It all began my first fall at college during freshman year. While we loved the pizza- and fruit-themed nights, the Dining Commons (or DC, for short) sometimes served inedible dinners: floppy burgers, charcoal-toasted grilled cheese, or limp spaghetti noodles. On those occasions, the cold cereal bar sounded much more appealing!
On one of my trips to refill my bowl with Cinnamon Toast Crunch, I maneuvered past the salad bar. (Don’t ask why we chose cereal over fresh greens—it’s something I still can’t figure out!) Nestled in between the Italian and Ranch sat a container of thick pink dressing. Confused, I scooted a little closer, picked up the serving ladle, and took a sniff.
Raspberry yogurt!
I immediately ditched my big cereal bowl and opted for a smaller saucer from next to the soft-serve machine. After scooping out some yogurt, I dashed back to the cereal bar. Not for Cinnamon Toast Crunch though. For granola.
We started making a main course out of yogurt and granola, adding in extra nuts and dried cherries form the salad bar toppings. Then we ate a second serving for dessert, sprinkles that bowl with chocolate chips and Oreo crumbles from the soft-serve station. Best dinners ever.
When I moved off-campus sophomore year, Safeway was only a 2-minute walk from the apartment, and I stocked up my side of the fridge and pantry with cups of yogurt and boxes of granola. I refilled my stashes on a weekly basis, and my roommates quickly became hooked too. We even held parfait parties after dinner, where everyone picked a different yogurt flavor and we passed around the granola box! But after collecting too many grocery receipts, I knew something needed to change.
So I started making my own granola.
I first developed my Cinnamon Raisin Granola and easily went through a double batch of that every week—by myself. I came up with a new 4-Cereal Granola next to add extra crunch and texture. Then I switched it up again with my Simple Lightened Granola.
Yup, I was out of control.
So I stopped. Cold turkey. And I was doing great over the past 6 months until my good friend Mrs. Webb posted a parfait picture on Instagram.
Want. Need. Crave. NOW!
I couldn’t buy a box of granola to make my own; I’d skip the yogurt and finish off the entire package in a day. A crumbled up granola bar? Maybe, but it wouldn’t taste the same. What about…
A homemade single serving of granola?
Too impatient to heat up the oven, I turned to the microwave instead. And 4 minutes later—just 4 minutes!—I had my perfect portion of granola.
So much for avoiding that addiction…
The recipe below makes the perfect portion for a granola yogurt parfait. If doubling the recipe, microwave at 40% power for an addition 1 minute (for a total of 5 minutes).
- In a 1-cup glass ramekin, stir together the maple syrup and water. Mix in the oats and Rice Krispies, completely coating the cereals. Microwave at 40% power for 2 minutes. Stir the granola, ensuring none sticks to the bottom of the ramekin. Microwave at 40% power for another 2 minutes. Let the granola cool for 2-3 minutes before eating.
LOVE this, specifically because it’s single serve! HA! I have to do the same thing with cupcakes and cookies unless I know I have someone I can push the batch onto when I’ve had my share! This looks delish!
Brittany, I have to do the same thing with big batches! Just this afternoon, I brought over another plate of goodies to my neighbors, and they asked, “Were you baking again?” I don’t think they realize I bake like it’s my job! (Well, it kind of is now… 😉 )
This is just the right amount of granola to top some yogurt! I made two changes: I added 1/8 tspn. cinnamon and cooked it on full power for 1 minute, stirring every 15 seconds. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome Tina, and thank you for mentioning your changes! I was so scared I’d burn the granola if I microwaved it on high, so I’m really happy to hear that it worked for you. And I’m the biggest fan of cinnamon, so I’m definitely going to give that a try!
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I made this just now for breakfast with some raspberry yogurt—Wow! It’s so nice and crunchy and I didn’t need to make a big batch to enjoy it by myself. I really love granola, but it’s quite expensive and I never really feel like making a big batch of it. Thank you so much! I will be making this really often!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the granola! That’s exactly how I feel about it too. It’s so expensive, but it’s dangerous for me to keep a full-sized batch around. I’d eat it all in one day! 😉
Hi – This worked great for me, very crunchy… I replaced the maple syrup with honey and put it on full power for 1 min… Thank you! Melissa
I’m so glad you enjoyed the granola Melissa!
Can I leave the Rice Krispies out? Or sub it?
You can substitute more oats for the Rice Krispies, but since the Rice Krispies provide the majority of the crunchiness, the texture won’t quite be the same. I hope you enjoy the granola!
Love this recipe! Making granola is the easiest thing in the world, but I’m so glad there is an even easier recipe for when I don’t have the time to make a large batch. I substitute quinoa puffs for the rice krispies and add some cinnamon and ginger powder. Works just as well!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this granola! I love your idea of quinoa puffs. I need to remember that in the future! 🙂