Crockpot Granola with blueberries and walnuts

[jungrrl]

So I was totally inspired by lapoli's podcast where she talked about making crockpot granola. So I went through her show notes and looked at the recipes, then googled some more and basically cobbled this together. It seems like once you get the basics down you can freeform it from there. The gist is you need oats, honey to bind it, butter (or oil... but butter is always better, right?), then whatever fixin's you want: vanilla, cinnamon, dried fruit, nuts, etc. I had most of the ingredients already, I just picked up a few extra things on my next trip to the store.

Here's what I used:


5 cups of oats
1/2 cup of honey.. mostly because that's all I had left. Plus you might notice I had one with the comb in it. I didn't add the comb
1/4 cup butter
1 Tbsp flax seed meal*
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup dried blueberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

*I dunno if this was necessary really but it's supposed to be good for you. The other recipe I saw had flax seeds but I was told that you may as well get flax seed meal because you probably won't chew up the seeds because they're so small and then they just go right through you without the benefit.  


I put it in the crockpot for about 3 1/2 hours on high and stirred regularly (well, I tried). Also, make sure you vent the lid! Just a wooden spoon or a chopstick under the lid is fine, just so the steam can come out.


Here's what I learned.  Personally, I want way more honey so I have more clustery bits. I'll probably also use a lot more vanilla and cinnamon for sugary flavory goodness.  That being said, the boy LOVES it. And this is not a granola guy, so that's very impressive! I had some this morning with yogurt and it was very, very yummy! We also both keep nibbling on it whenever it's near...  So all in all I think it was pretty successful!

So some people were asking how long this stuff is good for.  I had some stored in a tupperware in my pantry and just took it hiking yesterday and it tasted perfectly fine a little over 2 months later!

[kittykill]

SOOO yummy! I am gonna make some this weekend.

[SunflowerSmiles]

this looks sooooo yummy   I love granola.  I love to have the big chunks of granola...so adding more honey will do that?  How bout more butter or is it just more honey?  I'll be making this tomorrow...cleaned an organized my pantry and found all kinds of nutty, fruity bits that weren't expired!  Yay me! I'll be chowing nola sooon!

[Cuttie_2008]

Yum! I will certainly have to try this 

[jungrrl]

this looks sooooo yummy   I love granola.  I love to have the big chunks of granola...so adding more honey will do that?  How bout more butter or is it just more honey?  I'll be making this tomorrow...cleaned an organized my pantry and found all kinds of nutty, fruity bits that weren't expired!  Yay me! I'll be chowing nola sooon!

I think it's the honey that makes it clump up, but I don't know for sure yet! 

[MareMare]

That looks so good! I love making granola and never would have thought to make it in the crockpot! Go Lapoli!

Randomness~ Bob's Red Mill is a Portland company, they have a really cool store with a cafe near their warehouse/production center

[sazzra]

Another reason to buy a crockpot

And I thought whole linseeds were kind of the point - they 'sweep' you so I just looked it up. Apparently, I've been eating them wrongly for ages

[SunflowerSmiles]

 got it in the cooker!  I added a few extra things...cause..cle an out pantry and all...I added some Bob's dried coconut and a bag of raisins, cranberry's, pistachios, walnuts...extra butter (1 cup) cause I wanted to be all Paula Dean like and about 3/4 cup honey.....and I only had quick cook oats...don' t know how it'll turn out but ...exciiiiiiited!

[jungrrl]

whee!!

[lapoli]

Oh, wow! Your granola looks so amazing! (And I am going to borrow your idea of using vanilla in there, too!)  Yuuummm! When's breakfast??

Sunflower - Please let me know how it turns out with quick oats!  The recipe I started with said to only use the rolled oats so I've never even thought about trying it with anything else.  I'm curious to hear how yours will turn out!

How anyone can live without a crockpot is a complete mystery to me.