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Our plain granola recipe came about because we are a family of picky eaters. One child loves blueberries, two won’t touch them. Another child loves peanuts and again two won’t touch them, even though all 3 love peanut butter. One loves coconut and again another two won’t touch them.
Truth be told their parents are not much different either. One parent loves walnuts, the other hates them. One parent loves chocolate chips in anything, the other prefers them only in cookies.
So when it comes to granola, none of us likes the same kind, in fact only two of us like it, but we don’t like the same things in it. My solution; come up with a plain granola recipe that really acts more like a base and then let each of us dress it up according to what we like and what we have in the cupboards.
It works great! A bonus of it being plain is that you decide how many calories to add to it.
This recipe is based off of one I found in my favorite book on thrift of all time The Tightwad Gazette. I just omitted everything from the recipe but the pure basics.
Brown sugar, honey, olive oil (you can use another type of oil if you wish), oats (I use quick outs) cinnamon and powdered milk.
First mix together the honey, oil and brown sugar in a saucepan and place it on the stove at medium heat. Here is a tip pour the oil in the 2/3 cup first and then the honey. That way the honey slips out off the 2/3 cup measurement with ease.
While the wet ingredients are melting together stir together all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Once the wet ingredients are done you will end up with a sauce that looks like this. Pour it all over your dry ingredients and blend together well with a large wooden spoon.
With the oven preheated to 375 divide the granola between two cookie sheets and spread evenly. Place in the oven for 10 minutes. I actually set the time for 5 minutes since at the 5 minute mark I like to give the granola a good stir to keep the edges from burning.
When the granola is done take it out and stir it up a bit. I like using a pasta server for this as I find it breaks it up well. I do this a few time as it cools to avoid getting clumpy granola. Although if you like you granola clumpy then don’t do this step.
Once the granola is cooled you can store it in an airtight container for several weeks. I often half the batch, placing half in an air tight container and half in the freezer to use later.
How you choose to eat it is entirely up to you. Eat it plain. Eat it with blueberries. Eat it with chocolate chips and banana chips. The beauty of plain granola is that you can eat it a different way every day.
Looking for more breakfast food ideas? Follow my Breakfast foods board on Pinterest.
Plain Granola
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 2/3 cup olive oil can use another oil if you wish
- 2/3 cup honey
- 10 cups oats I use quick oats
- 1 cup powdered milk
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Combine brown sugar, olive oil and honey in a saucepan and place on medium heat. Stir frequently until blended well. Then remove from heat
- Combine rest of ingredients in large mixing bowl.
- Put liquid mixture on top of dry mixture and stir with large wooden spoon.
- Pour mixture out onto two cookie sheets and spread evenly
- Place in a preheated oven at 375 degrees
- Bake for 10 minutes at the 5 minute mark stir the granola especially around edges to avoid burning and rotate cookie sheets if needed (my oven does not bake evenly so I always rotate)
- When 10 minutes is up take granola out. Edges should be golden brown.
- Let cool.
- As it cools break it up with a spoon once and a while to avoid clumps (unless you like clumps then leave it alone)
- When it is 100% cooled place in airtight container. It should keep several weeks.
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What is it about granola that is both healthy and a comfort food? Not many things I feel that way about. I like your idea of letting family members choose their toppings. And your granola looks delicious. Maybe I need to eat breakfast before reading recipes : )
I love the idea of having a “granola buffet” once or twice a week. Easy and fun! I don’t really have any picky eaters, but having choices is always fun. You know “sometimes you feel like a nut”! 🙂
LOVE granola!! I have several different recipes but would like to try this. Just curious what the powdered milk is for? What does it do in the recipe? Thank you! Pinning!
I believe the powdered milk adds to the texture, however I do know a friend that has made it without and she told me she tasted very little difference.
This granola looks great! When I lived in a missionary base in Switzerland it was my duty to make granola every week. Ours was quite simple and similar to yours, but without the powdered milk. Will have to give this a try at home this week. Thanks, Victoria!
Just to let you know my friend once made this recipe without the powdered milk and she said there was only a slight difference, mostly in how it clumped together if I remember right. Anyways it can be made without the milk. Hope you like it.