Brow Beat

How to Make Your Own Granola Without Measuring a Single Ingredient

I have previously offered Slate readers my recipe for granola, which went on to defeat Stephen Metcalf’s and Jesse Baker’s recipes in the Culture Gabfest’s infamous granola showdown. In hindsight, I fear that pitting granola recipes against one another like pageant contestants may have been a mistake. In truth, you don’t need a recipe for granola. All you really need is a template for granola, along with ideas for things that might make it taste good.

And the template is very, very flexible. What’s the right ratio of oats to nuts and seeds? There is no right ratio! Just stir the dry ingredients until the balance of ingredients looks right to you, then add enough fat and syrup to moisten them. It’s very difficult to go wrong when you’re making granola.

Which is why I encourage you to do so without a recipe. See the above video for my favorite ingredients and variations, and then try it yourself. Because there are no losers when you make your own granola (unless you burn it).