The Easiest and Best Granola

For a long time I have searching for the perfect granola recipe. Because my family are cold cereal fiends, I had to find something to replace their fix. I tried a number of granola recipes, but all were rather high maintenance. They required frequent stirring, during which I usually managed to spill some over the edges of the cookie sheet, and they burned if not watched closely. Crockpot granola was an improvement, but I still managed to burn it from time to time.

So I was ecstatic when I discovered Lazy Granola. The original recipe is from Lori Flem's Sanity Saving Breakfasts. I left out the brown sugar and doubled the recipe and found it to be just great. It takes about five minutes to mix up and makes a large batch of very delicious granola. Start it the night before you want to eat it.

Lazy Granola

14 cups rolled oats
1 cup oil (I use coconut or butter)
1 cup of honey
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla

Melt the honey and oil together, either in the microwave or on the stove. Stir in the cinnamon and vanilla. Pour over the oats in a large roaster pan, stir well, and place in the oven at 350 degrees. Cook for 20 minutes, stir, place back in the hot oven, close the door, turn off the heat and leave overnight. Tape the oven door with duct tape if needed, but do not open it till the next morning, when you will have crunchy and delicious granola, ready to be doctored up with coconut, raisins, nuts, or whatever your heart desires. I make this every friday night, and it lasts my family of eight through the weekend.

Now, is this cheaper than store-bought cereal? You have to compare apples to apples. Yes I probably could find giant bags of sugar laden Dead-Flour-Pops for less than it costs to make this cereal....but why would I want to do that? If you compare the cost of this, using bulk bought organic oats, bulk organic coconut oil, and home-made vanilla, it should pencil out to be much cheaper than similar quality store-bought granola. Someday, when I have time to kill, maybe I will do the math. But right now I am feeling hungry for some cold cereal.......