3-Ingredient Granola Recipe (20 Minutes)

I love breakfast, but sometimes I struggle with the first meal of the day. My brain’s not fully awake and my long to-do list beckons, so if I haven’t prepped anything ahead of time, breakfast is going to be a piece of fruit or a granola bar. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s not exactly special. And starting the morning with something special really sets the tone for the day.

One of my favorite special breakfasts is homemade granola. It’s hard to beat really crunchy, nutty, lightly sweet granola with cold and creamy yogurt. Plus, no reheating required! I can get it in a bowl and in my mouth in minutes.

Granola can have a long ingredient list, including ingredients like honey, oil, various nuts and seeds, coconut, dried fruit, spices, and more. It can also take some time to make, toasting in the oven for up to an hour. Luckily, it turns out you don’t need a long list of items or a long time to make excellent granola. You only need three ingredients and 20 minutes!

I often make this granola while I’m also making Sunday night dinner—it’s so quick and easy that I can multitask in the kitchen, prepping breakfast for the whole week.

My Granola Inspiration

While trying out some recipes in Food52’s cookbook, Simply Genius, I became attached to Jenné Claiborne’s Tahini Pistachio Granola. It has a few things going for it: ease, thanks to a relatively short ingredient list and minimal steps. It took less time than typical granola, cooking up in about 15 minutes at a higher-than-average heat. And it tasted delicious. Very nutty and not too sweet, I loved it.

And I still do! But over time, I’ve started fiddling with the recipe, as recipe developers are want to do. I tend to save my precious tahini (a bit pricey for the good brands) for dressings and sauces and don’t always want to use up half a cup to make granola. I realized that natural nut butter, something I always have around, could serve the same purpose while also shrinking the ingredient list. And it makes a very tasty granola.

The Right Nut Butter

While many baking recipes call for creamy, no-stir peanut butter like Jif, Skippy, and Peter Pan for the best texture, this recipe demands natural nut butter—the thinner version (unsweetened and with no extra oils) that requires lots of stirring. It is far easier to mix into the oats, provides the best flavor, and makes the granola crispy. Natural peanut butter or almond butter works equally well.

How to Make My 3-Ingredient Granola

To make about 2 1/2 cups, or 5 to 6 servings, you’ll need:

• 2 1/3 cups (264g) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup salted natural peanut butter or almond butter, well-mixed
• 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed half sheet pan with parchment paper.

Add the oats, nut butter, and maple syrup or honey to a medium mixing bowl. Use a rubber spatula to stir and press the mixture until all of the ingredients are well-distributed and all of the oats are well-coated. The mixture will be clumpy. Dump onto the prepared baking sheet and spread out into an even, thin layer.

Bake in the center of the oven until the oats are starting to brown, 10 minutes. Use a spatula to flip the oats in segments, rotating some granola from the center to the outside. Put back in the oven and bake until golden brown and fragrant, 5 to 10 more minutes.

Let cool completely on the baking sheet (it will continue to crisp up) before enjoying or storing for up to 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

Easy Variations

You only need three ingredients to make delicious granola, but it’s easy to tweak this recipe to add more textures and flavors. Here are some of my favorites:

• For extra protein, decrease the oats to 2 cups and add 1/2 cup nuts like almonds, walnuts, or shelled pistachios.
• Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract.
• Spice things up with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon or 2 teaspoons of ground chai spice.
• Add your favorite dried fruit after baking, like dried cherries, cranberries, or raisins.