)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup raw pepitas
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
3 tablespoons coconut oil
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup chopped dates (I used deglet noor)

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Set aside.

Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add oats, pecans, pepitas, and sunflower seeds. Cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant and toasted (about 4-5 minutes). Do not burn.

Remove pan from heat. Add coconut oil and allow to melt. Stir to coat the oat mixture. Stir in dark brown sugar, maple syrup, and salt. Return pan to medium heat and cook/stir for 2-3 additional minutes, until sweeteners are incorporated. Remove granola from heat. Stir in chopped dates.

Transfer mixture to parchment-lined pan and allow to cool.

Store granola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three weeks.