Fantastic Frugal Granola

 

 You will want to keep making your own granola after trying this recipe because it tastes better than any gourmet granola I have ever had and at a fraction of the cost.

I have been making granola for almost 9 years and after a while you just get tired of the same thing. I was so tired of my usual recipe that I couldn't bring myself to make it one more time, even though my husband loves it and could eat it everyday {for the rest of his life}.

Well, thanks to Jen at Blissful Moments, I tried a great new recipe!



 

Here is the recipe I tried for Peanut Butter Granola:

• 10 c oatmeal


• 2 c wheat germ


• 1 1/2 c brown sugar


• 1/2 c oil


• 1/2 c honey


• 2 tsp. vanilla


• 1 tsp. salt


• 1/2 c peanut butter

Heat oil, honey and peanut butter until melted. In a big bowl mix all other ingredients and pour the melted mixture over stirring until well coated. Pour into cookie sheets and toast in 300 degree oven until golden brown (I vary this based on how often I want to check it). Check and stir often so it doesn't burn.

I cringed at the amount of sugar in this. But I needed a change and we don't buy boxed cereal unless we are camping (and out of granola, which we had been for weeks) and so breakfast at our house has been flimsy at best.

This batch almost filled 2 gallon sized jars and we ate it in 5 days! I'd say this new recipe is a hit! {I will probably cut the sugar in half though}

Here is my usual that I call Melted Chocolate Chip Honey Vanilla Granola.

 

1. Spread rolled oats or mixed rolled grain (I like 7 grain or 9 grain, as long as it is rolled thin - thick cut can be too hard to chew) - enough to fill a large cookie sheet.

2. Heat 1/2 cup honey and 1/2 cup olive oil - in a small pan then add 1 tsp vanilla and pour over the oats or rolled grain.

3. Toast in oven stirring often until toasted. Sometimes, I toast it at 400 checking it every 10 minutes (quickest), or at 350, checking it every 15 minutes, or 300 checking it every 20 minutes (slowest). It all depends on what else I am doing.

This is just one great way to eat out of our food storage. I buy rolled oats in bulk and this is very economical for our family of 7!

*Update - I made a double batch and it only lasted us five days! On the second batch, I decreased the brown sugar to 1/2 cup (2/3 less) and increased the honey by 1/4 cup. The result was just as good, but a little bit better for you in my opinion. For variety, I omitted the peanut butter and added cinnamon and raisins, but the peanut butter is still my favorite.