Stovetop Granola

We’re always looking for food that can be served as more than just one thing. On the Ruby Vi, granola is just that. We can put a few spoonfuls in homemade yogurt, crunch on a handful as a snack, even have a bowl of it with milk for breakfast. Plus, it’s hearty and packed with protein and fats so you don’t have to eat much to feel full (or at least to know you should feel full).

Having to use the oven was always the downside of making our own granola on board.

First, along our path, it’s almost always something like 85 degrees which means turning on a hot oven in a small boat is a bit of a drag. Second, the oven is small — truly sailboat-small — so making a giant batch of granola all at once doesn’t work.

Enter my ever-present “But is there an easier way” challenge.

There sure is. Turns out, You can pan sauté granola right on the stove.

Granola is one of those recipes for which you can pretty much use anything you like.

Here’s our lame little list of ingredients (though this list will definitely morph when/if I ever get out of COVID Quarantine and back to a grocery store).

WHAT WE USE:

(though it certainly changes based on what’s in our cupboards):

1. A mix of Fast Cooking and Steel Cut Oats (let the size of your pot determine how much you use)
2. The powdery crumbs at the end of a bag of frosted mini wheats
3. A handful or so of raw sunflower seeds
4. The tail end of a bag of crispy flake-y cereal (it resembled Grape Nut Flakes but wasn’t)
5. About 1/3C of ground flax seeds
6. Maple syrup (probably about 3/4C)
7. Cinnamon (what seemed like a lot but you can add to taste)
8. Nutmeg (heavy dousing)
9. All Spice (a little more than just a bit)
10. Ground Cloves (just a bit)
11. Ground Ginger (just a bit)
12. A big pinch of Salt
13. Coconut oil (I drizzle easily 1/2C over the pot of the dried oat mixture — I make a pretty big batch)
14. A tablespoon or two of salted butter

WHAT WE DO:

1. Dump everything into a big stockpot (or whatever size pot fits the size of your intended batch)
2. Place over med-high heat
3. Stir constantly, turning oat mixture over so it all has a chance to sauté itself
4. You can add more oil, butter, and/or maple syrup as you go if you find you need a little more “sizzle” that you’re getting
5. My batch took about 20-30 minutes until it was all browned and seemed toasted
6. The granola crisps up as it cools
7. Once it’s completely cool, transfer to an airtight container to store

Enjoy! You’re done!