Part of our series: What Do I Do With This?

Here’s a truth: resourcefulness isn’t just about surviving — it’s about thriving with whatever’s already in your home. Today we’re talking about a common pantry predicament: an overwhelming stockpile of oatmeal that somehow multiplied when you weren’t looking.

Maybe your partner went through a “healthy eating” phase and bought every variety of oats known to humanity. Perhaps you’ve got a collection of oatmeal packets in flavors your kids declared “absolutely disgusting.” Whatever the situation, we’re not throwing anything away—we’re transforming it into something your family will actually devour.

The Resourceful Mindset

Before we dive into the solution, let’s shift our thinking. That cabinet full of unwanted oats isn’t a problem. It’s raw material for adventure. Every rejected peaches-and-cream packet is potential energy for your next trail hike. Every container of steel-cut oats that “takes too long to cook” is future breakfast-on-the-go gold.

This is about using every single thing you’ve already invested in.

Understanding Your Oat Arsenal

Quick oats, old-fashioned, steel-cut — they all have their place in our granola rescue mission. Steel-cut might be the nutritional powerhouse, but don’t get hung up on perfection. The best oat is the one currently taking up space in your pantry. Even those flavor packets your kids won’t touch? We’re using those too.

Adding honey to the granola.
Adding honey to the granola.

The ‘Work With What You’ve Got’ Granola Formula

Forget fancy recipes with 20 ingredients you don’t have. This is about maximizing what’s already in your kitchen. Here we’ll look at the basic recipe and then break down how you can modify it to something that you have in our kitchen.

The Basic Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup of honey
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup of olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 3 cups of old fashioned oats
  • 3/4 cup of chopped nuts or trail mix

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2: Add the honey, vanilla, oil and salt to a large bowl and mix it together.

Step 3: Add the oats and nuts and mix until everything is evenly coated.

Step 4: Pour the granola onto a sheet pan and spread it out evenly. Bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Watch it closely at about 20 minutes to make sure it doesn’t burn. Remove it from the oven when it is crunchy and golden brown, and let it cool completely before serving.

The Magic Ratio

3 cup oats : ¾ cup “whatever you’re trying to use up”

This requires about 1 1/4 cups of binder — honey, peanut butter, maple syrup, and oil. You could replace the peanut butter in the recipe above with brown sugar if you have a nut allergy.

This ratio works whether you’re making a small test batch or processing an entire cabinet’s worth of ingredients.

Stirring the granola so it all sticks together.

Raid Your Existing Supplies

Base Layer:

  • Whatever oats are hogging cabinet space
  • Any oil in your kitchen (olive, vegetable, coconut — use what you have)
  • Sweetener on hand (honey, maple syrup, even sugar works)
  • Binding agent (peanut butter, any nut butter, even tahini)
  • Salt and vanilla (if you have them)

Creative Add-Ins from Your Current Stock:

  • Trail mix that’s been sitting around
  • Nuts nobody wants to eat plain
  • Chocolate chips from last year’s baking project
  • Dried fruit that’s still good but getting ignored
  • Those rejected oatmeal packets (check dates, but most are shelf-stable for quite a while)
  • Spices and seasonings that could use some love

Food Safety Note: Check expiration dates and use your senses — if something looks, smells, or tastes off, trust your instincts and skip it. We’re being resourceful, not risky! Oats and most dry pantry items are generally stable well past their “best by” dates when stored properly, but when in doubt, toss it out.

  1. Inventory and prep: Look at what you actually have. Chop oversized trail mix pieces with whatever knife you’ve got. No fancy equipment needed.
  2. Create your binding mixture: Mix your available oil, sweetener, and nut butter until you have enough liquid to coat everything. The exact amounts don’t matter—you’ll know it’s right when everything clumps together.
  3. Spice creatively: Use whatever spices are taking up space. Cinnamon works, but so does that pumpkin pie spice from three seasons ago. Spices that are past their prime but not expired can still add flavor—just use a bit more.
  4. Combine everything: Mix until it holds together in clumps. If it’s not clumping, add more binding ingredients. If it’s too wet, add more oats or dry ingredients.
  5. Bake resourcefully: Spread on whatever baking sheet you have (greased, lined, or non-stick). Bake at 300-350°F and watch carefully. Golden brown means success; black means compost.

Creative Problem-Solving Examples

The Unwanted Packet Solution: Those artificial strawberry or banana oatmeal packets? Mix them right into your base cookie recipe or add it to this granola recipe. The fake flavoring mellows out and creates interesting flavor profiles you can’t buy in stores.

The Stale Nut Rescue: Nuts that have lost their crunch but are still within their freshness window? Perfect for granola. The baking process refreshes them and brings back that satisfying texture.

The Random Spice Adventure: Got cayenne taking up spice rack space? Make Mexican hot chocolate granola by adding cinnamon and cayenne or chili powder to a granola that has dark chocolate in it. Old ranch seasoning packets? Create a savory granola that works as hiking trail mix.

The Chocolate Chip Situation: Those baking chips that are too big or the wrong type? Chop them down and use them anyway. Perfection isn’t the goal—using what you have is.

Next time you’re staring at a pantry full of “mistakes” or “bulk buying regrets,” ask yourself: “How can I transform this instead of replace it?” Whether it’s oatmeal, rice, beans, or that weird pasta shape nobody likes, there’s probably a creative solution waiting to be discovered.

That’s what mountain mama adventures are really about, not having perfect ingredients or ideal conditions, but making magic with whatever you’ve got on hand.

What pantry challenges are you facing? Share your creative solutions and rescue missions in the comments. Let’s problem-solve together!