Among the many things I’ve learned in college, perhaps the most useful has been the numerous capabilities of the microwave. Time after time the microwave has proven to be applicable for recipes that are seemingly only suitable for the oven. My recent discovery has been that you can make granola in the microwave, and the best part is you can just enough for yourself.
Here’s my recipe for microwave granola:
Start with 1 and ½ cups of rolled oats in a microwave safe bowl.
Toast the oats for 1 minute depending on the wattage of your microwave.
Next add 2 tablespoons of honey, 2 teaspoons of canola oil, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
Microwave in increments of 1 minute until the oat mixture is crispy.
It’ll be extremely hot so be careful not to burn yourself. After the first 3 1-minute intervals of microwaving it is helpful to let the mixture sit awhile to harden.
Continue microwaving in short intervals until the oats are at desired crispiness.
If you want to add nuts to your granola, you can toast them while waiting for the oat mixture to harden.
For nuts (optional): Place nuts on a paper towel and microwave for about 1 and ½ minutes. This makes them extra crispy and prevents burning if you microwave them separately from the oats.
Along with the nuts, mix in other items like dried fruit (do not microwave).
Once the extra items are added, it’s important to wait until the granola is completely cooled. The microwave will get everything extremely hot and it’ll take a while for it all to cool down. Letting everything cool also allows clusters to form.
Once cooled, you can enjoy your granola paired with fresh fruit, milk, yogurt, or just have it plain.
Extra notes:
If at first the oats seem soggy even after a while of microwaving, it’s important to just let it sit. Continual microwaving can cause the oats to burn.
Watch the oats carefully when cooking. They burn very easily. To help prevent burning, place oats in a bowl instead of a mug. Many recipes suggest making this in a mug, but I’ve found that the granola is more prone to burning when cooked in a mug. Cooking in a bowl allows the oats to get crispy evenly.
Microwave granola is an easy way to make your own breakfast or snack in the comfort of your dorm room. Enjoy!