Homemade Granola in a Slow Cooker {Recipe ReDux}

Having lunch with my kids a few days ago, my kids asked “how does your body make poop?”. Yep – I know, a great conversation to have while eating. However, as a mom who loves to teach about nutrition, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to talk about the digestive tract and how to keep it healthy.

So with some diagrams drawn with a sharpie on paper, I explained how the digestive system works.  And they were so into it…I hadn’t even learned that stuff until I went to college.  So this was a real treat to teach them.

What we talked about most? Fiber. Fiber as a broom to clean out your gut and your arteries. As 8 and 10-year-old kids, they asked a lot of great questions:
Can you have too much fiber in a day?
How much should I have in a day?
Which foods have the most fiber?

Insightful questions. A great reminder that kids want to learn and there is no time like the present to teach.

One food that has a lot of fiber? Oats. Their grainy taste and texture can be useful in so many ways.  That’s why I chose to make a homemade granola for this month’s Recipe ReDux blog link up.  In the slow cooker.  Slow cookers are one of my favorite kitchen appliances.  And the theme for this month was to use them to cook a food that’s a little out of the ordinary.

Granola Slow Cooker

Reasons I love it: I can put it together in 5 minutes.  It stays a little softer in texture, yet still has a crunch. It’s sweet but not too sweet. And it’s hard to burn in the slow cooker (a plus for me).

Homemade Granola in Slow Cooker
6 servings.

2-1/4 cups old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup chopped glazed walnuts (you can find these pre-glazed in the supermarket)
1/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped dried mango

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1. In a large bowl, mix together oats, walnuts, coconut, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together honey and melted butter. Pour over oat mixture.
2. Pour mixture into slow cooker and set to high setting. Leave lid slightly turned to allow moisture to escape. Cook for 1.5 to 2 hours, stirring every 1/2 hour.
3. Remove from slow cooker and let cool for 15 minutes. Gently stir in fruit. Store in an airtight container.

Be sure to take a look at all the other fun recipes for your slow cooker by other fellow registered dietitians.

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6 Comments

  1. nutritionbudgeteer on October 23, 2013 at 2:06 pm

    Never thought to use a crockpot to make granola. Novel idea. My husband love granola. It’s his latest snack favorite.

  2. Heidi Diller on October 23, 2013 at 3:46 pm

    Say what? granola in a slow cooker? Love it! heidi@betterthandormfood.com

  3. Serena Ball on October 24, 2013 at 12:33 pm

    O my goodness! Even with all the great slow cooker recipes, THIS is the recipe I’m going to make first! I’m so excited to try granola. Love that you use butter… Butter is best in granola…but you only use a little which is good. (:

    • Jen Haugen on October 24, 2013 at 12:35 pm

      Awe, thanks Serena! I wish I could have met you at FNCE! I’m still catching up on posts, but it just so happens, yours was the first one I clicked on by the picture. Love Recipe ReDux!

  4. Beth on October 29, 2013 at 7:19 am

    the recipe doesn’t tell you when to add the fruit.

    • Jen Haugen on October 29, 2013 at 8:24 am

      Hey Beth,
      Thanks for catching that one. I appreciate your note!
      Jen

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