Why Ina Garten Prefers Store-Bought Granola To Making It Herself

There are some recipes worth spending a day in the kitchen, tapping into your culinary creative side. When it comes to granola, however, celebrity chef Ina Garten prefers to skip the time and leave it to the store-bought stuff instead. While it's clear that the cookbook author and host of the long-standing Food Network show and cooking brand, Barefoot Contessa, could make a spectacular homemade granola, in a recent overview of her typical grocery list featured on Bon Appetit, she reveals that it's just a kitchen staple she'd rather buy.

"I buy granola because unless you can make something that's better than what you'd buy, there's no point in spending the time!" Ina Garten told Bon Appetit. Like many favorite store-bought foods, once you find a quality brand of something you love, there's often no need to craft your own. Ina Garten regularly enjoys the toasted oat treat while watching evening TV with (who other than) her husband Jeffrey. The two eat granola as a dessert, served with plain or strawberry yogurt and fresh fruit. But when it comes to a specific granola brand, Ina Garten has her preferences.

It's no surprise that when eating out or sourcing packaged food, she seeks quality; her go-to granola is the roll-off-your-tongue Bola Granola brand, which is handmade in small batches in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, not too far from where she lives in East Hampton, New York and Southport, Connecticut.

Founded and launched by Michelle Miller in 2008, Bola makes several products, including its line of bags and bulk granola, as well as granola bars made with simple ingredients. No wonder Ina Garten finds no need to make her own granola — Bola is as good as homemade. Crafted with oats, almonds, and pumpkin seeds, as well as additions like salt, vanilla, and maple syrup, this granola is as good as anything you'd hope to produce in your own oven. Granola types, include Original, Barely Sweet Gluten Free, and Gluten Free, all of which are available for pick-up at select stores across the East Coast and Northeast region, as well as in Florida and California. Thankfully, if it's not available in your area, Bola ships its products nationwide, and sometimes across continents.

Ina Garten's favorite granola to enjoy for dessert is made just like you'd make it in your own kitchen, just on a larger scale. The few ingredients that go into Bola's typical 36-pound batches are mixed together until well-combined, then toasted on baking sheets until nice and crunchy. Straight-forward granola recipes like these allow for those who enjoy it at home, among the likes of Ina Garten, to add their own mix-ins like fruit, toasted nuts, or even mini chocolate chips. There's no need to spend extra time in the kitchen to whip up the snack — you can leave it to the pros. 

If you do want to try your hand at homemade granola, Garten's version, which she shared with Food Network that includes fruity additions like dried apricots, figs, and cherries, as well as the nut medley of almonds, shredded coconut, and cashews will surely not disappoint. Even if she's not making it every week, her recipe is a tasty foray into the homemade stuff, if that's your thing.