Super Simple Granola

There's the fancy-schmancy granola. Then there's the chock full o' health food kind. Then there's my kind: four ingredients, 15 minutes, out of the pot and into the bowl (if you want to eat it warm, which I recommend doing with cold milk at least once). A few friends and family members have asked for my recipe, so without further ado, here it is!

Ingredients:

1 T oil (I use olive oil, but canola or coconut or vegetable oil would also work.) 
5 c oatmeal
1 T cinnamon
1/3 c oil
1/3 c honey

Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat 1 T oil over medium heat on the stove. 

2. When oil is hot, stir in 5 c of oatmeal mixed with 1 T cinnamon.

3. Toast oats for 4 minutes, stirring every minute or so.

4. Pour out toasted oats into a sheet pan, or into a large bowl.

5. To the pot on the stove add 1/3 c oil and 1/3 honey and stir together.

6. When oil and honey are bubbly, add back toasted oats and stir until all oats are coated.

7. Turn out oats back onto the sheet pan and allow to cool, or place it directly into a bowl that can be covered. (Covering the oats when warm may result in more clumping of granola.)

*Recipe adapted from All Recipe's Cinnamon Stove-Top Granola.

Tips:

1. I measure the 1 T cinnamon into the 1 c oatmeal measure before measuring the oil into the pan on the stove. This reduces the dishes I use.

2. Like add-ins? Feel free to stir in oat bran, wheat germ, or flax meal with the oats. Note that this may make the granola drier, however. Stir in dried fruit, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, etc. after turning the oats onto the sheet pan for the final time.

3. Like crunchier granola? Bake it! Just omit the beginning 1 T oil and stir together remaining ingredients, baking at 350 degrees for 15-30 minutes. (Still stir periodically.)