Not only is this crock pot granola the easiest granola recipe I’ve ever made, it’s healthy, won’t require you to turn on the oven, and it feeds a crowd…or in my case, one very enthusiastic granola eater. This slow cooker granola can last several weeks in the pantry and even longer in the freezer, so even if you are making granola for a small household, it’s worth filling the crock pot.
Crock Pot Granola or “How to Clean Out Your Pantry”
This healthy granola recipe begins with old fashioned oatmeal, then can also be customized to any of your favorite mix-ins. I like to use the recipe to clean out the odds and ends from my pantry:
flax seedsnutsdried fruits
For this particular crock pot granola recipe, that pantry stash included pecans, almonds, pepitas, dried apricots, and a dried cherry and cranberry mix. The wet-ingredient portion of the granola recipe—the ingredients that sweeten and bind the oats, nuts and other goodies—are where I feel most homemade granola recipes go awry. Many call for gobs of oil and refined sugar, which, if you are looking for a healthy granola breakfast or snack, defeats its wholesome purpose. Instead of refined brown sugar, I used a moderate amount of maple syrup (if you like granola with honey, that works too), and I also employed my other favorite healthy-granola hack: replacing half of the oil with egg whites. It might sound odd, but egg white is an excellent granola-binder, it makes the granola lightly crispy, and gives the granola a protein-boost, too. For a gluten-free granola recipe, check out my Gluten Free Granola.
The Easiest Way to Make Homemade Granola
To make this easy granola recipe, stir everything together right in the slow cooker, leave the lid slightly ajar (critical to ensuring the granola crisps and does not grow soggy), then let cook until it’s toasty and your entire kitchen smells like a giant cinnamon bun. You do need to stir the granola every 30 minutes, so this recipe is not entirely hands-off. I also recommend spreading the granola on a baking sheet to cool for maximum crispness. In the end, you may find that you still prefer a more classic, oven-baked healthy granola recipe—although pleasantly crunchy, the slow cooker granola did not become quite as crisp as its baked counterparts—but, if you are looking for the simplest way to make a great big batch of homemade granola, this crock pot granola recipe is fun to try, and even more fun to eat! Love granola recipes? You have to try these delicious Granola Cookies.
Recommended Tools to Make This Granola
6 quart programmable slow cookerAll-purpose rimmed baking sheet (to cool the granola)
