Not Too Supersweet Granola Recipe

I like granola, and I used to particularly like the really cheap granola that came in clear plastic bags without any recognizable brand name. But it got to be hard to find and I haven't see it in a long time. I could never deal with the stuff sold as granola by Kellogg's, Post, or other major cereal brands. I guess sugar costs more than oats do, because the boxed stuff was always way too expensive and way too sugary for me, and that's saying a lot because I really like sweet stuff. Some bulk granola in the bins with the scoops and the flimsy bags and plastic clips was pretty good, but the supply was often inconsistent and it tended to be pricey too.

So about six months ago I googled for granola recipes and found quite a few. Most had a few things in them that didn't look like they needed to be there, but I tried to identify common ingredients and managed to abstract out a fairly plain and simple recipe. I've been making it regularly and it's been working well for me. So without further...:

Ingredients:

4 cups "old fashioned" oats (not "quick" oats)

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp nuts (almonds, walnuts, or pecans) finely chopped

less than 1/8 tsp salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil (canola seems best)

1/3 cup honey

1 tbsp water

2 tsp molasses

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients (oats, brown sugar, nuts, salt) in a mixing bowl. Mix well to break up brown sugar lumps. If brown sugar is particularly lumpy, and sometimes it is, crush lumps in a small bowl with a fork first. Note that my smallest measuring spoon is 1/8 of a teaspoon, and I don't even use that much salt. It makes a difference, but a little is all it takes.

Add liquid ingredients (oil, honey, water, molasses) to small pot and heat on stove over very low heat, just enough to thin the honey and molasses. Pour onto dry ingredients and mix very well.

I divide this mixture between two 9" x 13" rectangular baking pans and it's just enough to cover the bottom of both pans with a thin but even layer. Bake for 30 minutes at 300 degrees F. Turn pans after 15 minutes if there's any doubt about the evenness of heat in the oven.

Remove from oven after 30 minutes. Granola should be very slightly browned, and maybe just a bit darker near the edges of the pans. (I can't see any difference when it's in the oven, but it's clearly toasted-looking when it comes out.) It will still be soft when removed but it hardens quickly. After five minutes, crumble just a little with a fork or spatula and scoop into a storage container.

Notes:

Notably, it's pretty cheap to make. A 42 ounce cylinder of oats is less than $3.00 at Food Lion, and I get close to three batches out of one of those. Dollar Tree has one-cup honey bear bottles (for one dollar, of course.) I think those are the two most expensive ingredients.

Also, while it isn't nearly as sugary as most store-bought granola, there are still lots of calories in there so don't get carried away with it. But it's mostly pretty decent stuff.

I can notice even pretty small changes in ingredients (like different vegetable oils, or a little bit more or less salt) but you can play around with it and probably still get something that's recognizable as granola. It doesn't seem particularly touchy about that.

I've kept some for two weeks or so without noticing any changes. Beyond that I can't say because it's all gonez.