Slow Cooker Granola

Here’s the menu for Christmas Brunch 2009:

I made Christmas Brunch this year.

• Maple Almond Slow Cooker Granola with milk or yogurt
• Extra-Sour Sourdough Bread
• Baked Eggs
• Roasted Potatoes
• Coffee, Tea, and OJ

I started with homemade Extra Sour-Sourdough Bread, which I received the starter as an early Christmas present. This year I served the Simple Sourdough recipe, but the Extra-Sour version was much better. It took approximately 24 hours to complete the entire process. But, it isn’t a lot of work, and the result was beautiful and tasty. We got two delicious loaves of crusty bread.

The eggs were baked in individual ramekins, and were not only easy to put together, but required very little preparation or ingredients. Simple and wholesome, just made from eggs, a small amount of butter, milk, salt, and pepper.

The Roasted Potatoes were small Yukon Golds that were sliced about ¼ inch thick lengthwise. I lightly oiled the pan and the potatoes, and roasted them in a 350°F oven for about 35 minutes. After they came out of the oven, I salted them. Again, very simple, and I will definitely be making them again- for dinner, lunch, or breakfast they would be great.

How to make this healthy granola

This crockpot granola is fragrant with irresistible flavor and a texture surprisingly similar to oven-baked versions. Made with simple, clean ingredients, it’s perfect for sprinkling over yogurt, serving with milk, or enjoying by the handful as a nourishing snack.

I have tips and tricks for you in the post, for the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions, scroll down to the recipe card below.

Ingredients

Let’s take a quick look at some of the ingredients.

Oil: Use your favorite oil in this, just about any type will work: avocado, grapeseed, canola will all have a nice neutral flavor. Olive oil, vegetable oil, coconut oil will also work.

Maple syrup: adds just the right sweetness, it’s natural, and vegan. You can also use honey or another liquid sweetener.

Oats: Be sure to use old-fashioned rolled oats; Instant Oats or quick cooking oats won’t work in this recipe

Sliced almonds: Feel free to use slivered almonds, or another kind of nut like pecans, hazelnuts, pistachios, cashews, or walnuts

Dried Fruit: Add more dried fruit after cooking if you prefer. Or swap the dried fruit for raisins, dried blueberries, or dried cherries. You can also use flaked coconut or coconut chips.

Cooking tips

Spray the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. And you’ll want a slow cooker that’s at least 4 quarts, or larger for this recipe.

Cook this slow cooker granola uncovered to keep it crisp, not soggy. Leaving the lid off allows steam to escape, which prevents moisture from getting trapped and softening the oats. For the best crunchy granola texture, never fully cover the slow cooker during cooking.

Stirring is essential for evenly toasted, golden-brown granola. Stir every 20–30 minutes, or more often if your slow cooker runs hot, and be sure to scrape the sides and bottom to prevent burning. Slow cookers heat unevenly, so regular stirring keeps the oats and nuts from overcooking at the edges while helping the entire batch brown evenly. I recommend using a sturdy metal spoon as well to really make sure you get down into the crock pot.

Let the granola cool completely to achieve that beautiful crunchy texture. Once it’s golden brown, spread it out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet in an even layer and allow it to cool, stirring occasionally. The granola will continue to crisp up as it cools, transforming from soft to perfectly crunchy before storing.

You can double this recipe for a really large batch, but it may take longer to cook, up to 2 to 3 hours longer to cook evenly.

Why make the granola in the slow cooker?

Making granola in the slow cooker is super easy and can help keep the mess down. Because the slow cooker is deep, it doesn’t make a mess to stir the ingredients every few minutes. When you bake granola in the oven on a baking pan, it can be tricky to stir everything without spilling it.

You can make a really big batch of granola in a 6- to 7-quart slow cooker. So, if you go through a lot of cereal in your house, it can help you save money.

And, you’ll save on oven space if you’re using the oven for another reason. Plus, you don’t have to heat up the kitchen with the oven. It’s often way too hot in summer to turn the oven on, so I’ll make a batch of this in the slow cooker and we have a great snack or breakfast. And, it makes a great dorm hack or tiny kitchen hack.

Storage

It stores well, making it perfect for meal prep and busy mornings. Make sure you keep it in an airtight container and it’ll last at room temperature for a couple weeks.

I like to keep it in large mason jars, and these plastic lids (wide mouth) and (regular) are so easy to use!

Serving suggestions

Serve the maple granola with your favorite milk as cereal for a classic breakfast, over yogurt or ice cream for a great dessert, or with fruit. Try it over smoothie bowls. And it makes a great portable snack for hiking or road trips.

Granola also makes a great gift. Just pop it in a mason jar or plastic bag, and tie with a pretty ribbon. Share the easy breakfast meal prep with someone you care about.

Changes to the recipe

As always, I recommend making the no oven granola recipe as written, them trying changes.

Add extra nutrition with some chia seeds or ground flax seeds.

Swap the fruit with dried blueberries, dried cherries, or raisins. Or, leave the fruit out entirely if you like.

Stir in ½ cup peanut butter or Nutella with the maple syrup before cooking.

Add chocolate chips to the granola after it’s cooled completely.

Add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract