Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: This crunchy oat topping is like a very simple granola. Enjoy for breakfast, or use it as a topping for fruit, yogurt, ice cream, and so much more.
How long it takes: 15 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: mixing bowl, rimmed baking pan
Servings: 8 (2 tablespoons each)
Simple Crunchy Topping
This crunchy oat topping reminds me of granola. It’s very easy to make with only oats, butter and brown sugar. The topping is baked on a sheet pan, just like you would with granola, until it’s lightly browned and crispy.
The topping is nut-free, it’s made with only three ingredients, and you can make it in less than 15 minutes. Seems like a win-win-win to me! It’s super versatile, too. You can use it as a topping on lots of different treats.
How To Serve Crunchy Oat Topping
You’ll find yourself putting these crunchy oats on all sorts of things. Add the sweet crunchy oats to a yogurt parfait, or even plain yogurt (serve it at a yogurt parfait bar!). You can make a faux fruit crisp by topping fruit (either fresh or canned) with crunchy oat topping. It’s not quite the same as my apple crisp but it’s a quickie dessert that’s satisfying.
One of my favorite ways to use this crunchy sweet topping is on ice cream. I highly recommend it! I also like to use it as a topping for this delicious yogurt tart! Try it on pudding, too, like this homemade vanilla pudding.
You can enjoy the crunchy oats for breakfast too, like a simple granola. You can throw in a few add-ins, like toasted nuts, coconut, or sunflower seeds.
More Granola Recipes
Crunchy Oat Topping
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats (either old-fashioned or quick oats)
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Mix the three ingredients together until well combined. Spread the mixture out on a rimmed baking pan (not all jammed together but with some space).1 cup rolled oats, ¼ cup packed brown sugar, 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- Bake for about 10 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time or until dry and lightly browned. Stir lightly to separate and let cool completely before storing.
Notes
- Storage: Cool the topping completely before storing it in an airtight container. It will keep at room temperature for a week or more. If you want to store it longer, I’d refrigerate it, where it will keep for a couple of weeks.
- Make a bigger batch: This makes a fairly small batch but the recipe can easily be multiplied for bigger batches. If you multiply, make sure you can still spread it in a fairly thin layer on your baking sheet.
- Possible add-ins: You can pretty much add what you want to this mixture. Add a ½ teaspoon of cinnamon. Stir in chopped nuts or seeds. After you bake the mixture, you can add dried fruit, like raisins or cranberries.
- Serving ideas: This is like a very simple granola. You can use it to top fruit (fresh or canned), yogurt, ice cream, pudding, oatmeal, or whatever you like. Make easy yogurt parfaits or a faux fruit crisp.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Thank you!!! I am going to have to try this out!!
I didn’t have brown sugar so i used white sugar with a tabelspoon of maple syrup amd it turnd out just as good and a few calories lighter!!
Perfect! Thanks so much for sharing your adaptations! I’m glad you liked this recipe!
Can u use rolled oats as i have a whole container to trt and find some use for. Thus would be perfect as i donr like rhe nuts in granola.
Yes, absolutely!
So you could easily put this on top of a pie etc?
Absolutely! I love it on my yogurt tart but it would be great on any pie, or on ice cream or a yogurt parfait.
can you substitute the brown sugar for white?
I haven’t tested that but I think it should work!
Gad, I am so into easy lately—–I mean more than usual. This works for me.
Yum! This looks delicious :)
yummy
I love this! I actually loooove granola as an ice cream (or fro yo) topping. It’s perfect.
Who wouldn’t want to eat ice cream?! That is a sad comment and should never exist. And I love this oat topping! I would just use the whole hand to face method and forgo the utensils ;)