Aunt Jen's Granola

As a kid, granola was just okay to me...I didn't ask specifically for it, but I didn't turn it away either. But now that I'm older, granola is one of the many dishes that my taste buds now approve of (and ask specifically for). The only granola I eat is from my Aunt Jen's recipe. I don't do granola with nuts, berries or any dried fruit, coconut, sesame seeds, etc. Just plain and simple not-super-healthy granola.

Aunt Jen's Granola

1/2 cup vegetable/canola oil
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups old-fashioned oatmeal (do not use quick)
1/4 cup powdered milk
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbs. brown sugar
optional: 1/2 cup bran, wheat germ (I use wheat germ in an attempt to make it a tad bit healthier)

Preheat oven to 300. Put oil, honey and vanilla in a flat baking pan with high sides. Melt (usually takes only a minute or two). Mix together in a large bowl: oatmeal, powdered milk, cinnamon and brown sugar. (Add bran, wheat germ, etc.) Pour the warm oil & honey mixture onto the oat mixture and blend well with a spoon. Return to the baking pan. Bake for one hour. Stir mixture every 15 minutes to keep from burning. Cool the mixture in the pan and stir once or twice to facilitate even cooling. Store in an airtight container.

Disclaimer: I usually only bake it for up to thirty minutes. My oven may be wacky because the first time I baked it for the full hour, it definitely burned. 


Enjoy! My favorite way to eat granola is like cereal: add milk & I'm good to go. Also great on yogurt.