Wet Granola - A New Favorite

When my mom told me that she had made wet granola, and they loved it, I was skeptical. Isn't granola supposed to be crunchy? Would the granola mold if I skipped the baking step? 

It took me a couple months, but after hearing about the praise of wet granola a few more times, especially from my children who had devoured it at my mom's kitchen. I finally tried it. 

And now I'm sold. 

I've made wet granola many times the past months, and it is likely that this recipe will always be connected in my mind to Covid and my brother's stay at our house. This recipe is so easy that I can stir up a new batch in minutes which means if I realize we are out of granola, I can stir up a new batch at 6:00. I don't mind the time savings of skipping the baking step, and it truly does just taste better than any other granola I tried. 

I continue to tweak this recipe, usually to take advantage of what I have in my cupboard. Any kind of nuts, seeds, or dried fruit goes great in this recipe. Craisins give it a peanut-butter-and-jelly flavor. My mom adds chocolate chips, but I refuse to let my children eat chocolate for breakfast. 

I still enjoy crunchy granola and won't throw out my other recipes, but wet granola has gained a place in my kitchen.

Wet Granola

1 cup coconut oil

1 1/2 cup honey

1 1/2 cup peanut butter

4 cups Rice Krispy cereal

10 cups rolled oats

1 cup raw wheat germ

1 cup sunflower seeds

nuts, raisins, craisins, or whatever your favorite granola ingredient

Slightly heat oil, honey, and peanut butter. Mix all ingredients together. Serve with milk or yogurt and fresh fruit. Store in tightly sealed container. 

I have never had wet granola spoil, but it also doesn't last long at our house. Maybe it wouldn't spoil since coconut oil, honey, and peanut butter are shelf stable. But if I was going to keep it longer than a week I'd probably store it in the fridge or freezer.