You all KNOW I love me a slow cooker, and I recently learned that I could make granola in it.
Wait.
Hold the phone.
Granola? In a slow cooker?
Yup.
Won’t it be… like… soggy? Or weird?
Nope.
Back story on how this came to be: I was in an exercise class last week at Gainey Village… something called Upper Body and Buns Blast (class was super fun and I’m sure I earned my buns some granola after enduring that). Anyway, the instructor told us she made granola in the slow cooker. At first I thought I didn’t hear her right. I did though.
Will the slow cooker ever seize to amaze me?
Ok… Disclaimer first: We don’t routinely eat oats or most grains – My family’s health is better without them or by limiting them. But if anyone is curious, I limit it to…
- white rice (usually amped up with nutrition by making it with bone broth)
- mochi
- gluten-free pasta (made from rice)
- or the very occasional 3-day-fermented-sourdough-organic-bread-that-is-impossible-to-resist-from-the-farmer’s-market. I tell you about the bread because I don’t want you to think it never passes our lips. It does, but only in the form I just mentioned – and rarely at that. It’s fermented and sourdough and organic – so it’s supposedly easier to digest and better than your run of the mill store-bought stuff.
- And, obviously, we eat a bit of granola which would mean we eat some oats. On occasion. You know what though? I’m not into those paleo granolas that are just a bunch of nuts. Too heavy for me. PLUS, I amp up the goodness in this stuff using grass-fed ghee, and… ummm… hmmm… well, I amp it up with grass-fed ghee. :)
- And, remember… I’m trying to relax in my life more with food so I don’t go nuts – which means having some easy to make meals using the aforementioned ingredients.
I was going to show you how I made it with a bunch of photos, but honestly, it’s so easy, I’ll abstain.
I want to mention one other thing. This recipe is designed to be made with whatever goodies you have on hand. So… oats? Yes. Nuts? Any kind. Seeds? Any kind. Dates? Any kind of dried fruit. Have fun with it.
Recipe: OMG EASY Slow Cooker Granola
- 4 cups old fashioned organic rolled oats
- 2 cups chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 4 tablespoons grass-fed ghee
- 3 tablespoons MCT oil (optional, if omitting, then add more ghee)
- 1/2 cup almond butter (mine was raw and organic)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla powder (I love Upgraded Vanillamax, too)
- 6 to 10 dates, pitted and chopped (depending on sweetness desired – I used 6)
- Lightly grease the slow cooker (I used my 6 quart) with grass-fed butter or ghee .
- Add the oats, pecans, seeds, and salt.
- In a small saucepan, combine the syrup, ghee, MCT oil, almond butter, cinnamon and vanilla. Warm to melt everything.
- Pour the liquids over the oats in the slow cooker, and stir well so everything is mixed well.
- Cook on HIGH for about 2 hours, stirring every 25 to 30 minutes.
- Dump the granola on a large baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the dates on top. Let it cool before transferring to an airtight container.