Homemade Slow Cooker Granola

Before I learned to love it, I hated granola – even though I had never tried it! I always associated it with health-food junkies and hippies who eat twigs and nuts all day and pretend they actually like it. But now I love the stuff and even better, Laurie made up her own granola recipe, so I get homemade granola whenever I want! Here’s the secret to great-tasting and healthy granola!

Oatmeal with Laurie's homemade granola - photo by Marilyn Trader

As Laurie and I get older, we are more focused on eating healthier so we can make the most out of our retirement years. Some of this focus on a healthier lifestyle was voluntary, but some of it was forced as well. Soon after I took over as head of the Center for Naval Analyses back in 2015, I had a health scare brought on by stress and an unhealthy lifestyle. The remedy wasn’t surgery or medication; it was changing bad habits like not exercising, not managing stress effectively, and most importantly, maintaining a bad and unhealthy diet. In particular, my doctor told me that eating things like fruit and yogurt in the morning and cutting out a lot of red and processed meats would get me on the road to faster recovery. Oh, and I also had to stop drinking wine for three months until my symptoms went away – that was the worst!!

So instead of a donut or muffin for breakfast, I started eating yogurt with blackberries each day. For me, yogurt was an acquired taste and I had to try a lot of them until I found one that I liked (in case you’re interested, the absolute best yogurt is Siggi’s Icelandic 4% milkfat whole milk yogurt – any flavor will do but vanilla is my favorite!). But even then, it wasn’t something I really looked forward to in the morning. Enter granola!

Laurie suggested that I add granola to into the mix, for texture as well as flavor. There are hundreds of granola options in grocery stores and markets, and many of them taste great – I loved the addition of granola to my morning yogurt and fruit and had it on a daily basis for years. But many of those store-bought granolas are loaded with salt, sugar, and fat. Laurie was interested in making a healthier version of granola herself and found a great slow-cooker recipe in one of Valerie Bertinelli’s cookbooks, Over time, she adapted the recipe and made it her own. It’s awesome and better yet, it’s easy to make! Filled with 5 different kinds of nuts, along with oats and Rice Krispies, she adds dried cranberries, yogurt-covered dried cranberries, and maple syrup for sweetness. It’s healthy and tasty!

I eat a wider range of foods for breakfast now, but yogurt with blackberries or blueberries and Laurie’s granola are a regular part of the rotation! Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Laurie’s Slow Cooker Granola (makes about 7-8 cups)

This healthy and homemade alternative to store-bought granola tastes better than the pre-packaged kind and will save you some money as well! The ingredients list looks long but the mix of different nuts really enhances the flavor of this granola. The slow cooker ensures it doesn’t burn, and really brings together all of the different components of the mix. Adjust the amount of add-ons like dried cranberries to your liking, and you can even change them out for some of your other favorite dried fruit if you’d like.

Ingredients

½ cup plus 1 tbsp. vegetable oil

½ cup maple syrup (the real stuff!)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ½ cups old fashioned oats

2 ½ cups Rice Krispies Cereal

1 cup broken up cashews (roasted and salted)

¼ cup pistachios (roasted and salted)

¼ cup pepitas (roasted and salted)

¼ cup sunflower seeds ((roasted and salted)

¼ cup slivered almonds

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon cardamon

½ cup dried cranberries and/or yogurt covered cranberries

Directions

Heat the oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract in a small saucepan over low heat.

In a large bowl combine the oats and rice cereal and set aside. Place the cashews in a sealable bag and break them up with a pan or rolling pin until they are smaller chunks. Add the other nuts to the bag with the cashews and set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the slow cooker and spread it around the bottom and the sides. Add the oats, rice cereal, nuts, cinnamon, and cardamon into the slow cooker and thoroughly mix together until combined. Add the warmed wet ingredients into the slow cooker and stir the mixture as you pour so all the ingredients are covered.

Place the lid on the slower cooker but vent it about a ¼ of an inch. Set the temperature to high and cook for 2 ½ to 3 hours. Stir the mixture every 30 minutes

.

Once done, place a piece of parchment paper on a large, rimmed baking sheet and pour the granola onto the pan to cool. Once cool mix in the dried cranberries or whatever dried fruit you like. Store in an airtight container.

Laurie's homemade slow cooker granola