Everyday Value Experiment - Make your own granola

I have to confess, I have never made my own granola before. I don't eat cereal as much as I did as a child. But it's actually a lot more versatile than that. Let's start with the granola recipe, which I have adapted from this recipe.

Equipment:

A large mixing bowl
Spoon for stirring
Baking tray
Parchment paper (technically optional, but have fun cleaning the tray!)


Ingredients:

2 cups (180g) of Tesco Everyday Value Oats
2 cups (50g) of Tesco Everyday Value Cornflakes
1 cup (125g) of Tesco Everyday Value Roasted Salted Peanuts
1/3 cup (78ml) of Tesco Pure Sunflower/Vegetable Oil
2/3 cup (225g) of Tesco Everyday Value Clear Honey

We don't need any salt as there's plenty on the nuts. Measure the dry and wet ingredients into separate bowls. Give the cornflakes a little bash into smaller chunks. I've microwaved the honey for about 10 seconds to make it a little easier to mix.


Make sure that the dry ingredients are completely coated. You should feel that the mixture resists the spoon when it's coated. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C (300F). Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper, this will help keep the granola from sticking. Spread the granola out on a single layer - use a couple of baking trays, or do it in two batches.

After about 10-15 minutes (keep an eye on it!), carefully mix the granola and spread it back out in a single layer. Bake for another 10-15 minutes, then leave it to cool (still on the tray) on a cooling rack.

I was a little bit worried about how salty the peanuts were, but I seem to have unwittingly gotten a good balance. I can taste the salt, but the sweetness of the honey complements it nicely. I've been nibbling away at it while it cools down.

The cost

180g oats @ 75p per kilo = 13.5p
50g cornflakes @ 78p a kilo = 3.9p
125g peanuts @ £2.40 a kilo = 30p
78ml oil @ £1 a litre = 7.8p
225g honey @ £2.90 a kilo = 65.25p

Total = £1.2045 for approximately 600g of granola (£2 a kilo)


The Verdict

It's kind of tricky to judge this one. Tesco has a number of toasted oat cereals at £1.99 a kilo, with similar ingredients, but more varied nuts and fruit than what we have here. We do have a bit more control of what goes into the granola by making it ourselves, but we'd probably be better saving our time for recipes that will save us money.

While it may not be a value range item, I decided to buy one of these cereals for a taste test. I chose the fruit and nut option as it was the closest I could get to my homemade version. The hint of coconut is quite pleasant, but I find the oat clusters very dense, and much prefer the mix of oats and cornflakes in my own version. This bag certainly won't go to waste though! Both varieties were quite pleasant as a snack dry, or mixed with yoghurt for something a little more filling.