The BEST homemade granola isn't made in the oven, it's made in the Crock-Pot. Once you try it, you may never use the oven for granola again.
Servings: 151/2 cup servings
Calories: 292kcal
Ingredients
5cupsold-fashioned rolled oats
½cupslivered almonds OR ¾ cup chopped pecans
¼teaspoonkosher salt
⅔cuphoney
⅓cupcoconut oil or butter *
½cupchunky peanut butter
2teaspoonscinnamon
1tablespoonvanilla
1cupraisins or craisinsI used a combination of both
Instructions
Lightly grease the crock-pot with a teaspoon or so of oil. Add the oats, almonds and salt.
In a large measuring cup or small glass bowl, combine the honey, oil, peanut butter, cinnamon, and vanilla. Microwave for a minute, stir and microwave an additional 30 seconds as needed, to melt everything and allow it to combine smoothly. (In lieu of a microwave, this can easily be done in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently.)
Pour the liquids over the oats in the crockpot and stir well to thoroughly coat. Place the lid on the crockpot, leaving it slightly vented. (I use a wooden chopstick for this, as pictured in the post.) Cook on HIGH for about 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Stir in the dried fruit right at the end.
Spread the granola across a large baking sheet and let it cool before transferring to an airtight container. Enjoy!
Notes
The granola cooking time varies depending on how hot your crock-pot gets. One of my crock-pots finishes the oatmeal in about an hour, while another one takes almost two hours. When you begin to smell the granola, it's probably time to stir it again. Use a spatula or large spoon to stir along the edges and the bottom of the crock-pot every 25 minutes.It is possible to burn the granola in the crock-pot if you do not stir it frequently enough or if you do not scrape the sides and bottom each time you stir it. The granola is done when the liquids have been absorbed and the oats look moist, but not wet. It will finish drying out and clump together a bit while it cools on the baking tray.I've used both coconut oil and butter to make this granola. A refined coconut oil won't add any coconut flavor at all. Both work well and taste great.