Rolled oats, hazelnuts, maple syrup, and a pinch of cinnamon — that's honestly all you need to make this wonderfully crunchy vegan hazelnut granola on the stovetop. It comes together in minutes, it's delightfully crispy, and dangerously addictive — all without any oil or refined sugar.
Temperatures are rising, the sun is shining — and my motivation to turn on the oven is dropping at pretty much the same rate.
The problem? My craving for crunchy granola has absolutely no respect for the seasons.
In winter, I'm still happy to preheat the oven for a bowl of granola. But in summer? That suddenly feels like a spectacularly bad idea.
So I needed an alternative.
After a little experimenting, rolled oats, hazelnut butter, and maple syrup ended up in a skillet — and I was genuinely surprised at how well it works. The result is a wonderfully crispy, gloriously nutty skillet granola that's ready in about 15 minutes. It doesn't get much better than that!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick to make — Ready in about 10–15 minutes.
- No oven needed — Everything happens right in a skillet.
- Oil-free — The hazelnut butter brings plenty of flavor and keeps the granola beautifully crunchy.
- Just a few ingredients — You only need a handful of pantry staples.
- Perfect for meal prep — Keeps for several weeks.
Ingredients at a Glance
You only need 5 main ingredients for this easy vegan stovetop granola recipe:
- Rolled oats: The base of this crunchy granola. They get toasted in the pan and create that classic crunch.
- Hazelnut butter: Gives the granola its intense hazelnut flavor and helps the oats clump together beautifully. You can also use another nut butter — just make sure it's fairly runny.
- Maple syrup: Adds a lovely sweetness and helps create that irresistible crunch.
- Sliced or chopped hazelnuts: For even more nutty flavor and extra bite. Chopped nuts work great too.
- Dried cherries or raisins: Add a pleasant sweetness and fruity contrast.
- Salt & cinnamon: Round out the flavors perfectly.
(Quantities are listed in the recipe card below.)
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Step 1: Toast the rolled oats in a large skillet over medium heat for about 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Step 2: Add the hazelnut butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt, and stir everything together quickly. Continue toasting for another 6–8 minutes until the granola looks dry and smells wonderfully nutty. Keep stirring.
- Step 3: Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the hazelnuts and dried cherries or raisins. Let the hazelnut granola cool completely.
Storage
Let the stovetop granola cool completely after toasting. Don't worry if it seems a little soft straight out of the pan — it develops its full crunch as it cools.
Once cooled, transfer it to an airtight container — a glass jar with a lid works beautifully. Stored at room temperature, it stays nice and crispy for about 2 weeks.
Variations
Think of this as a wonderfully versatile base recipe for stovetop granola that you can customize any way you like. Here are a few ideas:
- Chocolatey: Once cooled, fold in a handful of vegan chocolate chips.
- Nut mix: Instead of just hazelnuts, try adding almonds, walnuts, or peanuts.
- Different nut butter: No hazelnut butter on hand? Almond butter works wonderfully as a substitute. Just make sure it's fairly runny — cashew butter tends to be too thick.
- Nut-free: Swap the hazelnut butter for light tahini (sesame paste) and replace the hazelnut pieces with sunflower seeds.
Serving Suggestions
There are so many delicious ways to enjoy this wonderfully nutty and healthy skillet granola:
- Sprinkle it over plant-based yogurt as a crunchy, irresistible topping
- Pour it into a bowl with fresh fruit and your favorite plant-based milk
- Use it as a topping for your smoothie bowl
- Grab a handful for a quick, satisfying snack
FAQ
Yes! Date syrup or rice syrup both work great as alternatives.
Stored in an airtight container, it keeps for about 2 weeks at room temperature.
It usually just needs more time to cool. It gets properly crunchy once it's fully cooled down — promise!
More Breakfast Recipes
I hope you give this vegan stovetop granola a try! If you love this recipe, please leave a comment, rate it, and feel free to tag me on instagram #veggiejam.
Recipe
Quick Stovetop Hazelnut Granola (Oil-free)
- Total Time: 12 minutes (+ cooling time)
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Description
Rolled oats, hazelnuts, maple syrup, and a pinch of cinnamon — that's honestly all you need to make this wonderfully crunchy vegan hazelnut granola on the stovetop. It comes together in minutes, it's delightfully crispy, and dangerously addictive — all without any oil or refined sugar.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (200 g) rolled oats
- ¼ cup (60 g) hazelnut butter
- ¼ cup (70 g) maple syrup
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼–⅓ cup (30–40 g) sliced or chopped hazelnuts
- ¼–⅓ cup (30–40 g) dried cherries or raisins (optional)
Instructions
- Toast the rolled oats in a large skillet over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the cinnamon, salt, hazelnut butter, and maple syrup and stir together quickly.
- Continue toasting for another 6–8 minutes until the granola no longer looks wet and smells wonderfully nutty, stirring constantly.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the hazelnuts and dried cherries.
- Let cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container.
- Store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
This post is also available in German (Deutsch).
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